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Our exclusive tour to the land of the Bengal tiger and the Taj Mahal has become a Quest Nature Tours classic.
Among the many wildlife highlights will be our exciting jeep and elephant-back rides in the Project Tiger reserve of Ranthambore National Park. Here, as a result of the World Wildlife Fund's conservation efforts, there has been a significant increase in the population of this once endangered animal, and there are regular sightings. We will continue to search for tigers at Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks, home also to numerous animal species including sambar, chital, langur, sloth bear, wild boar, bison and leopard. At Keoladeo, one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, some 300 species of birds may be seen wintering among the flooded fields of the sanctuary.
A tour of India would not be complete without visiting some of the famous cultural monuments of this fascinating country. During our Indian odyssey, we'll enjoy in-depth tours of Delhi, the stunning Taj Mahal at Agra, the Pink City of Jaipur, the abandoned Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri and the exotic temples of Khajuraho.
The food and accommodations are always a high point of our tours to India. Throughout our trip, we will be sampling the extraordinary culinary delights of the country and staying in a series of very comfortable lodges and luxury hotels.
We invite you to join Quest naturalist Justin Peter as he introduces us to the diverse wildlife and cultural wonders of North India. |
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| FACTS: |
| • | 18-day trip |
| • | Maximum 16 participants |
| • | Start and finish in Delhi, India |
| • | Includes internal flight and train trip within India |
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| HIGHLIGHTS: |
| • | Looking for Bengal tigers in Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks |
| • | Delhi, the capital of India |
| • | The stunning Taj Mahal at Agra |
| • | The " Pink City" of Jaipur |
| • | The abandoned Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri |
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| ACTIVITY LEVEL: |
| • | Moderate to Difficult: Please be aware that India is not North America and some conditions and food may be different to that which we are accustomed. The long air journey, long bus rides, jolting jeeps and unfamiliar conditions may create some difficulties. You should be able to handle stairs, without handrails, capably and be able to climb ladders onto howdahs on the backs of elephants. Morning game drives require an early wake up call and a delayed breakfast time. A snack will be provided before we head off on these drives. While this tour can be tiring, you will be rewarded with many wonderful experiences. |
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| ACCOMMODATIONS: |
| Dev Vilas Resort, Ranthambore |
| Trident Hotel, Jaipur |
| Radisson Hotel, Khajuraho |
| Trident Hotel, Agra |
| Nature Heritage Resort, Bandhavgarh |
| Tuli Tiger Resort, Kanha |
| The Bagh, Bharatpur |
| Lalit Hotel, Delhi |
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| ITINERARY IN BRIEF: |
| Day 1: |
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Arrive in Delhi |
| Day 2: |
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Tour of Delhi |
| Day 3: |
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Delhi to Jaipur |
| Day 4: |
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Jaipur, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar |
| Day 5: |
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Jaipur, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve |
| Day 6: |
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Ranthambore Tiger Reserve |
| Day 7: |
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Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur |
| Day 8 - 9: |
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Keoladeo NP, Fatepur Sikri, Agra |
| Day 10: |
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Train to Jhansi, Orcha Temple, Khajuraho |
| Day 11: |
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Khajuraho |
| Day 12 - 14: |
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Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh NP |
| Day 15 - 17: |
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Kanha NP |
| Day 18: |
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Drive to Jabalpur, fly to Delhi and depart |
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 Justin works as senior naturalist at Ontario's world-renowned Algonquin Park, where he coordinates the park's interpretive program and acts as lead howler for the celebrated Public Wolf Howl events. A keen and intense observer of nature since childhood, he is always ready to point out and interpret interesting natural phenomena wherever he goes. He has travelled to India, Europe, North America, the Yucatan in Mexico and the Caribbean. Justin is particularly interested in bird behaviour. He speaks three languages fluently and dabbles in several more. He has led bird walks at Point Pelee NP during spring migration.
416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
 Mekong River Cruise
From Saigon to Angkor
Length: 13 days
Start: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Finish: Siem Reap, Cambodia
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Our participants say...
Our 2008 trip to India showed us 208 species of bird, 26 mammals (including 13 separate Tigers), 8 herptiles and 15 butterflies. Here's an incomplete list of what we saw.
At the Dev Vilas lodge we saw a Collared Scops Owl and flock of Painted Sandgrouse.
Our first safari drive was in Ranthambore, where we had wonderful views of Hanuman Langurs, Sambar Deer, Chital [Spotted Deer], Wild Boar and Four-horned Antelope. At Jaipur, the "Pink City" we saw Indian Rollers, White-throated Kingfishers, Little Green Bee-eaters and Nilgai.
Next we went to Keoladeo Ghana National Park a-buzz with Painted Storks, White-breasted Waterhens, Open-billed storks, Comb Ducks, cormorants and egrets. Bandhavgarh National Park is a sal and bamboo forest with its attendant tigers where we got excellent views. The taller trees were holders of Vanda bicolor orchids. Here we rode an elephant to see a Tiger up close and caught sight of a leopard. At Kanha National Park we added Red Jungle Fowl, Racket-tailed Drongo and Barasingha.
Roy J.
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