The Wildlife of Southern India

14 days from £3800 per person

Route: Bangalore – Mysore – Nagarhole – Bandipur National Park – Sultan’s Battery – Bangalore

Southern Karnataka and northern Kerala form part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest protected area in southern India. Within this reserve are Nagarhole and Bandipur national parks – arguably the region’s finest reserves which support a range of wildlife including wild elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear and hundreds of different bird species. This journey combines Nagarhole and Bandipur with the charming provincial city of Mysore before ending with a stay on a working coffee plantation where over 100 different species of bird have been recorded.

Day 1 Depart UK

Fly with British Airways to Bangalore. (N)

Day 2 Arrive Bangalore / Bangalore to Mysore

On arrival in Bangalore your driver will meet you and transfer you to Mysore for a three night stay. After settling in at the hotel, begin a special two hour heritage walk which starts at the town hall, visits Devaraja Market and ends at Jagan Mohan Palace. Your guide will share stories from Mysore's colourful past and you will be able to try ‘Mysore Pak’, the city's famous sweet. (N)
Accommodation in Mysore: Gitanjali Homestay
Upgrade option: Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel

Days 3 & 4 Mysore

Today and tomorrow explore Mysore and the surrounding region with your guide. Highlights include Chamundi Hill, with its Chamundeswari Temple and sizable Nandi Bull, and the opulent City Palace complex which was re-designed by British architect Henry Irwin in the 1890s to reflect an Indo-Saracenic style. The City Palace houses a wealth of precious exhibits, art work and wall paintings. On one of the days travel outside of the city. Visit Srirangapatnam where Tipu Sultan was killed in battle against an East India Company army including Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington as well as the beautiful temple complex at Somnathpur which is one of the finest in India. (B)
Accommodation in Mysore: Gitanjali Homestay
Upgrade option: Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel

Day 5 Mysore to Nagarhole – 90kms

This morning leave Mysore and drive to Nagarhole National Park. Considered southern India's finest reserve, Nagarhole is home to tiger, bison, elephant, leopard, flying squirrel and sloth bear as well as over 250 different species of bird and waterfowl. (B/D)
Accommodation in Nagarhole: KAAV Safari Lodge
Upgrade option: The Bison

Days 6 & 7 Nagarhole National Park

Over the next two days explore Nagarhole with early morning and evening game safaris in the company of an expert naturalist. Established in 1955, and originally part of the Maharaja’s private estate, Nagarhole is a beautiful reserve with a range of different habitats and environments. Largely consisting of lush deciduous forest, there are also bamboo groves and large areas of swampland that mostly line the Kabini River. (B/L/D)
Accommodation in Nagarhole: KAAV Safari Lodge
Upgrade option: The Bison

Day 8 Nagarhole to Bandipur – 100kms

After breakfast leave Nagarhole and drive south to Bandipur National Park. Adjoining Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve – the largest protected area in southern India. Bandipur has a range of habitats and consists of a mixture of deciduous woodland, subtropical forest and scrubland. (B/L/D)
Accommodation in Bandipur: Bandipur Safari Lodge

Day 9 Bandipur National Park

Today explore Bandipur with a local naturalist. Bandipur is one of the best places in Asia to see wild elephants and there are also good populations of gaur, chital, sambar and four-horned antelope. Both tiger and leopard are present in the reserve but sightings are rare. Bandipur also supports a good variety of birdlife, numerous butterfly species and a range of reptile life including cobra, python, monitor lizard, chameleon and mugger crocodile. (B/L/D)
Accommodation in Bandipur: Bandipur Safari Lodge

Day 10 Bandipur to Sultan’s Battery – 90kms

Leave Bandipur and drive to small hill town of Sultan's Battery. Stay for three nights at delightful Amaryllis – a charming homestay with stupendous views over the surrounding hills and plantations. Alternatively you may wish to upgrade and stay at Tranquil, a secluded plantation bungalow located on the Kuppamudi Coffee Estate. Set in the heart of the Western Ghats, Sultan’s Battery is a key commercial centre in a region which produces some of India's finest coffee, cardamom and vanilla. (B/L/D)
Accommodation in Sultan’s Battery: Amaryllis Homestay
Alternative accommodation: Tranquil Resort

Days 11 & 12 Sultan’s Battery

For the next two days you are at leisure to enjoy Amaryllis and the surrounding area. Amaryllis has a lovely swimming pool making it the perfect place to relax with a good book. For the more active, the birdwatching here is also excellent and, to date, over 120 different species have been recorded including hoopoe, drongo, hornbill, kingfisher and the magnificent crested serpent hawk. (B/L/D)
Accommodation in Sultan’s Battery: Amaryllis Homestay
Alternative accommodation: Tranquil Resort

Day 13 Sultan’s Battery to Bangalore – 300kms

Today leave Sultan’s Battery and return by road to Bangalore. Stay overnight close to the city’s international airport. (B)
Accommodation in Bangalore: Taj Bangalore (or similar)

Day 14 Bangalore to UK

Today transfer to Bangalore Airport to catch the British Airways flight to the UK. (B)

The Wildlife of Southern India

14 days from £3800 per person

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Itinerary: The Wildlife of Southern India

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