£7935.00  per person 

(USD 12500 per person  )

A Tiger safari which combines expert guiding with quality accommodation designed to get our guests immersed in the wildlife of this jewel of a park and to gain not just great sightings of the Tigers, but to gain an in depth understanding of their families and history. The tour is centred on Bandhavgarh national park, deep in the heart of India and the best place in the world for seeing the tiger in the wild. 
Your exclusive guide is photographer & naturalist Pete Cooper, who will meet you in Delhi and accompany you throughout the tour, and the exclusive services of one of the senior drivers who have spent many years working in the park. Included in the tour are four days private elephant hire, allowing you to visit areas of the park further from the road and spend more time with the tigers when they are found.  
Pete spends several months each year in Bandhavgarh and his experience with this group of tigers, together with his network of local contacts, will considerably increase your chances of seeing this elusive animal. In April 2005 he was filmed in Bandhavgarh for the BBC One series Inside Out. Pete will share his experience and ensure that your encounter with the tigers in their own habitat is unforgettable. 
Prior to the tour we will supply you with a briefing pack that will include a family tree of the tigers and a map of the park. 

Depart to India
Depart on your overnight flight to Delhi.
Arrive Delhi
Arrive in Delhi, where you will be met on an individual basis at the airport and transferred to the Optus Sarovar for a 1 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the day is at leisure.
To Bandhavgarh
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for morning flight to Jabalpur. You then have a 4 hour road transfer to Bandhav Vilas, your luxury resort on the outskirts of Tala village, where you will stay for 9 nights on a full board basis. You will arrive late in the afternoon and have time to relax before dinner.
Game Drives • Elephants
For the next 8 days you will take morning and afternoon game drives in the park, returning to the camp between drives. On the mornings when you take the private elephant, you will be allowed into the park 15 minutes before anyone else, which is better for seeing tracks and increases our chances of catching the tigers returning from their night hunts. You will also be allowed to remain in the park 15 minutes after everyone else has left. 

You will take a short game drive whilst the elephant searches for the tigers, and then rendezvous with the mahout. In the morning you will have approximately 3½ hours on the elephant, before returning to your resort for breakfast. The rest of the morning is spent at leisure until lunch. After lunch you return to the park via jeep and you will leave the park after sunset, returning to your resort for dinner.

On the days when you do not take the private elephant, you track the tigers by jeep, and there may be an opportunity to take a shorter elephant ride during the morning drive. You will have the opportunity to take a packed breakfast into the park if you wish. The tigers’ behaviour cannot be guaranteed, but previous clients have been able to follow Chorbera for an hour as she walked through the forest, spend a morning watching her hunt (including seeing that rarest of events, a kill) and watched the dominant male Bandar sleeping in a cave during the heat of the afternoon.

To Delhi

Take breakfast and return to Jabalpur for your flight to Delhi. On arrival, transfer to the Optus Sarovar for 1 night on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax.

The Hotels :

Delhi [Gurgaon] • The Optus Sarovar Premiere is intelligently located in the heart of the commercial district of Gurgaon and is easily accessible from the international airport. An upscale property, the hotel promises 80 rooms and suites with the most luxurious of amenities and stylish furnishings. 

The hotel takes good care to provide the best possible amenities for the new-age business traveller. Offering two good dining options and some nice drinking places, the hotel takes good care of your refreshment needs too.

Bandhavgarh • Bandhav Vilas A new and high specification resort built on the outskirts of Tala village within 10 minutes drive of the main park gate. Indulge yourself in fully air conditioned and spacious villas with cascading windows, king sized beds and ample world class amenities such as satellite television, telephone and wireless internet access.
Elegant décor and exquisite furnishings create a relaxing environment culminating in a distinct serenity. Unwind with a book on your own private porch; pamper yourself in a palatial private bathroom with ample dressing and storage space, hot water shower, herbal accessories, fine linen and designer fixtures; luxuriate in an elaborate external rain shower.The spacious courtyard is the focal point of property, where wildlife enthusiasts and small groups can retreat in sun‐drenched splendour or on a glorious moonlit night to discuss the days activities over a drink from the well stocked bar. If you need to cool off in the heat of the day the open air swimming pool provides an inviting refuge. The restaurant provides a wide choice of delicious Indian and continental cuisine made from the best available ingredients. By night, tables are set under the stars and lit by lanterns and candlelight, a perfect setting for an intimate dinner. 

If you are looking for peace and luxury combined with a wide range of high quality facilities this is the option for you.

Notes: 

Price includes:

Accommodation and food as described (hotels of a similar standard may be used if required); programme of events as described; game drives based on two persons per jeep; services of senior driver as required; exclusive services of Pete Cooper throughout the tour; all entry fees to national parks; four mornings private elephant hire; all transfers in air‐conditioned vehicles; portage at airports; all local taxes.

Price excludes:

Flights; visas; camera fees; personal items such as drinks; laundry; phone calls; insurance; tips.

Deposits:
A Special Deposit is required for this tour.

Other information:
We can arrange the  (Atol  bonded) iternational flights associated with this itinerary on request.