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Had a wonderful first trip to India. Vijay Chansoria was an excellent guide.
Seeing tigers in the wild. Seeing the diverse wildlife and birds. Getting involved in the culture.
Vijay Chansoria is an excellent guide. He imparts his vast knowledge of the wildlife and India with ease.
As with any wildlife holiday there are no guarantees, but the viewings that we did have were fantastic. Tigers, leopards, sloth bears and much more.
Seeing a female leopard above us in a tree, watching her climb down and race off into the jungle to collect her 6-7 month old cub. They then crossed the road in fron of the jeeps. On our final game drive of the holiday!
Krishna is a very knowledgable leader, his love and passion for his country's wildlife and heritage is clear to see.
Don't expect to view wildlife as you do in Africa, it's a very different type of 'hunting' but very rewarding when you hit the jackpot, which we did.
We can thoroughly recommend this trip for anyone who loves wildlife. Although seeing tigers was the highlight of the parks, we saw lots of other wildlife whilst trying to spot the elusive tigers. We did the 15 scheduled drives and another two that our guide Krishna organised. in total we saw 4 tigers (1 in Pench, 3 in Bandhavgarh, 0 in Kanha). Most of these sightings were lovely. The one in Pench was not so good as every jeep rushed to try and find the best spot for photos. You need to be quite patient and just relax and enjoy the lovely scenery and wildlife and Krishna’s great company. We were lucky to be with him on each trip, as we had a private departure for just us two as not enough people had signed up. This cost extra but was well worth it.
Seeing a lovely male tiger on a track in Bandhavgarh and following slowly behind at a distance, watching him scent marking and even briefly doing some stalking of a small deer that crossed the path in front of him. We were the only ones there and it was bliss! Another inspirational moment was the Taj Mahal, which was even more beautiful than we expected. Nearly all the tourists were Indian, which made it even better. The red fort at Agra was also stunning, and our guide round the Taj Mahal and the fort at Agra was a lovely lady called Bindu. The final inspirational moment was visiting the school that Exodus supports - lovely kids and we could have happily stayed longer.
Krishna excelled in every way, always thinking about us and making sure we were happy and comfortable. He was very good company and a huge source of information on Indian wildlife. He even sorted out extra bean bags for us, which were essential when using a long lens.
It would be difficult to fit a tripod in the jeep, so a large bean bag on the horizontal roll bar was the best option. Our January trip was very cold in the morning, when you are up before dawn. Do not ignore the advice about taking hat, gloves and scarf and fleeces if you go in the winter months (December to early Feb). This is because not only is the temperature close to freezing for a few hours, but also you are travelling around in a completely open top jeep. We had not a single drop of rain the whole trip. We both had binoculars and wished we had taken an old pair that we could give to one of the park guides, as they sometimes needed to borrow ours. Worth taking a small HD video as well if you want to capture the movements and sounds of the wildlife. Tiger growls are wonderful!
Overall, a really excellent holiday. We received exactly what was described in the broacher. The staff were excellent and went out their way to provide for us.
Seeing a Tiger close up (6feet away) and being able to photograph it and track it for up to 15 minutes.
Chrishnan was really excellent. He worked really hard, was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. He went out of his way to make sure we were all happy and he did his best to ensure that everyone had a chance to see a tiger. When I feel ill to sickness ,he was most helpful and encouraging.
Whilst the drivers in the game parks were very skilled and helpful, the quality of the guides varied enormously. Some were really helpful and knowledgeable, two who accompanied me were morose silent and contributed nothing. At the end they were only too keen to collect their fee.
5 February to 21 February 2016
Well organized trip again by exodus, run like clock work as always.
On this trip out off 17 game drive we only seen tigers on 2 game drives, in total 3 tigers at a distant. It all depends on the local drive and guide if you see tigers, (when they are not practicing to be lewis hamilton). On one game drive we were the first jeep there and drove in the other direction. Only to come back 10 minutes later and there were 19 jeeps in front off use watching a male tiger drinking from the water hole after making a wart hog kill. After the game drive other members of our group of 3 jeeps were asking how come you were going in the opposite direction and everyone else was going in the other direction. Two ladies from different jeeps said they were asking tier drivers to drive faster because they thought the tiger was going to jump into there jeep . The tiger came out off the forest and heading straight at them and walking along side their jeep for some time. (I must say that there photo’s were brilliant some think to treasure, of this in danger species). We also sore a pack of wild dogs, jungle cat, many birds and a leopard for a couple of seconds crossing the road.
Krishna was an excellent tour leader. Friendly and a proch-able manor. If any friends were coming to India I would recommend them to have Krishna. Krishna looked after everyone whims, making shore they were content, and re answering question he had already told use as if they wanted there own P.A. Krishna has a wealth of knowledge which he is willing to pass on and answer question concerning local wild life foliage and eco system. Krishna even went out of his way to get 2 additional game drives for the group. Getting up at 2.00 am in the morning.
The over night train was not as bad as we anticipated, toilets were clean. Take extra clothes for the morning game drive as it is very cold. We ended up having one set of clothes for the morning game drives and one set of clothes for the evening game drives. where it was very dusty.
This was the second time I had done this trip, having enjoyed it so much 2 years ago. It exceeded expectations!
Undoubtedly seeing so many tigers, including a female with 4 cubs on their first public outing. Forestry staff had seen them, but we felt very special when the cubs appeared.
Hemal was helpful and conscientious, ensuring we were fully informed at all times.
Don't underestimate the weather - really cold mornings and evenings on the New Year departure. We all bought an extra fleece and wore two! The sun will burn at other times, so check carefully. Dust is also a problem and protection for cameras is high priority.
My wife and I had a fantastic holiday on an Exodus Private Tour as the group tour was already full. Our guide, Krishna, has been doing these tours for about 14 years and made the whole time very easy and enjoyable for us. In the national parks, he quite often spotted animals and birds before the official guides. He also tried to ensure that we had drivers that he had worked with before which was also very valuable. The official guides in the parks are very much hit and miss. Some of them are just starting and didn’t know what all of the animals were called; others were very knowledgable (one even had his own guide books in which he pointed out the flora and fauna). As the trip notes states, it can be cold in the mornings and a substantial fleece is needed. However, as soon as the sun comes up, the temperature was very nice. During the 15 game drives, we had 5 tiger sighting (one mother and two-year old cub; one male; one rear end of a male; one mother and four young cubs; and a tigress sunbathing on the road). Apart from all of the deer and different birds, we also saw a leopard; a sloth bear; a jungle cat; jackals; and wild dogs.
The food was served buffet style and was very good everywhere that we stayed. The accommodation was also quite good although one of the rooms smelled very musty but leaving the windows open mostly sorted out. Everywhere that we stayed, the staff were very friendly and helpful and as soon as we asked for anything, it was quickly sorted out.
The train was ok but not very comfortable and, if you can’t handle bad smells, Indian railway stations are going to be an unforgettable experience.
Unfortunately, it was a bit misty when we got to Agra so didn’t get a perfect view of the Taj Mahal. However, Krishna had already been in contact with the local guide (who was also excellent) and we had decided that going there at either sunrise or sunset was going to be a waste of time. We went mid-morning and then on to Agra’s red fort afterwards.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip and I would very happily recommend it.
Difficult to say but possible when we went around a corner on our very last game drive and found a tigress sunbathing on the track in front of us.
Krishna was excellent and definitely made the trip very enjoyable. As he has been doing it for so long, he is better than nearly all of the local guides used for the game drives. He also knows the staff at the various national parks and hotels which is very useful if there are any problems.
Take a warm fleece for the morning game drives as it can be quite cold. Also, do not expect too much from the local guides in the national parks. They are hired from the local population so that they have a vested interest in making sure that the tigers survive. However, this means that they may not speak any English - they are fluent in their native language.
This was a wonderful trip. Balvinder, our group leader, could not have done more to make the holiday memorable and fun. All the travel went smoothly, the accommodation was fine and the game drives lovely.
Seeing my first wild tiger actually in the wild.
Brilliant.
Take fewer clothes that you think you will need. You wont wear then all! Take a dust cover for your camera and binoculars.
A brilliant holiday from the start. I went to see tigers, and I saw tigers. Belvinda Singh, our highly experienced, guide made our experience memorable. The accommodation was very good and food excellent. But most of all
our group were great, we all got on well.
Seeing a wild tiger for the first time and the Tajmal
Belvida Singh was just great. He was so knowledable, spoke excellent English and made us feel comfortable at all times. When he took us to the the Sikh temple he was able to explain in great detail the workings of this fine temple. Nothing was to much trouble for him and we could not have wished for a better guide.
If you are wanting to see tigers do as many drives as possible including extra drives if offered. When in Delhi try to visit the Sikh temple. Some people might be concerned about Malaria. Moskito's were virtually non existent and we did not hear about any cases in the area.
Our trip took place between the 4th and 18th of April 2015 and along with my wife and I were another married couple and four other independent women travelers, two being close friends. For some of us this was our first trip to India while others had been before and three were seasoned Exodus travelers. We got on well as a group and had a fabulous trip! The weather was typically hot varying between 28 and 40 degrees centigrade in the middle part of the day but could be cool at 5:30 in the morning when you are waiting to enter a park. It also rained, heavily sometimes in Bandhavgarh.
We saw tigers in both Pench and Bandhavgarh National Parks but sadly NOT in Kanha and even had a brief 5 second glimpse of a leopard before he or she ran off into the undergrowth. We had plenty of other wildlife and bird life sightings although not the same diversity that you would get in Africa but then India is like that.
For my wife, seeing tigers in the wild was a big thrill. On one occassion we were about 5 to 6 meters away from a pregnant tigress just lying amongst the bamboo. We also observed tigers drinking, bathing, using a tree as a scratch post and scent marking their territory. For me, getting out into the local rural community was also a big highlight. You are up around 4:30 to 5am for an early morning game drive from 6 to 10am and then an afternoon one from 3 or 3:30pm to sunset. The middle part of the day is free or on days when you’re transferring to another park you have a bit of free time before breakfast. Two of the lodges (Pench and Kanha) had complimentary bikes for guest use, although working brakes were an optional extra. I’m sure the sight of a 52 year old white man dressed in lycra on a pink girls bike came as quite a surprise to the locals but they were very friendly and waved as I passed by and never once did I feel unsafe. At one point a local motorbike cop came alongside me, welcomed me to Kanha and wished me well before riding off. I even managed to keep on track with my training for the Edinburgh marathon and I’m sure that not many villagers had seen that sight before! It certainly raised eyebrows and a few laughs. Somehow I don’t think I’ll be running the Edinburgh marathon at the end of May in temperatures of 36 degrees.
Try to get the jeep drivers to slow down while in the National Parks. On our last of fifteen jeep safaris we had a young man driving us who was 18 or 19, although he looked about 14. What a brilliant driver! He drove normally outside the park but inside reduced his speed to around 20 kph. The journey was significantly less bumpy and more comfortable, and we all felt we had the best opportunity for trying to spot wildlife. We even had our one and only fleeting glimpse of a leopard before he or she ran off into the undergrowth. All the other drivers went too fast (40 to 60 kph) and trying to spot tigers when you’re going slowly is difficult enough without having to hold on because you’re being thrown around. I just wished we’d had this driver first so that we could have tried to impress this on the other rally drivers we had. I’m left wondering how many tiger and leopard sightings we missed simply through going too fast or making too much noise and spooking them, especially the leopards. The government supplied park guides are assigned to each jeep when you arrive each morning and afternoon for your game drive. Neither the tour leader or Exodus have any influence over this, and out of 15 different park guides, our jeep of four (my wife and I and two independent women) only felt three were good – able to speak good English, able to understand and answer any questions and say much more than simply point and identify a bird or animal. Some barely spoke English and one or two seemed more interested in texting than providing a useful guiding service. Apparently you can hire an interpreter according to one park notice board, but that means another person taking up space in the jeep. Basically, just be aware that you may need to take the initiative in asking lots of questions to get some of the guides to be forthcoming with useful information. The three good guides we had were excellent and could tell us about the local wildlife, their habits as well as how the local people interacted with their environment and used the native trees and plants. It made for a much better game drive on those trips where you didn’t see much. All of the drivers and guides we had were happy to stop and accommodate any photo requests and waited until we had finished before continuing on. The jeeps are not overly spacious so don’t take too much gear with you. On one of our daily game drives our tour leader would sit with us up front with the driver so that the park supplied guide would sit with the two on the back row with two of us sat in the middle row. On the other drive, our tour leader went with the other jeep leaving the park guide to sit up front with the driver. The two rows of seats for tourists can sit three people, but it is a bit tight. Basically just bring your camera/binoculars, water and rain jackets/extra layers for warmth. Most of the time I used a Canon EOS 7D with a 100-400mm IS lens. Keep a large plastic bag or towel handy to cover the camera/lens while moving because it does get very dusty. First thing in the morning and toward sunrise I had UV filter on the lens but switched to a polarising filter when the light levels were sufficiently high enough to compensate for the loss of 2 stops. For most wildlife shots I was on aperture priority mode with an aperture of f/5.6 or f/8 for larger animals at close range, and simply changed the ISO to keep the shutter speeds at an appropriate value – most of the time ISO 200 or 400, sometimes 800 or even 1600 if necessary. The confined space in the jeep makes a tripod impractical, especially if the driver is practising for the India rally, and even a monopod could be a bit cumbersome.