This Naturetrek holiday specificallyfocuses, in equal measure, on bothwildlife and India's fabulous historical,cultural and architectural heritage. Aboveall, and unusually for India, our itineraryachieves a maximum of variety with aminimum of exhausting travel. A briefdomestic flight, two short and comfortabletrain journeys, and just a few hours ofdriving on the peaceful roads of rural Indiaare all that are required to complete thisfascinating and colourful circuit. We will visitsuch fabulous sights as the Taj Mahal, AgraFort, Fatehpur Sikri, the temples ofKhajuraho, and both Old and New Delhi, allof which so magnificently encapsulate thelavish history of northern India over the pastmillennium. We will also visit Panna NationalPark and Tiger Reserve - one of India'smost scenic sanctuaries and currently afavourite amongst wildlife connoisseurs onaccount of the sheer abundance and varietyof both its mammals and birds - andconclude our tour in the world's mostfamous bird reserve . Bharatpur. We begin in India's capital, New Delhi.Here, we will drive to our comfortable hotel.Later, after a rest and a light lunch, anoptional afternoon tour of Old Delhi willinclude such magnificent Moghulmonuments as the Jama Masjid mosqueand the Red Fort, though the keenbirdwatchers in our party may chooseinstead to visit the Sultanpur National Parkand Bird Sanctuary.In 1839 a British army engineer stumbledupon a complex of the most remarkableHindu temples. Lost for centuries in remotejungle, these magnificent examples of Indo-Aryan architecture had escaped thedestruction that Moghul rule inflicted onvirtually all other Hindu monuments innorthern India at the time. Today,Khajuraho's temples, so skillfullyconstructed between 950 and 1050 ADunder the later kings of the Chandeladynasty and boasting exquisite (and manyerotic) carvings, are listed as a WorldHeritage Site. Now beautifully restored, theyare set within delightful gardens favoured byabundant birdlife and marauding Rhesusand Common Langur Monkeys. A night inKhajuraho will give us ample time to explorethe temple complexes before we make theshort drive to Panna Tiger Reserve.Panna, a stunning national park of 543square kilometres, has remained largelyunknown and ignored by tourism, mainlybecause its Tigers remain wary and elusive.Though consisting largely of dry deciduousforest, it boasts great scenic beauty throughits combination of rolling hills and plateaux,grassy meadows, gorges and waterfalls.The broad waters of the River Ken passthrough the park and allow us to enjoywildlife viewing, abundant waterbirds andmany large Marsh Mugger crocodiles onboat excursions. The extensive buffer zonesurrounding the park provides theopportunity for some spotlighting on nightdrives, when Jungle and Rusty-spottedCats, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, SlothBear, Indian Hare, Common Palm Civet andother denizens of the night such as MottledWood Owl are all possibilities. Primarilythough, we will explore this extensive parkon lengthy jeep tours, and sometimes onelephant back, encountering abundantSpotted Deer, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild Boar andtroupes of Common Langurs, the moreelusive Chinkara and Chousingha antelopesand, with luck, a Tiger, Dhole (Wild Dog) oreven a Leopard! With such a variety ofhabitats, Panna also provides a most variedbirdlife, with Painted Sandgrouse, and awide variety of owls and nightjars likely tobe amongst the highlights.We next drive to Orchha, once the capital ofthe Bandela dynasty, and today a mostpicturesque and peaceful village that sitsamongst a proliferation of temples, royalchhattris(tombs) and a striking 16th centuryfort-palace on an island in the Betwa River.There is much to enjoy for a day here,before we take the train from Jhansi toAgra, passing the imposing Gwalior Fort. Astay in Agra will allow us to soak in thesplendour of the Taj Mahal and its environs. and to visit the magnificent Agra Fort. Wewill then drive on, stopping en route toexplore the fascinating abandoned Moghulcity of Fatehpur Sikri, to Bharatpur, the mostfamous bird reserve of them all, where afeast of birds and other wildlife awaits us.So, is there a down side to our managingdirector's favourite Indian odyssey? Yes, justone! Your chance of a Tiger sighting on thistour is a fairly slim one. For this reason, weoffer you the chance to extend your holidaywith a visit to Ranthambore, one of India'smost spectacular and best known Tigerreserves, or any other of the country's finenational parks.Temples & Tigers - The Best of Northern IndiaA 13-day holiday combining the best of India's wildlife and culture, with visits to Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Khajuraho, Panna Tiger Reserve and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, plus an optional 5-day extension to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.Wednesday 2nd November - Monday 14th November 2011 Cost: £2,495Wednesday 1st February - Monday 13th February 2012 Cost: £2,595Wednesday 7th November - Monday 19th November 2012 Cost: £2,595Ranthambore extension available on all tours Cost: £795Outline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Delhi.Day 3Temples of Khajuraho.Day 4/6Panna Tiger Reserve.Day 7Orchha.Day 8Agra and Taj Mahal.Day 9Fatehpur Sikri; overnightBharatpur.Day 10/11Bharatpur BirdSanctuary.Day 12Evening train to Delhi.Day 13Fly London.Ranthambore extensionDay 12/15Ranthambore TigerReserve.Day 16Evening train to Delhi.Day 17Fly London.AccommodationComfortable tourist hotels in Delhi,Khajuraho and Agra; simple butcomfortable lodges elsewhere. Allrooms have private facilities.FoodAll included in the price, except formeals required in Delhi. Allow £30.Grading A. A wildlife and sightseeing tourthat includes no strenuous walking.Focus India's cultural heritage, mammalsand birds.LeaderNick Acheson, Bunty Mandhayan,Dhanya Venkatesh, AshleshSharma or Dilip Saini, plus localguides.Single room supplement£345 (extension: £145).Web quick search: IND32228Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryTIBET NEPAL PAKISTAN NEW DELHI AGRA BHARATPUR KOLKATABAY OF BENGAL INDIA KHAJURAHO ORCHHA JHANSI PANNA RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE (EXTENSION) KhajurahoIndian RollerTiger

This deluxe tour, through the heartlandof wild India, combines theopportunity to enjoy wildlife viewingin two of India's finest Tiger Reserves withvisits also to some of the greatmonuments of Moghul India, including theTaj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.Above all, this tour offers you theopportunity to enjoy it all from the comfortof some of India's very best hotels andluxury tented camps, and we spare noexpense in ensuring the utmost quality ofall aspects of this holiday whilstmaintaining a competitive price.We begin in the capital, where we stay inthe tranquil 5-star Leela KempinskiGurgaon. This splendid deluxe hotel islocated near the airport and boasts a largeswimming pool and a tranquil garden filledwith parakeets, mynas and Five-stripedPalm Squirrels. Whilst here, we offer keenbirdwatchers a visit to Sultanpur NationalPark and the more culturally minded a tourof some of the monuments of Old Delhi.Next we travel to Kanha, taking acomfortable flight to Jabalpur or Raipurfollowed by a scenic drive into the heart ofrural Madhya Pradesh where KanhaNational Park is situated. Our delightfulbase for a 3-night stay here is SinginawaJungle Lodge, a world class lodge in theTiger heartland, or Tiger Corridors, a luxurytented camp hosting a maximum of just 16guests in eight air-conditioned tents, eachwith its own bathroom and verandah andeach occupying a private setting withinwooded grounds which also hold a lovelyswimming pool. Tiger Corridors is locatednear the Kisli entrance to the park, givingus access to the best area in Kanha forsightings of Tigers, the park's wealth ofother large mammals, and abundantbirdlife.It will take us all day to drive, on roughroads, through the Vindhyan Hills and thefarmlands and villages of Madhya Pradesh,to Bandhavgarh National Park and TigerReserve. Once there we will settle in for a3-night stay at Kings Lodge, a group ofluxury chalets with their own privateswimming pool set in 12 acres of forest.Each spacious chalet has a luxuriousattached bathroom whilst, in the diningroom and lounge area, delicious Indiancuisine and a good library may be enjoyed. During our time at Kanha andBandhavgarh we will strike out twice dailyon morning and evening game drives intothe parks, rising at dawn and returning atdusk, though enjoying a lengthy middaysiesta. Whilst Tigers can never beguaranteed, the combination of these two top Tiger Reserves within a week gives you the best chance you could havein that period. Tigers may sometimes beencountered from the jeep but, should thegovernment elephants and their mahouts,who usually track the Tigers on a dailybasis, locate an animal in the forest orgrasslands away from the jeep tracks, you may also be lucky enough to take anelephant ride to view a resting animal. Our aim, though, is to observe, enjoy and photograph all the many species of mammals - amongst them Sambar,Spotted and Swamp Deer, CommonLangur and Rhesus Monkeys, Gaur (thehuge Asiatic Bison), Wild Boar, AsiaticJackal, Jungle Cat and, with luck, perhapseven a Leopard, Wolf, Dhole (the IndianWild Dog) or Sloth Bear - as well as awealth of birdlife. Journeying onwards, the overnight sleepertrain from Umaria to Agra may not quiteoffer the high standard of accommodationto which we have become accustomed,but it is, nonetheless, an experience, andone that is rewarded with a day to relax,and a night in one of the world's finesthotels, the Amarvilas. Overlooking India'smost beautiful monument - the Taj Mahal- there is no better base from which toenjoy the Moghul splendour of the Tajitself, nearby Agra Fort and the desertedcity of Fatehpur Sikri . and no better wayto complete our holiday (unless, of course,you choose to extend it with a visit toRanthambore, in Rajasthan, one of themost picturesque of the Tiger Reserves).Wild India . In Style!A deluxe 12-day appreciation of the mammals and birds of Kanha and Bandhavgarh, India's mostrewarding Tiger Reserves, with an optional extension to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.Friday 4th November - Tuesday 15th November 2011 Cost: £3,195Friday 3rd February - Tuesday 14th February 2012 Cost: £3,395Friday 2nd November - Tuesday 13th November 2012 Cost: £3,395Ranthambore extension available on all tours Cost: from £1,895Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationTIBETNEPALPAKISTANNEW DELHIAGRABHARATPUR BIRDSANCTUARY(EXTENSION)CALCUTTABAY OFBENGALINDIAKANHA TIGER RESERVEUMARIANAGPURRANTHAMBORETIGER RESERVE(EXTENSION)BANDHAVGARHTIGER RESERVEOutline itinerary Day 1Depart London. Day 2Delhi.Day 3/5Kanha National Park.Day 6/8Bandhavgarh NationalPark.Day 9Final day inBandhavgarh; overnighttrain to Agra.Day 10Agra.Day 11Full day's sightseeing inAgra; evening train toDelhi.Day 12Fly London.Ranthambore extensionDay 11Evening transfer fromAgra to Bharatpur.Day 12Morning at BharatpurBird Sanctuary; train toRanthambore.Day 13/14Ranthambore TigerReserve.Day 15Final morning atRanthambore; afternoontrain to Delhi.Day 16Fly London.AccommodationA range of India's finest deluxehotels and luxury tented camps, allwith private facilities.FoodAll included in the price, except forany meals taken in Delhi and Agra.Allow £40.GradingThis is a luxury wildlife tour/safari,with no great level of fitnessrequired. Grade A.FocusWildlife and culture of north India.LeaderSaravana Kumar, HarshaJayaramiah, Bunty Mandhayan,Karan Modi or Indrajit Latey, pluslocal guides.Business classsupplementFrom £1,950.Single room supplement£895 (extension: £1,095).Web quick search: IND36229The Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel, AgraTigerTaj Mahal