India Tiger Safari

a great trip, but tiring, it is billed as leisurely, but getting up at 4.30 every day and bumping around in a jeep for eight hours takes its toll. Seeing a tiger makes it all worthwhile. Beautiful scenery and lovely sunrises. The lodges were lovely and the food superb. A nice group of people. ...more ...less

What an amazing holiday! We were incredibly lucky with our sightings, not only of tigers but also of leopards (I think our group had 6 individual leopard sighting by the end), wild elephants, Indian Wild Dogs, jackals and the most fabulous array of colourful birds (peacocks, rollers, eagles, vultures - the list is long!). As has been mentioned in previous reviews, there are things to be aware of with the trip, but providing your participate with your eyes open, patience and the right attitude, you will have an absolutely wonderful time: 1) Jeeps are assigned per national park, so the people you share the jeep with will remain the same throughout that national park. Our jeeps were changed up between the parks, so we had three different jeep combinations by the end. 2) If you have one jeep which is not full, the Exodus guide tends to stick in that jeep due to space and comfort. Whilst this is understandable, it does mean that some group members had much more access to the trip leader and his expertise compared to others. 3) Do not expect tigers on every drive or even every day. They can be very elusive and with all things in nature, nothing is guaranteed. We had our first tiger sighting on Drive 2 (one jeep had an amazing view of two separate tigers, the other three jeeps had much lesser views of one tiger). We then did not get another good tiger sighting until Drive 8. And then on Drive 10, the tigers decided to give the most amazing show, with 6 tigers in one day. There was a point when we were leaving Pench where we were joking that we would have to rename the trip 'India Leopard Safari', as my jeep had had 3 good leopard sightings and only one glimpse of the backside / ears of a tiger, but by the end of the holiday, the tigers were most definitely the star of the show. 4) As has been mentioned before, it can be difficult when the different jeeps are in different sectors of the parks and thus seeing different things. On our trip, one jeep got two incredible sightings on Day 1, whereas with the different jeep allocations between parks, it took until the very end of the holiday for two members of our group to have an equivalent amazing sighting. Some members did not get a good leopard sighting at all, whereas other jeeps got two or three. It really is just luck and you have to go with the knowledge that each person's experience will be different. 5) There is so much more to see than just the tigers, so it is important to not get hung up on just seeing them. You can go for days without a glimpse of stripes, so take the time to appreciate the beauty of the parks and the other incredible wildlife that is available. 6) The success of the safari drives can be rather dependent on the quality of the park-assigned driver and guides, some of whom are better than others. I think that every jeep in our group had issues with their driver / guides at some point; however as these change almost every day, you just have to put it behind you and focus on the next drive. Thankfully, with 15+ drives, there is plenty of time for everyone to have the amazing encounters and experiences within the parks. ...more ...less

This trip is well worth doing if you want to try and see tigers in the wild where they belong. We didn't see any tigers for the first few game drives, but keep looking.....there is no guarantee but I saw a tiger cub 4 months old, an adult male asleep in the grass, a female adult in another park, then the last drive was the absolute best, 3 tigers cubs 15 to 18 months old about 10 metres from our jeep the most awe inspiring part of my trip and made it all worthwhile. But the trip as a whole is wonderful. Sightseeing tour in Delhi was great and so interesting. ...more ...less

I've seen lots of wildlife all over the world but the buzz you get seeing a Tiger is up there with the best. Traveling in what many see as the peak Tiger viewing period of April, I was lucky enough to come across 20 individuals, some fleeting, some ridiculously close. The supporting cast of other wildlife is also impressive. If you would like to see why, check out my video of the trip - https://youtu.be/1DJV8K421dA ...more ...less

A fantastic trip with a group of fantastic people. All our accommodation was just perfect, clean and spacious. Food was excellent throughout the tour. The wildlife was amazing. I think we were quite lucky as we saw tigers on 11 of the 15 game drives. Quite a few out in the open crossing or walking along the tracks. We even got to see a sloth bear walking along the track. The only animal we didn't get to see was a leopard but I suppose we shouldn't be greedy. The overnight sleeper train journey from Katni to Agra was a fun experience. Everything was clean. A bit noisy with people backwards and forwards but that's part of the experience. Then we had Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. A must for everyone. Both beautiful sites with lovely architecture. you can't go to India without seeing them. ...more ...less

This pass march trip in India with Exodus wa our second trip in 6 months in India to see the tigers. And it was magical, and both time our guides where doing every thing ine their control to give us a experience we will remind for ever

Tigers are illusive animals in the middle of what can be a very large area, but they have habits. These habits are known by the spotters, so given a bit of luck you may well see one or more if there are cubs. Patience and understanding is required when seeking out these majestic animals. It does not come easy but the rewards when one breaks cover or is found at a water hole is just simply fantastic. Along the way you will come across some of the most beautifully coloured birds. There are lots of other animals/ predators which roam the tree and Bamboo lined grounds, you might see a kill or a carcase. This is life in the National Parks of India. ...more ...less

Great trip for wildlife lovers which gives you the best opportunity to see a Tiger. Visiting 3 National Parks allows you to see a variety of landscapes, the full range of Indian bird and wildlife.