A Luxury Safari Holiday in India

A luxury safari holiday in India is a unique choice for anyone who is looking for a romantic getaway. Get away from the mass tourism in Europe and spend your days in the Indian Bush with the likes of elephant, tigers and wild dogs before relaxing at luxurious hotelsin bandhavgarh with delicious cuisine listening to the call of the wild. Enjoy candle light and bush dinners in total seclusion, action packed activities all on your safari holiday.

All Indian States have a sense of magic and mystery about them so it can be hard to choose a perfect destination. Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh National Park is a great place for a romantic getaway; being the home of the great Bengal Tiger, wildlife is in abundance, activities can be tailored to suit couples, and the accommodation offered is comfortable, an ideal setting for a wildlife safari. Combine this with a trip to the capital city of the mighty Bundelkhand Empire, Orchha which is known for its elegant architecture and its distinctive sequential development of domes, pillars, arches and ledges, the famous landmark example is the Jehangir Mahal, the Laxminarayan Temple. Khajuraho, is highly recommended for a honeymoon due to its erotic sculptures which have made it world famous. It is a World heritage site famous for temples built by the Chandela rulers around the 10th century. The country is extremely remote, the wildlife is rich and the pure variety of scenery makes it ideal for a unique honeymoon.

Perhaps you have children and you'd like them to come with you and celebrate? This is not a problem. Many cities in Madhya Pradesh accommodate for children providing spacious and comfortable camps and lodges that have helpful staff and dish up delicious food. You can participate in game drives and all of the other activities arranged for Wildlife Safaris, and your children can learn more about nature and wildlife with the help of a naturalist. 

‘Tiger Kill’ at Kanha

I feel lucky to have witnessed one of the rarest things happening in real. A few days ago we saw a tigress making a kill at Kanha Kanha National Park!

That morning started normally. I had taken off for safari with our guests from Kanha Earth Lodge, a specialty and luxury Resort in Kanha.  We were on our tiger hunt!! We had already crossed a patch from where a tigress had recently passed and we had missed her very closely. There were no alarm calls and the tigress had walked on the road a few minutes ago. I was a bit angry and frustrated about the situation that we had missed her so closely. Making some calculations to myself about where and how the tigress would show up next, we were crossing the meadows. Just then I noticed some fresh pugmarks! I and our guide both determined this time not to lose the tigress were taking a deep look through the jungles. A second later we heard a deep growling. The tigress was hiding in the thickets when she heard movement on the other side. Interestingly, we saw forest patrolling team with elephants which was on search for this particular female as she was missing since a few days. She was sick and was not seen around her cubs, which was dangerous for them.

And the game begins. We were all busy taking her photos as she was scent-marking on a tree. Suddenly, a fawn ran from bushes towards grasslands. This about-a-month-old baby spotted-deer was well camouflaged; neither we nor the tigress had noticed it. But I think the fawn’s fear instinct rode over when it could see its death standing nearby. It broke through the grass, so did the tigress. She chased it for around 50ft. The fawn tuned right sharply, that’s when she slammed her paw and took it down. Wow!!

All this drama was happening in front of our vehicles. Just realized once again how raw Mother Nature is. No place for emotions.  If you have to survive, you have to be the fittest, toughest, strongest. Another completely thrilling experience of my life!

Contribution & photo courtesy: Chinmay Deshpande

Kanha Earth Lodge: Wildlife Resort in Kanha with High Environmental Standards

Calm and peaceful through the day while exciting and motivating at night; the Kanha Earth Lodge is among the first of its kind in India that offers luxury Eco friendly Cottages.

Kanha Earth Lodge is tucked in a forested area of 16 acres adjoining the buffer zone of Kanha National Park in a small tribal village. It is set in the deep jungles away from the tourism hub of Kanha yet having an easy access to the Khatia/Kisli park gate (9.5 km), there has always been a fine opportunity to view diversity of mammals and birds around the lodge itself.

Pool at Kanha Earth Lodge

Our wildlife resort is a mix between a modern hotel and the old houses of the nearby Gond village. It is among the few Wildlife Resorts in Kanha which has created the perfect balance between comfort and experiencing the wild. Here, we realize how important a healthy wildlife habitat is for everyone, so our policy is to practice sustainable wildlife tourism under elevated standards. We are signatories of TOFT and M.P. Eco Tourism Board and have created our own lodge checklist to raise the awareness of conservation and sustainability for our lodge employees and all the local partners who engage with us on a day to day basis. 

Wildlife safari is offered in the Kanha Zone and the Kisli/Mukhi/Sarhi Zone, primarily a moist Sal and moist mixed deciduous forest featuring Sal, Bamboo, Tendu, Jamun and Lendia. The Park is home to over 1,000 species of flowering plants and about 300 species of birds. Exceptional grazing grasslands ensure sightings of elephant, sambar, chital, wild dog and wild boar throughout the year from the camp. Tigers are sighted with regularity in national park and the most famous among them is Munna - The dominant male at Kanha can be easily recognized by the unique stripe pattern on his forehead reading CAT.

 In a nutshell, The Kanha Earth Lodge is a Luxury Hotel in Kanha like no other. Enjoy a drink at sunset overlooking the forest spread with elephants, dine in the jungle, wake up for a safari and enjoy a host of exclusive activities.

The spectacular location, accommodation, view and services are one of a kind and regarding these the Lodge has won several Indian and International Awards.

Source : http://www.sooperarticles.com/

Walking Safari in the Panna-Bandhavgarh Tiger Corridor

At the end of February, Pugdundee Safaris organized a walking jungle safari in India through the famous Panna - Bandavgarh wildlife corridor. The intrepid walkers included (among others) Christina  Pochmursky, a Toronto-based documentary filmmaker and writer/director at Walk the Talk Productions Inc, and Iain Allan, founder, owner and chief guide of the Nairobi-based company, Tropical Ice, who initiated the concept of walking safaris in East Africa in 1978. Iain has been leading adventure safaris in East Africa ever since.

The genesis of the walk was a desire to protect and promote interest in a stretch of forest that links the Panna and Bandhavgarh National Parks. This forested area could provide a vital wildlife corridor for tigers and other wide-ranging species. Our aim was to explore the possibility of bringing groups to Walk in the Footsteps (or pugmarks) of the Tiger in the northern Panna and southern Shyamgiri corridors. The reason ? Because well-managed, low-volume tourism can generate not only income, but also a sense of ownership among locals through revenue-sharing, which can help to conserve the region. In addition, small groups of people walking regularly through the corridor will act as wildlife patrols and ultimately benefit the ecosystem and the tiger. Left to itself, the area will probably lose much of its forest cover over the next few decades.

Ajit Rana at Ken River Lodge and Jonathan Peach, an experienced safari guide based at Kanha Earth Lodge spent several days exploring the corridor area marking out possible routes and campsites. Staff and managers from all Pugdundee’s lodges pitched in, making it a truly pan Pugdundee venture.

Volunteer Opportunity : Madhya Pradesh Caracal Conservation and Research Project

Need volunteers willing to participate in field data collection for the M.P. Caracal Research and Conservation Project. In the first phase of the project the goal is to systematically survey forest areas between Panna and Noradehi Sanctuary of M.P to establish evidence of presence of caracal and other predators.

What is involved?

Volunteers, after initial orientation will be divided into groups and given daily assignments to monitor photo traps, spoor stations, collect scats from predetermined locations and collect information on human disturbance in the forests. Volunteers should be willing to work with little supervision to collect, label and document field data.

Volunteer Opportunity between?

       I.            20 September 2013 to 20 December 2013

    II.            1 March 2014 to 30 May 2014

Use the table overleaf to fill your preferred dates.

How Can You Get Involved?

If you are interested to volunteer please write to ShekharKolipaka at shekhar_k_s@yahoo.com for more details.