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Wild India Safaris: Itineraries
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WILD INDIA - EXPLORATION 3 · SAT MARCH 29 - MON APRIL 14, 2003 · ITINERARY Sat Mar 29 · International Flight USA to New Delhi · Evening depart from USA. Sun Mar 30 · New Delhi · The Oberoi Hotel Late night arrival in New Delhi. You will be met and transferred to your hotel for the night. Mon Mar 31 · New Delhi · The Oberoi Hotel (BLD) After a leisurely morning, the group will meet for at midday for a briefing by the leaders, followed by lunch in the coffee shop. In the early afternoon we will take a tour of Old Delhi including Jama Masjid and Red Fort. Time permitting we will visit the Crafts Museum. Before dinner, Toby will offer a slide presentation or film that relates to the tour to give you some background on the areas we are visiting. The Oberoi Hotel is a five-star deluxe hotel which is centrally located and overlooking a golf course. The hotel has 350 centrally air-conditioned rooms with direct dial telephone, mini-bar, and color TV with satellite transmission. Five restaurants serve very good Indian, Chinese, Thai and European cuisine. Other facilities include a 24-hour business center, swimming pool, same-day laundry & dry cleaning, 24-hour room service, health club, beauty salon, chemist, and a variety of shops. Tue Apr 1 · Delhi-Nagpur · The Pride Hotel (BLD) In the morning we will take a tour of New Delhi that includes Vijay Chowk, Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar. After lunch, transfer to airport for departure on flight IC469 at 4:15pm, arriving in Nagpur at 6:50pm. Transfer the hotel for overnight. The Pride is situated very close to Nagpur airport and is a comfortable hotel. Wed Apr 2 · Nagpur-Kanha NP · Kipling Camp (BLD) Morning drive 6-7 hours (260km) to Kanha NP. Afternoon jeep drive. Kanha (the original setting of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book) was one of the first nine tiger reserves created by Project Tiger in 1972. Its core zone is 363 square miles with a 388 square mile buffer zone surrounding it. In the PBS Nature series Land of the Tiger, a major portion of tiger scenes was shot here. Kanha has rich habitat diversity from hills to plateau grasslands fringed by dense forest. The rims of the plateaus have steep rocky slopes and escarpments that offer breathtaking views of the valleys below and the hills beyond. Carnivores include jackal, dhole Indian wild dog, leopard, and tiger. Herds of cheetal (spotted axis deer), barasingha (12 tined swamp deer), hiran (blackbuck), wild boar and occasionally gaur (wild oxen) throng the grasses of the central valley. Chousingha (four horned antelope), nilgai antelope, Sambar deer, barking deer, sloth bear and langur monkey are also seen in this park. Kanha's birdlife is rich, the tally of species being close to 300. The cottages of Kipling Camp have an elegant simplicity. They are in the style of local dwellings, with tiled roofs and thick walls of whitewashed mud, each exterior decorated with a jungle animal in bas-relief. The traditional floors and wooden shutters keep the room cool during the day. Dinners are outdoors under the sky at a communal table. Naturalists accompany you on open jeep drives through the forest. Thu Apr 3-Sat Apr 5 · Kanha NP · Kipling Camp (BLD) Three full days of mornings and afternoons in the park by jeep or on elephant back Sun Apr 6 · Kanha-Nagpur-Mumbai · The Orchid Hotel (BLD) Midday drive 6-7 hours to Nagpur to board flight IC7630 departing at 8:45pm, arriving in Mumbai at 10:00pm. Transfer to airport hotel for overnight. The Orchid is situated very close to the airport and is a five star hotel. Mon Apr 7 · Mumbai-Bangalore-Mysore · Lalita Mahal Hotel (BLD) Morning flight 9W449 departing at 9:15am, arriving in Bangalore at 10:50am. Drive 2 hours (139km) by air-conditioned coach to Mysore. Afternoon stroll through Mysore's markets. Lalita Mahal stands on a low hill, just outside the royal city of Mysore. Originally a palatial guest house, it was built by the Maharaja of Mysore, constructed in Italian palazzo, double columned and domed, set in sprawling terraced and landscaped gardens and overlooking Chamundi Hills. All rooms are air-conditioned and the hotel has a swimming pool and restaurant serving good Indian food. Tue Apr 8 · Mysore-Nagarahole NP · Kabini River Lodge (BLD) Morning visit Ranganthitoo Bird Sanctuary. After lunch, drive 3 hours (80km) to Nagarahole NP. Afternoon jeep drive. Nagarahole has an area of 247 square miles and an astonishing abundance of wildlife including large mammals such as tiger, leopard, wild elephant, dhole (Indian wild dog), and gaur (Indian bison). Other species present are chital spotted deer, muntjac (barking) deer, mouse deer, chousingha (four-horned) antelope, wild boar, sloth bear, hyena, mongoose, civet, otter, and more. The landscape is one of gentle slopes and shallow valleys. Dry deciduous forest trees are leafless in the summer rather than in the winter. In the moist deciduous areas are open grassy swamps where the soil is clayey, perennially moist, and supports a luxuriant growth of green grass all year. The months of March-May offer a spectacular sight of large herds of elephant on the river banks. Kabini is a wildlife lodge nestled in the southern fringes of Karnataka's Nagarhole National Park. Amidst the tranquil green of the forest and the quietly flowing Kabini River (reservoir), you will have a peaceful stay and exclusive game viewing areas not open to other park visitors. The Indian-colonial styled lodge has well-appointed spacious rooms with attached bathrooms and hot water. Morning teas and coffees are served at your rooms and meals (both Western and Indian style) are served buffet-style at the Gol Ghar (dining gazebo) by the river. Game viewing activities include drives in open jeeps, rides on the river by powerboat or traditional 'coracle' (round fishing boat). Short elephant-back trips are also available. Wed Apr 9 - Fri Apr 11 · Nagarahole NP · Kabini River Lodge (BLD) Three full days of mornings and afternoons in the park by jeep or by boat. Sat Apr 12 · Nagarahole NP-Bangalore · The Oberoi Hotel (BLD) Morning drive 5-6 hours (219km) to Bangalore. Afternoon guided sightseeing and shopping. Sun Apr 13 · Bangalore-Delhi-Departure · The Oberoi Hotel (BLD) Morning transfer to airport for flight IC505 departing at 9:45am, arriving in Delhi at 12:15pm. Afternoon at leisure until late night transfer to the airport for international departure. Mon Apr 14 · New Delhi - USA · International Flight Depart Delhi very early morning. Arrive USA in the afternoon. AGRA EXTENSION (APR 14-17) Includes two nights in Agra at the Amar Vilas Hotel (with meals), guided visits to Taj Mahal, Agra Fort Sikandra, and Fatehpur Sikri. Return to Delhi on Apr 16 where a room at the Oberoi and dinner are provided before international departure on Apr 17. Wild India Exploration 3 |
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