Treasures, Tigers, and the Taj Mahal, India

The Trip

The origin of great religions and one of the oldest civilizations in the world, India emits a ceaseless, nearly overwhelming energy. There are 4,000 years of history here. This is where the Buddha wrestled with the meaning of suffering and the way to enlightenment; where for eons Hindus have sought unity with God through reincarnation; and where the Moghul Muslims constructed the perfect edifice, the Taj Mahal. This ever-changing, yet timeless, place challenges all of your senses, greeting you with ornately carved temples; fakirs on beds of nails; sacred cows; gleaming marble palaces from bygone eras; snake charmers; and the hustle-bustle of streets teeming with rickshaws and bicycles. India is a country of striking contrasts, and the diversity of its natural history easily matches the grandeur of its civilization. For many years Africa has been regarded as the ultimate continent for wildlife viewing; the world is beginning to realize, however, that India's range of wildlife rivals that of the famous African game parks.

Forests and fauna -- with a wide variety of trees, plants, and animals -- are found throughout the entire subcontinent in various reserves, natural parks, and areas fortunate enough to have escaped the crush of overpopulation. Here, we will look for Bengal tigers, leopards, and other smaller cats, many primates and antelopes, and a variety of deer and bovine species. Also, with close to 1,200 recorded species of birds, India alone holds roughly 12 percent of the world's avifauna population. Finally, there are more than 400 reptile species in India and numerous fascinating invertebrates.

During our whirlwind swing through this ancient land we'll focus primarily on India's magnificent wildlife. We will also explore the country's history, beliefs, customs, and architectural treasures, such as the Taj Mahal, along the way.

Our journey focuses on central India, where we will experience some of the best cultural and natural history sites in the states of Uttar Pradesh (Agra), Rajasthan (Ranthambore) and Kanha, the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh in the heart of India. We'll start in Delhi, exploring both the old and new city with its rich history and ancient monuments. From Delhi we fly to Raipur and then drive to Kanha. Kanha is amongst the most famous wildlife sanctuaries of India. This park is situated in the Mandla district of Central India in Madhya Pradesh. The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, leopard, bison, sloth bear, and many others. Kanha National Park is the place that has been portrayed by Rudyard Kipling in his great novel The Jungle Book.

After three days in Kanha we drive back to Raipur and fly to New Delhi. The next morning our journey continues with a flight to Jaipur. In the afternoon we visit the City Palace with its traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The Observatory was built by Jai Singh in 1728. After breakfast the next morning we will visit the Amber Fort, built in the 17th century. After lunch we drive to Ranthambhore National Park, famous for its tigers and the World Heritage site of Ranthambore Fort, founded around A.D. 880. After three days at Ranthambore we'll drive to Bharatpur and the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, developed by the Maharajas of Bharatpur in the late 19th century as their private hunting sanctuary. After breakfast we go on a short village walk and then drive to Agra. In the afternoon we visit Fort Agra and marvel at one of the wonders of the world -- the Taj Mahal. Words hardly do justice to the Taj, which seldom fails to move those who see it. The following morning we view the Taj Mahal at sunrise and visit a marble inlay workshop. 

Then we drive back to Delhi and prepare for our journey home.

This trip is suitable for adults who enjoy nature, adventure, and cultural exploration. The sites on our itinerary are nowhere near border areas and provinces in which unrest (very occasionally) occurs. We will travel by bus, commercial airlines, and SUVs. We'll stay in first-class hotels and comfortable jungle lodges.

We plan to see as much as possible of India's incredible wildlife -- much of which is endangered -- and immerse ourselves in the country's rich cultural history. We will also explore Indian conservation, political, and religious issues, and discuss the ways in which they contribute to overpopulation. Finally, we will have an excellent opportunity to observe tigers in their natural state and to understand the Indian subcontinent's complex ecosystem.

Day 1: All participants should arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport today and transfer to our hotel in New Delhi. We will get acquainted over a welcome dinner and orientation. Dinner will be the first meal provided.

Day 2: Delhi, the national capital of India, is a veritable museum of Indo-Islamic and British-influenced architecture. We will tour the old city in the morning and after lunch visit New Delhi with its formal parks, magnificent parliament building, and presidential palace. Overnight in Delhi.

Day 3: Today we fly to Raipur, then drive to Kanha and check into our hotel. Kanha's wildlife attractions include tiger, leopard, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barasingha, barking deer, black deer, and blackbuck, among others.

Day 4: We will have morning and afternoon jeep game rides in Kanha National Park.

Day 5: Our best opportunity to see much wildlife will be in the early morning. In the afternoon we will continue with our jeep game rides again.

Day 6: Today we will have a game drive in the morning and a village walk in the afternoon.

Day 7: After breakfast we drive back to Raipur and then fly back to Delhi.

Day 8: Today we fly to Jaipur. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the City Palace and Observatory. The City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh, additions have been made to the palace complex by many of his successors. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, and the City Palace Museum with intricate decorations in deep red and gold, Afghan and Persian carpets, miniature paintings, and astronomical manuscripts in Persian and Sanskrit.

The Observatory or Jantar Mantar was begun by Jai Singh in 1728. Jai Singh's passion for astronomy was even more notable than his prowess as a warrior, and before commencing construction he sent scholars abroad to study foreign observatories. The Jaipur observatory is the largest and best preserved of the five he built, and was restored in 1901. Jantar Mantar may appear to be just a curious collection of sculptures but, in fact, each construction has a specific purpose, such as measuring the position of stars’ altitudes and azimuths, or calculating eclipses.

Day 9: This morning we visit the Amber Fort, an old Palace overlooking the lake at the entrance to a rocky mountain grove. Built in the 17th century, the palace is a distinguished specimen of Rajput architecture. The Jai Mandir (Hall of Victory) is so delicately ornamented with fine inlay work that it glows. The fort of Jaigarh, crowning the summit of a peak is of amazing beauty and grandeur. After lunch we drive to Ranthambhore (approximately a 3.5-hour drive). Here we will spend the next three days on game rides with time allowed for a hike up to the exotic, mysterious Ranthambore Fort, thought to have been built around 880 to 935 AD. In the fort's history, the Raja Sajraj Veer Singh Nagil commanded an army of 20,000 warriors from the fort to protect the kingdom from the powerful Rajput kings of Rajasthan. On our safaris through Ranthambore, we will be surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges, located near the outer fringes of the Thar Desert, and we will travel through the best of the desert land as well as the plains area near the hills. Along the way, we will look for tigers, jackal, mongoose, sloth bear, and the elusive leopard, along with a myriad of birds that inhabit this area. Overnight accommodations will be in Ranthambore.

Days 10-11: Morning and afternoon game ride by canter/jeep.

Day 12: After breakfast we drive to Bharatpur (approximately a 4.5-hour drive), where we will enjoy afternoon birding by rickshaw at the Keoladeo National Park Bird Sanctuary, where a string of lakes attracts great numbers of waterfowl. It is also an excellent place to watch mammals such as the golden jackal, striped hyena, fishing cat, sambar, blackbuck, and wild boar. Overnight will be in Bharatpur.

Day 13: After breakfast we go on a short village walk and then drive to Agra (approximately 2 hours), site of the Taj Mahal. In the afternoon we will visit the Agra Fort, which, like the Taj, is also an UNESCO World Heritage site. Reportedly, the Shah spent his last years thinking of his deceased wife while gazing out at the Taj from the Fort, where one of his sons had imprisoned him. We will also visit the Mehtab Bagh, a 25-acre garden constructed from A.D. 1631-1635. Known as the “Moonlight Garden,” it is laid across the western side of the river Yamuna and aligned with the Taj Mahal. It is considered the ideal location for viewing the perfect beauty of the Taj under the moonlight. Overnight Agra.

Day 14: We’ll arise early for an unforgettable sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal, where the sun turns the white marble of the mausoleum a beautiful rose color. One of the wonders of the world, this remarkable guilding was commissioned by Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a permanent resting place for his favorite wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Though it took a workforce of some 20,000 men from all over Asia 21 years to build the Taj, the effort appears to have been worth it. Tagore, the Bengali classical poet and literary giant, described the Shah's project as a "dream in marble" and "a tear on the face of eternity." And while its architectural layout has a distinct Islamic theme -- representing paradise -- the Taj is really more of a monument to undying romantic love. After breakfast we will visit a marble inlay workshop and then drive back to Delhi with a packed lunch. We prepare for our late night/early morning departure.

Day 15: Early morning transfer to the international airport for home-bound flights.

Getting There

The cost of air transportation between the United States and India is not included in the trip fee. All travel within India is included. You are responsible for making your own international flight arrangements. You will need to buy an Indian visa -- available through India's embassy, or consulates in the U.S. or online -- prior to leaving home. Once you have registered for this trip, the leader will provide extensive instructions for obtaining a visa. Be sure your passport has several empty pages.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our hotels in New Delhi will be of four-star quality; the eco-lodges will be comfortable but not luxurious, allowing us access to natural areas we could not otherwise explore. All of our accommodations have running hot water and showers. Vegetarian options will be available throughout the trip.

Trip Difficulty

Potential trip members should be aware of the demands of adventure travel. You do not have to be in excellent condition to make this trip, but there will be bumpy jeep rides over rough terrain, as well as some long stretches of bus travel. Please read the daily itinerary carefully. Our opportunities for walking will be restricted when we are in tiger habitat. (Remember -- the tiger is at the top of the food chain in his territory!) Otherwise, we will be on foot for a fair amount of time each day. Emotional balance, flexibility, maturity, and a spirit of adventure are essential to making this an enjoyable experience. There might be some itinerary variations depending upon local schedules; however, these are not expected to occur.

We will visit India when the weather is optimal -- after the monsoons and before the summer heat returns with a vengeance. The weather should mostly be in the 70s and 80s by day, but could drop into the low 40s at night when we are in our forest lodges, and will be chilly for early morning game rides. Occasional rain is possible, but heavy and prolonged rains are rare outside of the monsoon season (June-August).

No inoculations are legally required for entry into India. A vaccination against Hepatitis A, however, is recommended, and a vaccination against meningitis should be considered. Typhoid fever outbreaks are rare outside of the monsoon season, so vaccination against typhoid probably isn't necessary -- it's up to you. Make sure you have had a tetanus booster within the last 10 years, and that you have had the usual "childhood" vaccinations, such as polio.

Malaria is not highly prevalent outside of the monsoon season. Nonetheless, it is a serious health risk, and you should consider taking prophylactic medication. Consult your physician. The leader will send complete health recommendations to registered participants well in advance of departure (or upon request by prospective participants).

We will eat and stay in places where good hygiene is the norm and not the exception. 

Equipment and Clothing

The leader will provide a detailed equipment list.

References

Books:

• Collins, Larry and Dominique Lapierre, Freedom at Midnight.
• Keay, John, India: A History. 
• Dalrymple, William, The Last Mughal. 
• Adiga, Aravind, The White Tiger. Winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize.
• Rushdie, Salman, Midnight Children. 
• Roy, Arundhati, The God of Small Things. 

Movie:

• Gandhi

Conservation

The last century hasn't been good for India's natural heritage. The sheer size of the country's ever-expanding population -- currently a staggering one billion people -- has led to increasingly destructive environmental practices. Fire, the ox, the plow, and now the bulldozer and chainsaw have transformed vast areas of pristine forest into agricultural plots, or, worse yet, wasteland. Indeed, India has lost almost 90 percent of its forest since 1900. According to current estimates, there are only about 2,500 critically endangered Bengal tigers left in the wild. A century ago, India had more than 40,000 of them. The cheetah has already become extinct in India, and the Asiatic lion may be next -- there are just 250 left, all confined to the Gir National Park in the state of Gujarat.

It is a sad irony that so many species are disappearing or endangered in the land that fostered three of the world's most compassionate religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. However, not all the news is bleak. Since the early 1970s, strong government legislation and programs such as Project Tiger have resulted in increased wildlife protection and critical habitat preservation.

Compared to Africa or even South America, India's wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have received remarkably little international attention -- mainly due to the extreme remoteness of many of the areas and their lack of suitable facilities. The Indian government has only recently increased its efforts to open these areas to eco-tourism, in the process revealing the country's incredible richness and biodiversity. Clearly, more eco-tourism is needed to reinforce government support for habitat preservation and the protection of endangered wildlife.

On this outing, we will see firsthand how overpopulation and poverty affect not just humans but the entire natural world. Perhaps nowhere else on the planet are man's impacts on the natural world so readily visible -- from scant protections for water and air to deforestation, poaching, and overhunting. In India, as in most of the world, conservation can only work if culture, socioeconomic realities, and the human psyche are taken into account. There is much fertile ground for discussion when one immerses oneself in the frothy, aromatic cauldron of one of the most complex countries in the world -- India!

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.