Day 1:  Arrive Mumbai

Lapped by the Arabian Sea, this urban seaside peninsula is a melting pot of old and new India. Towering office blocks and shiny apartment buildings shoulder crumbling grand dames of architecture. Men play cricket in the leafy central parks, taxis navigate the jam packed streets and families stroll along the seaside promenades of Mumbai, while kilometres away children beg on the peripheries of Asia’s biggest slum. In the wide avenue of Colaba’s high street, western culture overshadows the brightly lit storefronts, where Levi’s, Adidas and McDonalds vie for retail space.

Fly into Mumbai where you will be met by your Travel Counsellors Representative who will transfer you to your hotel of stay.

Day 2: In Mumbai

Full day tour of Mumbai stating with an excursion to Elephanta Caves [closed on Mondays] followed by a city tour. Drive past Flora Fountain, Dhobi Ghat, Marine Drive.

Elephanta Caves,  a UNESCO World Heritage site is a fine specimen of rock cut architecture and art of medieval India. To state the trivial, there are no elephants in Elephanta! The name was given by the Portuguese as there was a large elephant sculpture in the island, when it was held by them. Otherwise this island was known as Gharapuri. The island is known for the 7th century caves with boldly executed mythical themes.

Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder,  the Gateway of India is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high. It was a crude jetty used by fisher folks and was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other distinguished personages.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum  is one of the premier art and history museum in India. Situated on the southern tip of Mumbai on the ‘Crescent Site’, the Museum building is a fine example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.

Today this building is listed as a Grade I Heritage Building and has been awarded the ‘2010 UNESCO Asia – Pacific Heritage Award’ for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It has been awarded first place for Heritage Building Maintenance by the Indian Heritage Society.

Dhobi Ghat – A unique feature of Mumbai, the dhobi is a traditional laundryman, who collects dirty linen, washes it, and return it neatly pressed. The most famous of these  is Mahalaxmi dhobi ghat, the world’s largest washerman colony  where almost 731 dhobis and their families work together in what has always been a hereditary occupation. The Ghat at Mahalaxmi was made in the year 1890 and since then it has been here to stay.

Marine Drive (officially, “Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road”) is a 3km long, six lane concrete road in southern Mumbai which stretches north along the coastline, forming a natural bay. This C-shaped road links Nariman Point to Babulnath, and is situated at the foot of Malabar Hill. It is  also referred to as ‘Queen’s necklace’, because the street lights make the road look like a string of pearls and create an illusion of a necklace, when viewed at night from any elevated point along the pathway of the drive.

Day 3: Mumbai- Nagpur- Tadoba

Leave today for Nagpur by the scheduled flight where you will be met and taken to Tadoba (approx. 150 Kms / 03 Hours drive)

Day 4 & 5:  In Tadoba

Enjoy morning & afternoon shared jeep safaris in the National Park on both the days

[On Wednesdays the park remains closed for the afternoon safari]

Tadoba National Park is a popular tiger reserve that’s affably known as ‘The Land of Tigers’ as large number of tigers (approx.43) are found here. Apart from the species of Bengal Tiger, this park is home to other mammals like Sloth Bear, Leopard, Rusty Spotted Cat, Gaur (Indian Bison), Indian Mouse Deer, Ratel, Sambar, Wild Pig, Spotted Deer, Flying Squirrel, Four Horned Antelope. Above all, there are approx.. 195 species of birds that include honey buzzard, crested serpent eagle, the shy jungle fowl, grey-headed fishing eagle, paradise flycatcher, etc.

Day 6:    Tadoba- Pench

Morning after breakfast leave Tadoba for Pench [approx. 250 Kms /5-6 Hours drive]

Resting in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda Hills, Pench National Park is renowned for having the highest concentration of prey of any park in India, increasing the chances of seeing predatory cats such as leopard and tiger. This impressive expanse of wilderness features typical central Indian teak jungle and is bisected by the spectacularly scenic Pench River. Aside from the river, the park also contains a number of bamboo-lined jungle streams providing a valuable water source for the local wildlife which includes, among others: wild dog, sloth bear, wolf, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, gaur, sambar, and chital. Pench is also a bird lover’s paradise with over 250 species of bird inhabiting the area, including: parakeets, horn-bills, kingfishers, orioles and wagtails, as well as a large selection of birds of prey.

Day 7 & 8: In Pench

Enjoy morning & afternoon shared jeep safaris in the National Park on both the days

[On Wednesdays the park remains closed for the afternoon safari]

Day 8:   Pench- Kanha

Morning after breakfast, leave for Kanha National Park [approx. 200 Kms /4-5 Hours drive] – an interesting drive through the country side.

Kanha National Park is widely considered to be the greatest of India’s wildlife reserves and the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s classic, ‘The Jungle Book’. This impressive expanse of wilderness, encompassing about 950 square kilometres of lush rolling hills, peaceful rivers, saal and bamboo forest, and endless stretches of savanna grassland. This spectacularly scenic environment provides a diverse range of habitats for an extraordinary array of wildlife including tigers, leopards, jackals, swamp deer, foxes, porcupines, sloth bears, pythons, hare, chitals, gaur monkeys,  mongooses, and hundreds of species of bird.

Day 9 & 10:  In Kanha

Enjoy morning & afternoon shared jeep safaris in the National Park on both the days

[On Wednesdays the park remains closed for the afternoon safari]

Day 11:   Kanha- Bandhavargh

Morning after breakfast, leave for Bandhavgarh National Park (approx. 220 Kms/ 5 Hours drive) – again an interesting drive through the country side with opportunity to see some weekly tribal markets.

Bandhavgarh National Park is renowned for the highest density of tigers in the region. The park has a large array of wildlife including sloth bears, deer, leopards and jackals. Birdwatchers will delight in the plethora of bird species inhabiting all terrains from rocky crags to the auburn forest floor and mottled forest canopy. Declared a national park in 1968, Bandhavgarh was named after an ancient fort built on 800-metre-high (2,624 foot) cliffs in the park. From its zenith one can enjoy incredible views of the park, however prior permission is required.

Day 12 & 13:    In Bandhavgarh

Enjoy morning & afternoon shared jeep safaris in the National Park on both the days

[On Wednesdays the park remains closed for the afternoon safari]

Day 14:        Bandhavgarh- Jabalpur- Delhi

Morning after breakfast, leave for Jabalpur airport (approx. 175 Kms / 4 Hours drive) to take the scheduled flight for Delhi

On arrival  at Delhi airport, Our Travel Counsellor Representative will assist and transfer to an airport hotel.

Day 15:   Delhi Departure

At an appropriate time, your Travel Counsellor Representative will assist and provide you the necessary transfer to the international airport.