India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore: Jan 25—Feb 10, 2009

Tiger— Photo: K. David Bishop

An indelible view of India, its people, its history, and its impressive wildlife. An excellent chance to see tigers in the wild, as well as leopard, dhole, gaur, and Asian elephant, and an impressive variety of birds.

Our journey begins in the capital, New Delhi. We will then fly to Raipur, where we will stay in a superb new lodge on the edge of Kanha National Park. We will spend three full days enjoying morning and afternoon safari drives in perhaps the most game-rich region in India. This is where Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book. Meadows are alive with herds of deer, while the deep grass offers shelter to the world's greatest cat. We have a very good chance for tiger encounters here, both on jeep and by elephant. Central India offers superb birding with a host of great birds possible. This includes local specialties like Red Spurfowl, Painted Francolin, and White-naped Woodpecker.

We will return to Delhi and then proceed to another of India's great national parks, Corbett National Park, cradled in the eastern Himalayan foothills. With over 550 species on the park bird list—including an incredible 50 species of raptors—this location offers outstanding birding. Some of the special birds possible here include Great Hornbill, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Tawny and Brown fish-owls, Pallas's and Gray-headed fish-eagles, the critically endangered Hodgson's Bushchat, and Crested Kingfisher to mention just a few. Herds of Asian elephants are a major feature, and there is always the chance for a tiger encounter here.

The final leg of our tour will take us to the famed bird sanctuary, Bharatpur. Again, a wonderful new lodge will allow us to explore this wetland reserve and other nearby sites in great comfort. The birding is exceptional, with a host of nearby locations providing the chance for sightings of such rarities as Sarus Crane, Black-necked Stork, Indian Skimmer, Indian Spotted Eagle, or perhaps the critically endangered Sociable Plover. Local guides often have a variety of owls such as Dusky Eagle-Owl and Indian Scops-Owl staked out. Our visit is timed for the maximum number of winter visitors like Bar-headed Geese, Common Crane, and Bluethroat. This is a great birding location; it is quite possible to see over 100 species in a day here.

Our grand finale takes us to the magnificent and romantic Taj Mahal. There can be no finer way to finish a visit to incredible India.

Excellent to very good accommodations throughout; travel by air, coach, and jeep; climate very pleasant to warm in the middle of the day, and cool to sometimes cold in the early morning and at night.