Kipling's Kanha and the Sunderban

Day 01: - Arrive Mumbai
Arrive at Mumbai International Airport.

Mumbai : Mumbai or Bombay as it was known earlier, is the commercial capital of India, a city of entrepreneurs, concrete towers, clubs and discos, cricket, Bollywood and more. In 1661, Charles II of England received the islands of Bombay as dowry when he married Princess Catherine of Braganza. The British Government leased the islands to the East India Company, who developed it into a thriving trading port. Today, Mumbai is the country's financial and cultural capital. It is also home to India's thriving film industry. It is seen, to the teeming masses that flock there to live and work, as a place where opportunities abound. Its inhabitants, an amalgam of great wealth and abject poverty, are swept into the endless maelstrom of activity that characterises this city of dreams.

Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met by our representative who will present you with a welcome pack including all necessary documentation and arrange for your transfer to the Hilton Towers hotel for check-in. No activity is scheduled today, since most of the International flights arrive into India close to midnight only.

Hilton Towers

Hilton Towers : Towering above the skyline and overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Hilton Towers Mumbai is centrally situated in the heart of the shopping and business district. The city's main promenade, Marine Drive, lights up in the evening to give a spectacular view of the "Queen's Necklace". It is within walking distance from major corporate houses, entertainment, recreation and shopping centers, 5 minutes drive from the Gateway Of India and 10 minutes drive to the main convention- World Trade Centre. Well appointed rooms, many offering ocean views, with broadband and internet access, mini-bars, tea-coffee makers etc. Leisure facilities include a large swimming pool, fitness center and several restaurants and bars.

For the ultimate in luxury and for those wishing to stay at Mumbai's landmark hotel, you could choose to upgrade to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel : This gracious turn-of-the century hotel faces the Gateway of India and is considered a landmark in Mumbai's skyline. Located on the waterfront and minutes away from Mumbai's commercial, shopping and banking districts, the hotel has played host to several Heads of State and Royalty. Also a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the hotel provides international standard leisure and business facilities. The rooms at the Heritage Wing are renowned for their architecture and exude an aura of old-world elegance. Each corridor in this Wing resembles an art gallery, and the design, décor and furnishing ensure that no two rooms are alike. Guests have a choice of rooms that overlook the city or pool or face the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea.

Overnight at the hotel.

Barasingha

Day 02: - Mumbai - Kanha
This morning you will be met by our representative and escorted from your hotel to airport to board flight (9W 111 0705/0825 hrs.) for Nagpur.

Upon arrival at Nagpur airport you will be met and drive to Kanha National Park (200 kms/05 hrs).

Kanha situated in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque Kanha National Park was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The romance of the Kanha National Park has not reduced over time-it is still as beautiful.

The park was created in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of animal species. Many endangered species have indeed been saved here. Today Kanha is among the few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia. This 'Tiger Country' is the ideal home for both predator and prey. By far the most striking features of this region are the open grassy meadows, where sighting blackbuck, swamp deer, sambhar and chital is common. And, if one can transcend into time, a barefooted Mowgli would perhaps come padding along the dusty trail, for this is the land of Kipling's Jungle Book.

Kanha is perhaps one of the best parks for sighting tigers. Of the numerous Tiger reserves in India, that are preserving this ferocious beast, but nowhere can you see them as often, and as regularly as in Kanha National Park.

Green Pigeons

The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, tiger, and leopard.

The birds species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers.

However, if one animal species were to represent Kanha, it would probably be the barasingha, or the swamp deer. The barasinghas at Kanha are unique, being the hard ground variety, which populate the large open tracts of grass amidst the forests of teak and bamboo. Twenty years ago, the barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate measures including the fencing-off of some animals helped save them and again the air in Kanha bugle with their rutting calls.

Upon arrival check in to the Shergarh Lodge.

Room

Shergarh : Set amongst woodland overlooking a lake, Shergarh is an exclusive camp providing tented accommodation at the southern edge of the pristine Kanha Tiger Reserve. Shergarh is the creation of naturalist Jehan Bhujwala and his English wife Katie, whose aim is to ensure a personalised and specialised wildlife experience to every guest. Six cosy tents are individually spaced inside a wooded grove to provide privacy. Each has a large front verandah and an attached bathroom with piping hot showers. Thatched roofs house each tent and are watered in the hot months to ease off rising temperatures. Meals at the Camp are wholesome Indian and Continental food prepared from home-grown vegetables, local produce and fish farmed from their own lake and are served in the Main House. Leisure activities at Shergarh include a library, wildlife based slide shows and talks from resident naturalists as well as guided tours of the surrounding villages.

Overnight at the Lodge.

Evening game safari into the Kanha National Park. Safaris in Kanha are organized in jeeps and short elephant rides are also available. Local guides and naturalists are at hand to enhance the experience. Overnight at the Lodge.

Day 03: - In Kanha
Early morning & evening game safaris into the Kanha National Park. Safaris in Kanha are organized in jeeps and short elephant rides are also available. Local guides and naturalists are at hand to enhance the experience. Overnight at the Lodge.

Day 04: - In Kanha
Early morning & evening game safaris into the Kanha National Park. Safaris in Kanha are organized in jeeps and short elephant rides are also available. Local guides and naturalists are at hand to enhance the experience. Overnight at the Lodge.

Day 05: Kanha - Nagpur - Calcutta
Early morning game safari into the Kanha National Park. Safaris in Kanha are organized in jeeps and short elephant rides are also available. Local guides and naturalists are at hand to enhance the experience.

Later drive to Nagpur airport to board flight 6E 403 (1605/1735 hrs.) to Kolkata.

Kolkata or Calcutta (as it was previously known) - is seen as the land of the intellectuals. Communist in ideology and very politically aware and was the capital of British India before Delhi assumed this position. This city developed from a fishermens' village to become one of the largest cities in the world. The city symbolises creativity and vibrance with all the modern amenities available. It has adapted to the modern trends and techniques of the world but has not shed the leisurely life style and the calm of it's hey days. While Kolkata is a city of enduring charm, it is also a city that evokes extreme emotions. So be ready to give in to it or hate it completely. Kolkata, besides being an extremely populous city of almost million inhabitants , is also the city where Mother Teresa worked tirelessly for the poor and homeless and the city where Rabindra Nath Tagore wrote his famous books.

Upon arrival at Kolkata airport you will be met and escorted for check-in to the Park hotel.

Park hotel : Located on Park Street, the shopping and commercial hub of the city of Kolkata, the Park hotel is one of Kolkata's landmarks. International standard facilities and services, recently refurbished rooms and an excellent location combine to make the Park a preferred hotel for tourists to Kolkata.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 : Kolkata - Sunderban
This morning your drive to Basanti Port (120 kms/03 hrs.). On arrival by boat transfer to Sunderban.

Crocodile
Ridley Sea Turtle

Sunderbans : The Sunderbans National park, located in the Eastern Indian state of West Bengal, and bordering neighbouring Bangaldesh , is a vast area covering 4264 square kms in India alone , making it the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. Sunderbans, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a stretch of impenetrable mangrove forest of great size and bio-diversity. The Sunderbans parks are covered in mangrove forests of which there are three main zones, classified by the level of salinity in the soil and water. Fishing, timber extraction and honey collection are the main human activities allowed within the Sunderbans. The four Sunderbans national parks have been lumped together as they all share common features of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem. The main attraction of the Sunderbans is the Tiger, of which the delta harbours the largest single population in the world, estimated at about 300. The animals inhabiting this mangrove wilderness have become adept at living a semi-aquatic lifestyle and have also gained a reputation for aggression, attacking the honey collectors and fisherman entering their domain. Despite their relatively large numbers, the Sunderban Tigers are not easy to find and mostly nocturnal in habits resting up during the heat of the day. The mangroves also provide cover for large reptiles such as the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and the Olive Ridley Turtle, the latter the subject of a conservation programme in the Indian park. Tiger sightings are rare, but tourists to the Sunderbans get to see and experience a unique and severely threatened aquatic habitat.

Upon arrival check-in at the Tiger Camp.

Tiger Camp : The Sunderban Tiger Camp is the best resort in the Sunderbans area and is set amidst a sprawling 15 acres of forestland just opposite Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve Forest, in the heart of Sunderbans.Accomodation is Airconditioned Cottages , all with private western style facilities, modern amenities and large verandahs. In addition to wildlife viewing boat rides , another activity available here is Angling . The Camp also has a Library, a Bar and a Pool table .

Overnight at the Camp.

Day 07: In Sunderban
This morning you are collected from your hotel for boat cruise in Sunderban National Park. Overnight at the Camp.

Day 08: In Sunderban
This morning you are collected from your hotel for boat cruise in Sunderban National Park. Overnight at the Camp.

Day 09: Sunderban - Kolkata Airport
This morning you will be met by our representative and escorted from your hotel to the Basanti Port by boat. Upon arrival met & escorted to Kolkata airport (125 kms/03 hrs.) intime to board flight home.