Escorted Tours 2024 - 2025

Day 1: UK to Nagpur Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Nagpur. Day 2: Nagpur to Pench National Park L/D On arrival in Nagpur, you will be met by your local guide and transferred north to Pench National Park. During a pleasant drive, of around two hours, look out for a variety of Indian birds en route, including Black Kites, Laughing and Spotted Doves, Rose- ringed Parakeets, Little Swifts, Little Green Bee- eaters and Black Drongos, you may also see cheeky Rhesus Macaque monkeys along the road. Arriving at the jungle camp late morning, you’ll have some time to relax after the long flight and to enjoy lunch, before departing mid-afternoon for your first safari and opportunity for a tiger encounter! If you’d prefer some more time to recuperate after your flight, you can skip any safari and relax in the stunning surroundings of your jungle camp. Pench National Park is a rugged landscape of almost 2000 square kilometres, marked by the Pench River and cloaked in deciduous forest. Gaur, Wild Boar, Common Langur, Sambar and Spotted and Barking Deer are all common here. Dhole, Sloth Bears and Leopards are also present, though less rarely seen, as they avoid tigers. Return to the camp for dinner. Day 3: Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve B/L/D Wake early for a sunrise safari into the park and another opportunity to discover the wildlife and tigers that call the area home. Return for an early lunch and time to relax until mid-afternoon, possibly to explore the grounds with their resident birds and mammals, or maybe even for a siesta. Rejoin the group for your final afternoon safari in Pench. Day 4-7: Kanha National Park B/L/D Join an early morning safari before departing Pench National Park for a drive across the scenic Vindhya Hills to Kanha National Park. The Kanha Tiger Reserve is one the largest in India, covering almost a thousand square kilometres of varied habitat on a plateau in the Maikal Range and made up of hills, undulating grasslands, and clumps of bamboo and Sal forest. The hills are coated in deciduous forest, and small pools and lakes provide year-round watering holes for the animals. The reserve is most famous for Swamp Deer which have been driven almost to extinction and may exist nowhere else. The wide meadows and grasslands make this an ideal location for Tiger viewing, and it is also home to Sambar, Muntjac, Spotted Deer, Rhesus Monkeys, Common Langurs, Gaur, Wild Boar and Asiatic Jackals. Dhole, Sloth Bears, Leopards and Chousingha and Buckland Antelopes are also present, though they are harder to see. Each day will contain an early morning and afternoon game drive to view the wildlife and if you wish to opt out of any drives then you can relax in the jungle camp. Day 8: Kanha National Park to Nagpur B/L/D Enjoy an early morning bird watching stroll around the lodge, or have a lie-in and relaxing morning, before leaving Kanha late morning for the drive to Nagpur. Check into your hotel for your last night before an early morning flight. Day 9: Nagpur to the UK B Transfer to Nagpur Airport for your return flight to the UK, or continue on to your chosen extension. Bengal Tiger India’s Tigers and Wildlife What you’ll see ⚫ Explore the vast forests and meadows of Kanha National Park ⚫ Witness an incredible variety of birdlife ⚫ See Wild Boar, Common Langurs, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkeys, rarer Dhole and Asiatic Jackals ⚫ Seek out wildlife in Pench National Park An in-depth tour into Madhya Pradesh, the undisputed heartland of Tigers in India spending extended time at two of the finest reserves in the country, exploring a wide range of habitats and seeking India’s most iconic animals and colourful birdlife. What’s included ✔ Return flights Heathrow to India with Virgin Atlantic. See p132-133 for regional flights ✔ Where you’ll stay 4 H Pench Jungle Camp, Turia Gate 4 H Kanha Jungle Camp, Mukki Gate Nagpur, 5 H Radisson Blu Hotel Nagpur ✔ 21 meals ✔ 12 excursions ✔ Expert local tour guide Tour pace: Intermediate Pench National Park Nagpur < Kanha National Park <  2 1 4   Coach Air Nights 2 Join up to eleven safaris Taj Mahal Extend your tour India’s Golden Triangle, 6 nights from £549 Delhi and the Taj Mahal, 3 nights from £449 Departures & from prices Mar 24 £2,499 Feb 25 £2,699 Apr 24 £2,299 Mar 25 £2,499 May 24 £2,099 Apr 25 £2,299 Jun 24 £2,299 May 25 £2,099 Sep 24 £2,599 Jun 25 £2,399 Oct 24 £2,699 Sep 25 £2,699 Nov 24 £2,799 Oct 25 £2,899 Dec 24 £2,799 Nov 25 £2,899 Jan 25 £2,799 • Lead-in price based on 12 May 24 & 11 May 25 • A single supplement starts from just £489 • Tipping paid locally £45 pp per tour Save £100 on selected departures with code TOUR100 18 Southern Asia Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk