Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking Information239This is a tour with a difference - aluxury sightseeing tour by trainadding a largesse of comfort, style,culture and sightseeing opportunities to aNaturetrek wildlife tour to some of India'sbest Tiger reserves. We begin in India'scapital, Delhi, from where we'll spend aday birdwatching in Sultanpur NationalPark, a seasonal wetland attracting awealth of waterbirds and passerines. Wewill then board the luxurious 'RoyalRajasthan' train for a 5-day railway journeythrough the splendid state of Rajasthan, amagnificent land of former princely states,majestic forts and palaces, diversecultures, varied arid landscapes andvibrant colours. The Royal Rajasthan takesus back to those pre-independence daysof regal splendour, when the rulers ofthese princely states travelled by train intheir own luxurious individual railwaycarriages - the first 'palaces on wheels',that introduced the concept of luxury traintravel to India. The newly built RoyalRajasthan is exquisitely constructed,furnished and equipped, following in thefootsteps of the famous 'Palace onWheels'. Gold-embossed carriages withornate ceilings, liveried attendants, luxuryprivate bed chambers and bathrooms withrunning hot and cold water, a library,restaurant cars serving sumptuous Indianand Continental cuisine, and a well-stocked bar are not normally available ontrain journeys through India! However, onthis tour we will enjoy the best of facilitiesas we travel, largely during the hours ofdarkness, allowing us to stop and exploreduring each day.In Jodhpur we will visit the clifftopMehrangarh Fort, one of India's largest,and Jaswant Thada, a royal memorial builtin white marble. In Udaipur, the romantic'City of Lakes', we visit the 16th centuryCity Palace and stunning 'Garden ofMaidens' (Sahelion ki Bari). We will alsovisit the gigantic 7th century Rajput fort atChittorgarh, filled with beautiful templesand other fine monuments. Stopping atSawai Madhopur, we'll disembark to enjoya morning game drive in RanthamboreNational Park, hopeful of a Tiger sightingand other wildlife. Finally we'll exploreJaipur, 'the Pink City'; a chance to visitHawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds), AmberFort, the Observatory built by the founderof Jaipur and the city palace residence ofthe Maharaja of Jaipur.Leaving the Royal Rajasthan train inKhajuraho, we will visit the famous Hindutemples here before driving the shortdistance to Panna Tiger Reserve. It was in1839 that a British army engineer stumbledupon a complex of the most remarkableHindu temples, constructed between 950and 1050 AD by the later kings of theChandela dynasty. Lost for centuries inremote jungle, these magnificent examplesof Indo-Aryan architecture had escapedthe destruction that Moghul rule inflictedon virtually all other Hindu monuments innorthern India at the time. Today,Khajuraho's temples, boasting exquisite(and many erotic) carvings, are listed as aWorld Heritage Site. Nearby Panna, anational park of 543 square kilometres,consists largely of dry deciduous forestand boasts great scenic beauty through itscombination of rolling hills and plateaux,grassy meadows, gorges and waterfalls.Passing through the park, the River Kenallows us to enjoy wildlife-viewing,abundant waterbirds and many largeMarsh Mugger crocodiles by boat.Primarily though, we will explore the parkon jeep tours, and sometimes on elephantback, encountering abundant SpottedDeer, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild Boar and troupes of Common Langurs, the more elusive Chinkara and Chousinghaantelopes and, with luck, Dhole (Wild Dog)or even a Leopard! Panna also offers amost varied birdlife, with PaintedSandgrouse, and a wide variety of owlsand nightjars likely to be among thehighlights.We next take a long drive, through thefarmlands, villages and hills of MadhyaPradesh, to Bandhavgarh National Park,where we will spend three nights.Bandhavgarh, in the Vindhya Hills, is oneof the very best parks for consistent Tigersightings. It lies in a region steeped inhistory and, in the heart of the reserve,towering 800 metres above the forest,stands the ruin of the magnificent hilltopfort of ancient rulers. Today, thispicturesque park is a haven for Tigers, aswell as for other mammals such asSambar, Spotted Deer, Common Langur,Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, GoldenJackal, Jungle Cat and, with luck, perhapseven a Leopard, Dhole or Sloth Bear, notto mention a wealth of birdlife.It is likely that a Tiger sighting will beamong this holiday's highlights, but it isequally likely that the visit we make toAgra, to enjoy the fabulous Taj Mahal andsome of the city's other magnificentMoghul monuments, will rank alongside it!(For those wishing to extend this holiday,we offer a 4-day visit to Corbett NationalPark and Tiger Reserve.) India - Tigers, Taj & Luxury Train!A 14-day holiday including a 5-day sightseeing tour of Rajasthan by luxury train, plus visits to Ranthambore, Panna and Bandhavgarh National Parks as well as the magical Taj Mahal in Agra.Friday 11th November - Thursday 24th November 2011 Cost: £3,975 Tuesday 20th March - Monday 2nd April 2012 Cost: £3,975Tuesday 6th November - Monday 19th November 2012 Cost: £3,975Corbett National Park extension available on all tours Cost: £850Outline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Sultanpur; overnightDelhi.Day 3/6Royal Rajasthan (luxurytrain).Day 7/8Panna National Park.Day 9/11Bandhavgarh NationalPark.Day 12Bandhavgarh; overnighttrain to Agra.Day 13Agra; train to Delhi.Day 14Fly London.Corbett extensionDay 13Uchagaon.Day 14/16Corbett National Park.Day 17Delhi.Day 18Fly London.Accommodation5-star hotel in Delhi; comfortablecabin aboard the Royal Rajasthanluxury train; and lodges elsewhere.All rooms have private facilities.FoodAll included in the price, except formain meals in Delhi.GradingA. This is a sightseeing and wildlifetour that includes no strenuouswalking.FocusIndia's culture, history andmonuments; luxury rail travel; birdsand mammals.Leader (from Khajuraho) DhanyaVenkatesh, Dilip Saini, BuntyMandhayan or Saravana Kumar.Single room supplement£1,095 (extension: £315).Web quick search: IND16Taj MahalTigerSapphire Room, the Royal Rajasthan trainTIBET NEPAL NEWDELHIAGRAJODHPURUDAIPURJAIPURRANTHAMBORETIGER RESERVEKOLKATABAY OFBENGALINDIAKHAJURAHOPANNATIGER RESERVEBANDHAVGARHTIGER RESERVE(EXTENSION)(EXTENSION)SULTANPURNATIONAL PARKCORBETTNATIONAL PARK

In his famous 'Jungle Book' RudyardKipling acknowledged the undisputedstatus of the mighty Bengal Tiger byintroducing Shere Khan as the king of thebeasts. Although the cat family includesmany impressive and attractive animals,there is an aura of power and majesty about the Tiger which makes it an automatic choice for this title and toobserve a male Tiger patrolling his territory in an Indian reserve is to watch an unchallenged ruler strolling through his domain. Unfortunately for the Tiger, being toppredator was no protection against theactivities of man, and a combination ofhabitat destruction and hunting pressuresreduced the Indian population from anestimated 40,000 to less than 2,000 beforethe conservation initiative known as'Project Tiger' sought to halt this rapiddecline by the establishment of numerousTiger Reserves. It is in reserves such asKanha and Ranthambore that, over theyears, many hundreds of Naturetrek clientshave savoured the ultimate wildlifeexperience of watching Tigers in theirnatural environment. However, in recenttimes, another lesser-known reserve,Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, hasacquired a rapidly growing reputation asone of the very best locations forconsistent Tiger sightings.Set amid the Vindhya Hills, Bandhavgarhwas first established in 1968 butsubstantially increased in size 20 yearslater by the incorporation of severaladjacent tracts of Sal forest. This is aregion steeped in history and, in the heartof the reserve, towering 800 metres abovethe forest, stands the ruin of a magnificenthilltop fort which bears testament to thesuccession of dynasties which over theages ruled this area. A former capital ofthe Baghel kings, Bandhavgarh Fort waseventually abandoned early in the 17thcentury and quickly reclaimed by thejungle around it, although it remained aroyal hunting reserve for another 300years, thus ensuring the protection of theforest. Today, careful management hasensured that the park is a haven for Tigers,and it also provides a remarkablypicturesque and tranquil setting for thatunforgettable encounter with the mostmagnificent of all big cats. SeveralNaturetrek groups have already discovered the delights of Bandhavgarh,but it is in acknowledgement of the park'sabundant photographic qualities that weare pleased to now offer this exciting 12-day tour which affords a wealth ofsubjects, both natural and man-made, for photographers to capture. Our holiday begins in the capital city ofDelhi, but we pause only briefly before catching an overnight sleeper train to Katni,the railhead close to Bandhavgarh. Fromhere we drive to comfortableaccommodation just outside the reservewhere we stay for seven nights. During thefollowing days we will board jeeps formorning and afternoon excursions into thenational park, each visit charged with thatunique tingle of anticipation generated bybeing in Tiger territory. Even here,appearances by Tigers can never bepredicted or guaranteed and sometimesonly a giant footprint in the dust, or adistant roar, betrays the presence of ourquarry. However, perseverance has itsrewards and that magical moment whenthe lord of the forest finally emerges intoview will never be forgotten. Depending onthe situation it is often possible toapproach Tigers closely by jeep and muchfilm is sure to be expended during suchencounters. Even without the Tigers, thereis much to see in Bandhavgarh. Herds ofSpotted Deer roam the reserve andconstitute one of the main prey items forthe Tigers, although the utterly endearinglittle fawns look far too appealing todeserve such a fate. Other herbivorousresidents are less conspicuous but includeSambar, Chousingha, Chinkara, Nilgai andMuntjac. Several hundred species of birdshave been recorded in the reserve and it isoften the excited behaviour of the birdlifethat first announces the presence of aprowling Tiger, although the anxious chatterof Grey Langur Monkeys and barking alarmcalls of Spotted Deer quickly relay thewarning to all the creatures in the vicinity!The wildlife at Bandhavgarh will be mostlyviewed from jeeps, but 'riding elephants'are also employed on occasions to traversesome of the areas impassable to vehiclesand travelling on one of these huge animalsas it plods with sure footsteps through fast-flowing streams or picks its way along arocky trail, is a thrilling adventure, spicedwith the constant possibility of comingupon a Tiger at rest. With so much wildlife to photograph,participants will need to take plenty of filmand memory cards, and as a diversionfrom the wildlife, may also wish to visit thescenic Bamera Dam at nearby PanpathaSanctuary or Majhauli Dam, a good placefor birdwatching. Bandhavgarh Fort alsocontains rock carvings and photogenicdeserted temples dating back to the 10thcentury and beyond. This wonderfulnational park richly deserves its reputationas one of the top Tiger Reserves in thesubcontinent and we are confident thatphotographers will be delighted by therange of subjects during this speciallydesigned tour. India's Wildlife - A Photography TourA 12-day wildlife photography holiday to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Wednesday 2nd November - Sunday 13th November 2011 Cost: £2,495Wednesday 21st March - Sunday 1st April 2012 Cost: £2,495Wednesday 31st October - Sunday 11th November 2012 Cost: £2,495Outline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Delhi; overnight train toKatni.Day 3/9Bandhavgarh TigerReserve.Day 10Final day inBandhavgarh; overnighttrain to Agra.Day 11Full day's sightseeing inAgra; evening train toDelhi.Day 12Fly London.AccommodationA simple but comfortable forestlodge at Bandhavgarh, with privatefacilities. FoodAll included in the price, except formeals in Delhi. Allow £20.Grading A. This is a straightforward wildlifetour with no strenuous walking.Focus Wildlife photography.LeaderTalat Khalid, Harsha Jayaramiah,Indrajit Latey or Paul Marshall, pluslocal guide.Single room supplement£395.ExtensionsAvailable to all areas of the Indiansubcontinent, and Dubai.Web quick search: IND03240Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryTIBET NEPAL PAKISTAN NEW DELHI AGRA KOLKATABAY OF BENGAL INDIA BANDHAVGARH UMARIA KATNITigerCommon Langur, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve