India Safari and Trekking Review
Ian & Jane Walker from the UK went on their India safari from the 13th October 2007 for 21 days visiting Sikkim, Darjeeling, Agra, Kanha (5 days) and Udaipur. Here is their feedback:
We travelled with India Footprints (make an enquiry) - this is the third trip they have been involved in organising. We got their details from the internet.
The itinerary was tailor-made and everything worked in terms of accommodation, travel and in many cases exceeded our expectations.
We had the same guide throughout Sikkim and Darjeeling and he was one of the best guides I have come across. He was excellent.
Kalimpong: Silver Oaks
Excellent location, superb views over Kalimpong and excellent food.
Gangtok: Chumbi Residency
Very good, with superb restaurant and excellent staff.
Yuksom: Tashi Gang, Lachung: Modern Residency, and Yangtey: Tashi Gang
All remote locations in Sikkim and excellent.
Darjeeling: Cedar Inn
Superb location and excellent restaurant.
Kanha: Krishna Lodge
First class, excellent food from varied menu, very good guiding.
Overall the food was Indian with local specialities in Sikkim, mainly buffet style. Krishna Lodge was excellent for consistent quality.
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We had 5 separate sightings of tigers during our time there.
Other animals we saw include wild dogs, jackal, guar, Barasingha deer, chittal (spotted deer), and limited other sightings in Kanha as grass was still high. In earlier visits we have seen wolves, sloth bear, leopard and a wide range of antelope, plus excellent birding.
A typical day while on the tiger safari would be a 6.00am departure by vehicle and then we toured park with local guides whose knowledge enabled us to find best spots for sightings of not only tiger but also other wildlife.
There were 11 of us on the safari, and for game viewing we used 3 open Jeeps, and all the party had tiger viewings on elephant.
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Trekking for 4 days: to Dzongri top at 4300 metres, with superb views of the Kanchenjunga mountain range. Guiding on the trek was excellent as was food. Accommodation was tents.
The weather was very good in Sikkim, particularly for the trek. Darjeeling cloud was low, but we enjoyed the various excursions.
- Allow at least 3 full days in the Park
- Do your research of Parks to see which promise best opportunities and go when tiger spottings are most likely... in the case of Kanha Jan/Feb/March
- Soft bag rather than a hard case
- For National park visits bring a warm sweater for those early morning starts
Tiger Safari Rating:
9 out of 10. One point is lost for Agra - Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri are musts, but touts and hawkers need to be better policed. In Fatehpur Sikri spoiled visit to Mosque; it was our second visit and the situation is worse.
Overall, we have no regrets and language was never a problem.
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