view map ITINERARY Day 1 Mumbai / Bangalore Arrive Mumbai early morning and connect to flight to Bangalore. (alternatively one can fly directly to Bangalore from London and Frankfurt). On arrival Transfer to the Hotel. The afternoon is free for independent activities or optional city tour. Overnight at Hotel. Day 2 Bangalore / Mysore Morning drive to Mysore (3 hours drive) en route visiting the Srirangapatnam - the Palace and the tomb of Tipu, the Sultan who had adopted the Tiger as his symbol. We will also see the Ranganthittoo Bird Sanctuary a unique water bird sanctuary. On arrival at Mysore we will check in at the Hotel. We will take an afternoon city tour of Mysore visiting the magnificent Palace and the Chamundi Hills to visit the temple of the Godess Durga and the Nandi Bull statue. We overnight at the Hotel. Day 3 Mysore / Nagarhole Early this morning we drive to Nagarhole ( two hour drive). On arrival we transfer to the Kabini River Lodge. The Tatlers Travel Guide, a prestigious British travel magazine, has rated this resort destination as among the top 5 wildlife resorts in the world. These were once the hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Mysore and the residential lodges are identical copies of the original lodge. Giant fruit bats and birds are plentiful in this beautiful area. Nagarhole has one of the highest concentrations of ungulates (gaur, sambar, chital, and wild boar) in the world, and as such is a great habitat for the tiger and the other predators (leopard and dhole or wild dog) that rely on these species. In the afternoon we take a jungle excursion by Jeep. Nagarhole also has a very good population of wild elephants. This park is a great birding area, with may exciting species to be seen, including the common babbler, bee-eater, bulbul, dove, crested serpent eagle, hornbill, Malabar trogon, peacock, India great black woodpecker, osprey, golden-back parakeet, and greyheaded fishing eagles. We overnight at Kabini River Lodge. Day 4 Nagarhole We take morning and evening wildlife excursions by Jeep and Coracal (country Boat) which will give you the opportunity to see waterfowl, elephant and perhaps crocodile. Overnight at the Lodge. Day 5 Nagarhole/ Bandipur After a morning Jungle excursion, we later drive to Bandipur (4 hours drive). Bandipur Park was formed in 1941 to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which is at its northern edge. Along with Wynad and Madumulai Sanctuaries, which lay south, the entire area now constitutes the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of India's most extensive tracts of protected forest. It has been a designated tiger reserve since 1973. On arrival we take a wildlife excursion. Bandipur is a Tiger reserve famous for its elephant, gaur, wild dog, sambar and chital. Overnight at the Tusker Trail Lodge. Day 6 Bandipur / Coonoor After a morning Jungle excursion, we later drive to Coonoor via Ooty ( two hours). The great charm of Ooty is the wonderful views it offers. Anywhere you go, the serenity of the Nilgiri hills will be all around you. The drive through this wonderful region will be spectacular. Coonoor is famous for its verdant environs and for a variety of wildflowers and birds. Coonoor provides a perfect setting for activities like trekking and hiking. It is also famous for its tea plantations and festivals. Coonoor provides the traveler with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls. Bird watching is a popular pastime in Coonoor, as the area boasts of a large variety of species like cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, and the Nilgiri verditer. Black furred Nilgiri langurs can also be found in this area. We take an evening excursion to the Shollays (Forest) for bird watching. Overnight at the Hotel. Day 7 Coonoor / Munnar Morning drive to Munnar ( 6 hours drive),once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. Here there are sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, and winding lanes. You will see magnificent vegetation including, beatle nut trees, Coconut Palms, and rice paddys. On arrival Transfer to the Hotel. Day 8 Munnar We have a full day excursion to Eravikulam/ Rajamali National Park. This park has the largest population of Nilgiri Tahr, a highly endangered mammal found only in this area of the world. These surefooted wild goats live in herds on the steep black rocky slopes of the Anamudi Mountains. Adult males can weigh up to 100 kg. They are beautiful creatures and are related to cows, antelopes and are considered primitive cousins of true goats. There are large varieties of high altitude plants and birds and you can even find elephant, gaur, and macaque in this mountainous region. There are wonderful views of the Western Ghats and the rolling grasslands in the park are capitivating. Travel here will be mostly by foot so good walking hiking shoes are recommended. Overnight at the Hotel. Day 9 Munnar / Periyar We take a morning drive to Periyar (4 hours) through the hills. On arrival we transfer to the Lodge. In the afternoon, we take a boat excursion to Periyar National Park. Periyar is famous for its wild elephants, gaur, wild dogs, sambar, wild boar, otters, Nilgri langur, and flying squirrel. Travelers have even spotted king cobra, python, and flying lizards. There are over 24 species of birds and 112 species of butterfly. The park has a beautiful lake as its centerpiece. Overnight at the Lodge. Day 10-11 Periyar Morning and evening jungle excursions by boat, where we will likely see herds of elelphant froliking in the water, a spectacular site. During the day there you can take a walk in the woods for some excellent birding. Overnight at the Lodge. Day 12 Periyar / Kumarakuram After the morning jungle excursions, we drive to Kumarakum, a delightful spot beside a lake, which is home to rare migratory water birds. Close by, is the Shiva temple at Ettumanoor with its lovely murals. On arrival we transfer to the resort. After noon we take it easy with a boat cruise in the back waters of Kerala and see the life-style of the Kerala people. Overnight at the resort. Day 13 Kumarakuram / Cochin / Mumbai / Nagpur. We take a morning drive to Cochin, this harbour city is on the Arabian Sea coast of India. We take a tour of Cochin and later transfer to the airport for our flight to Mumbai. 1535/1720. On arrival those of us leaving say their goodbyes, the rest of us overnight at the hotel. In the morning we take our flight to Nagpur for our extension to Kanha, the reserve with some of the best tiger viewing in India. OPTIONAL EXTENSION Day 14 Nagpur/Kanha We take a morning drive to Kanha (6 - 7 hours). The forests in Kanha are mainly sal and mixed deciduous. This park was where famed biologist George Schaller conducted one of the first scientific studies on tigers and published these findings in the now famous book, “The Deer and the Tiger”. The two most famous residents of this park are the tiger and the hard ground barasingha. Both of these animals are on the endangered species list. On arrival we transfer to Kanha Jungle Lodge, a beautiful lodge with wonderful accommodations. This lodge is run by locals who will make you feel as welcome as family. The food is delicious and the wildlife is extraordinary. In the afternoon we take a jungle excursion by Jeep. We overnight at Kanha Jungle Lodge. Day 15-16 Kanha Morning and evening jungle excursions by Jeep and elephants. Tigers are often seen in the park and when sited, you will be transferred to elelpahnt back to get a closer look at one of the most magnificent animals on the planet. While riding the elephant you will truly feel part of nature. Viewing tigers in this manner will be a memory that will last a lifetime. In addition to tigers, leopards, sloth bear, gaur, chital and the beautiful barasingha can be seen. This park is also home to over 250 species of birds, such as Racket Tailed Drongo, Crested Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Peacock, Golden Oriole, Treepie, Whitenecked Stork, Shikra, White-eyed Buzzard, Roseringed Parakeet, Shama, Red Munia, Large Green Barbet, Crimson Breasted Barbet, Lesser Golden Backed Woodpecker, and Hair Crested Drongo. Overnight at Kanha Jungle Lodge. Day 17 Kanha / Nagpur / Mumbai Dep. International After our morning jungle excursions we take an afternoon drive to Nagpur. On arrival, we go to our rooms to wash and change. We head back to the airport and transfer to our flight to Mumbai. 2130/2245. On arrival transfer to the International Terminal for flights home. Day 18 Mumbai / New York Early morning leave for Return flight.