Bengal

Home to Bengal , Indian Northern : , Sloth Bears, and over 1,300 species, India is considered a mega-biodiverse country. On this tour Wildlife, and we’ll visit some of the best birding and wildlife sites in Northern India, and will Culture not only expect to encounter a good number of this vast country’s 1,300+ bird species, but we will also have the chance for wonderful such 15 Nights/16 Days as Tiger, , Jungle Cat and more.

Page 1 • Northern India: Wildlife, Birds and Culture

We will visit world-famous sites such as the magnificent Taj Mahal, explore centuries old forts, embark on Tiger safaris in Ranthambore National Park, and spend a full day at perhaps the best birding area in India, Keoladeo National Park. And along the way, we will have the benefit of India’s very best local guides who know the nature and history of every site we visit.

Tour Overview

Day 1: Arrive Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), transfer to hotel Day 2: AM flight to Udaipur and drive to Jawai Hills Day 3, 4: Jawai Hills AM and PM birding and Leopard safaris Day 5: Jawai Hills AM and PM birding and Leopard safaris Day 6: AM train to Jaipur and PM birding and Leopard/game safari at Jhalana Day 7: AM birding and Leopard/game Safari at Jhalana. PM city tour of Jaipur Day 8: AM transfer Jaipur to Ranthambore National Park, PM Tiger safari Indian Roller Day 9, 10: Ranthambore National Day 16: International flights home restaurant for dinner and Park AM and PM Tiger safaris from Indira Gandhi International orientation. Day 11: AM Tiger safari, drive to Airport (DEL) Bharatpur Meals: Dinner Day 12: Full day at Keoladeo Lodging at Vasant Continental Hotel National Park 15 Night/16 Day Itinerary: Day 13: AM transfer to Agra and

The Taj Mahal, PM drive to Day 2, Transfer to Jawai Hills: Chambal Lodge Day 1, Arrival: This morning we fly to Udaipur Day 14: AM and PM boat tours and We will arrive on our international before driving to Bera and our base birding of the Chambal River flights to Indira Gandhi among the Jawai Hills. The Jawai Day 15: AM birding at Chambal, International Airport in Delhi. Here Hills area is a hauntingly PM drive to Delhi we’ll be picked up at the airport and picturesque location in the Pali

taken to the Vasant Continental district of , surrounded

Hotel/Home. We will all meet in the by dry forest, grasslands, riverbed

Page 2 • Northern India: Wildlife, Birds and Culture and grazing áreas, from which rise 4x4 vehicles. Many of Jawai’s hills rural areas known for Indian dramatic mountains of solid rock. have ancient temples built within and Antelope, These Hills of Jawai were shaped them, and in some places, and stop at a small village for a by lava millions of years ago and Leopards actually live in and fascinating demonstration on the contain natural caves and rock around the temples and alongside historic use of opium among local shelters that are home to Indian humans as they have done for tribes. Upon arriving Jodhpur, we’ll Leopards, Striped Hyena, Jungle centuries. We will also visit the visit the Merangarh Fort, one of the Cat, Langur Monkeys and more. wetlands around Jawai Lake and largest forts in India built in around Dam where we can see Green Bee- 1459 and known for its intricate The nearby Jawai Lake, formed by eater, Indian Roller, Red-wattled sandstone carvings and expansive a dam built in the 1940’s, makes Lapwing, Greater Flamingo, courtyards. Afterwards we will the area a haven for bird life as Common Crane, Temminck’s Stint, have a tour of the local town well. Upon arrival we’ll have time to River Tern, Pied Kingfisher, Asian market, a colorful kaleidoscope of rest and do some afternoon birding Openbill stork, Bar-headed Goose, Indian sounds, sights and aromas. before embarking on our first Shikra and much, much more. Over We’ll check into our hotel in time Leopard safari this evening. 240 bird species are documented for refreshing and dinner. in this area, and in the evenings, we Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner may see the massive Indian Eagle Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging at Varawal Leopard Camp Owl as it heads out to hunt. Lodging at Hotel Marugarh or Jawai Sagar Resort Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 6, Train to Jaipur: Day 3 & 4, The Jawai Hills: Lodging at Varawal Leopard Camp This morning we catch an early or Jawai Sagar Resort For the next two days, each morning train to Jaipur and check morning and afternoon we will in to the Holiday Inn/Radisson Day 5, Jodhpur: venture out for an incredibly Hotel. In the afternoon we’ll diverse mix of culture, birding, and Today after breakfast we will embark on a jeep safari at Jhalana Leopard Safaris as we roam the depart for Jodhpur, known as the Leopard Reserve, with its diverse terrain with our guide in open-air, Blue City for many of the buildings and abundant wildlife. In addition here are of a sky-blue color. Along to Indian Leopard, Antelope, the way we will pass through very Spotted , and Hyena, bird life Gray Langurs at Ranthambore here is abundant and includes Indian Peafowl, Eurasian Collared- Dove, Shikra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Indian Scops-Owl, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common Woodshrike, Rufous Treepie, House Crow, Red-vented Bulbul, Common and Jungle Babbler, Purple Sunbird and more.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging at Radisson/Trident Hotel

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Day 7, Jhalana Leopard Reserve and Jaipur: Today we will make one more wildlife/Leopard safari in Jhalana, and after lunch do a short city tour of Jaipur, the capital of India’s Rajasthan state that in 1727, was founded as what is now called the “Pink City” for its trademark Jungle Cat building colors. Some of the bird species possible in and around the city and its Amber Fort are Black Kite, Indian Scops Owl, Black- rumped Flameback, Rufous Treepie, Black Redstart, Purple Jungle Cat Sunbird, White-breasted Waterhen and White-throated Kingfisher. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 9 & 10, Ranthambore Tigers and Lodging at Ranthambore Kothi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Wildlife: Resort Lodging at Radisson/Trident Hotel We’ll have two days with morning

and afternoon drives into the heart Day 11, Ranthambore to Bharatpur: Day 8, Ranthambore National Park: of Ranthambore as we go in After a final morning Tiger Safari in Following breakfast, we will drive to search of Tiger and other Ranthambore, we will transfer to Ranthambore National Park for mammals. Our priority will be Tiger Bharatpur and check into the check into the Ranthambore Kothi sightings, but there are many other spacious and historic Bagh Hotel. Resort, and after lunch will begin present with Spotted and Bharatpur and nearby Keoladeo with our first Tiger Safari of the Sambar Deer, Wild Boar, Nilgai, National Park is one of the best incomparably exciting Leopard, Sloth Bear and Hyena all birding regions in India and will be Ranthambore National Park. possible. Ranthambore is excellent our base for the next two nights. In Ranthambore is synonymous with for birds with Crested Serpent addition to our visit to Keoladeo, Tigers, and due to its varied terrain Eagle, Painted Spurfowl, Jungle our hotel has excellent wildlife and abundance of water bodies, it Bush Quail, Brown Crake, Brown viewing and photography blinds, also has an excellent population of Fish Owl, Stork-billed Kingfisher, and for a small extra fee we can birds, both resident and migrant. In White-naped Woodpecker, Tickell’s enjoy close up and thrilling total, a list of 270+ species has Blue and Taiga Flycatcher, Crested sightings of Jungle Cat, Small been documented here. and White-capped Bunting among Indian Civet, and Golden Jackal. a wide range of possibilities. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Outside the park and in-between Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging at Ranthambore Kothi safaris, we will spend some time Lodging at Bagh Hotel Resort exploring arid areas in search of Painted Sandgrouse, Variable

Wheatear, and Southern Grey Shrike among other species.

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Bluethroat, Olive-backed Pipit and much more.

Mammals here are abundant as well, and Golden Jackal, Indian Crested Porcupine, Spotted Deer, Nilgai, Indian Hog Deer, Blackbuck and Indian Flying Foxes are often encountered. Reptiles are not to be left out either, and there are several places for seeing Indian Python if we have the time.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lodging at Bagh Hotel

Day 13, Agra, The Taj Mahal, and Spotted Owlet Chambal Lodge: Today after breakfast we will head tailed and Jungle the most likely to to Agra and upon arrival, will visit Day 12, Keoladeo National Park: be seen. The area is a magnet for the majestic Taj Mahal. An We have all of day 12 to explore the birds of prey and eagles are immense, gleaming mausoleum of world famous Keoladeo National particularly well represented. We white marble, built in Agra between Park where the abundance of can expect Steppe, Eastern 1631 and 1648 by order of the birdlife, in this oasis amongst a sea Imperial and Greater Spotted and Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in of surrounding agricultural lands, is perhaps we will also see Booted, memory of his favorite wife, the Taj simply breathtaking. These Short-toed Eagles. Other raptors Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in extensive flooded areas support include Shikra and Marsh Harrier. India and a universally admired huge flocks of wildfowl with the In the more wooded parts of the masterpiece of architecture. After more interesting species including park we will hope to find Yellow- our morning visit at The Taj Mahal, Garganey, Ferruginous and Knob- crowned and Brown-capped we will drive to Chambal Safari billed Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose Pygmy Woodpecker, Indian Golden Lodge, where we can bird around and Bar-headed Goose. Pheasant- Oriole, thrushes such as Tickell’s, the grounds in the late afternoon. tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Black-throated and the stunning Chambal is alive with birds and Grey-headed Swamphens also Orange-headed. A nice selection of wildlife and in addition to nearby paddle in the shallow water along common warblers includes roosts of Indian Flying Foxes, with the much larger Blacknecked, Siberian Chiffchaff, Blyth’s Reed, Indian Hare, Mongoose, and a Woolly-necked and Painted Storks Greenish and Hume’s, and with variety of birds including Indian and magnificent Sarus Cranes. A luck we may also see Smoky, Scops Owl, Spotted Owlet, Brown selection of waders should include Dusky, and Sykes’s. Further Hawk Eagle, Gray Hornbill, and White-tailed and Red-wattled possibilities among a long list of more can be seen on the lodge Lapwing, Green and Wood other commoner species we grounds. Sandpiper and others. Dusky Eagle- should find are Blackcrowned owl is a particular specialty here, Night-heron, Striated and Purple Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner but Brown Hawk-owl can Herons, Indian Cormorant, Oriental Lodging at Chambal Safari Lodge sometimes be found at their Darter, Eurasian Spoonbill, Streak- daytime roosts as well, with Large- throated and Wire-tailed Swallow,

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Day 14, Chambal River, return to Delhi: Today we will have both morning and afternoon boat rides along the magnificent Chambal River, a delightfully relaxing way to enjoy fantastic birds, reptiles and mammals. We will be particularly keen to locate the sought-after Indian Skimmer which is regularly seen during these trips. We also have excellent chances to see both Black-bellied and River Terns, Great Thick-knee, Small Pratincole and a variety of wildfowl and shorebirds. Other species regularly seen here Taj Mahal include Long-legged Buzzard, Included in this itinerary: Bonelli’s Eagle, Western Osprey, Pallas’s Gull and more. We should Price includes accommodations also see huge Mugger Crocodiles and meals, guide and entrance along the sandy banks, as well as fees to parks, AC Chair Car train the critically endangered Gharial. tickets, Delhi to Udaipur airfare, And with luck in the afternoon, we sharing Gypsy for Tiger Safari, may also catch a sighting of the assistance on arrival & departure. rare Ganges River Dolphin. Not Included:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Personal items such as tips, Lodging at Chambal Lodge international airfare, alcoholic beverages, gift shop, laundry, etc. Day 15, Transfer to Delhi: are not included.

After early morning birding around Travel insurance: our lodge and breakfast, we’ll drive We highly recommend purchasing to Delhi, and check in to the Vasant travel insurance. In the event that Continental hotel. you need to cancel your trip due to

medical or other reasons, this Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner insurance will protect you. Lodging at Vasant Continental

Day 16, International Flights Home. 109 Eaglewood Way, Athens, Georgia 30606

[email protected]

www.naturalselectionstours.com

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