Tigress Roma at Tadoba National Park (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
The jeep whips into reverse as I scramble to secure my cameras on the seat beside me. Adrenaline surges through my veins as we quickly maneuver into the perfect position to watch Roma emerge from the treeline. After a brief detour off the road to mark a tree, she appears, walking straight toward us along the clay path. She comes closer with every step until we’re forced to give her space, backing up periodically as she continues her approach. For the next 30 minutes, she calmly strolls down the road–her territory–seemingly unbothered by the audience gathered to watch. More than happy to put on a show, Roma commands the attention of everyone lucky enough to witness the encounter.
Our trip in search of Royal Bengal tigers began in the capital of New Delhi. I should backtrack and say the journey started well before that. Obtaining a visa for India, one could say, was a journey in itself. Myriad amounts of information required, pages consistently timing out while applying; only the persistent and strong-minded persevere. But this visa process adequately equips you for the chaos you seem to drop into upon arrival in Delhi. For me, chaos is where I thrive, photographically speaking.
After a few hours of sightseeing in New Delhi, visiting landmarks like Humayun’s Tomb and Qutb Minar Complex, which is home to the 1,600-year-old Iron Pillar of Delhi, that has somehow resisted corrosion despite centuries of heat, rain, and extreme weather, my travel companion Rachel arrived. We enjoyed a late room service dinner, followed by sleeping in, a lovely breakfast, and loads of caffeine. Then we were ready to sport our all-white linen uniform–mine held up around my waist with a very thin string and a prayer– and dive into the Holi festivities at our hotel.
Humayun’s Tomb (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
For years I have seen vibrant images and videos of people covered in colors in India, and knew one day I wanted to see this in person. Holi is a Hindu spring festival that originated to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and to set aside societal norms and rankings (the caste system) during the celebration– a gathering where everyone was allowed to show up as they were and simply be together. In addition to celebrating good over evil, it also marks the end of winter. Holi is traditionally celebrated throughout India and Nepal on the last full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna (the twelfth and final month of the Hindu traditional lunar calendar).
Holi celebrations (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
Though Holi is celebrated throughout India, the throwing of colors and flower petals originated in Northern India. The popularity of the color throwing festivities has taken off, and is now celebrated throughout India and around the world, predominantly among South Asian communities.
When I envisioned the Holi festivities, I pictured myself in the throngs of people covered in colors. What I learned during my planning and chatting with our travel advisors in India, was that these festivities are deemed not safe for foreigners in some areas with very large crowds, especially women, as there are extremely high rates of groping and alcohol consumption is quite high during the festivities. Unfortunately for women, groping still occurs more than it should in India.
So, we celebrated at our hotel among other guests, happily using the natural powders that didn’t stain our bodies. I did request a driver to take us through town so I could see how the locals were celebrating. During my brief walk around the old town, my driver/bodyguard glued to my side, I smiled with the locals and allowed a few to color my face, no groping involved. Everything seemed quite calm at that point, but seeing the unease on the driver’s face, I jumped back into the car and he took us back to the hotel. Still, I have that yearning to be a part of a larger celebration in the future, taking proper safety precautions.
The next day, it was time to say goodbye to Delhi and fly to Raipur, where we would begin our tiger safaris. Our first park was Kanha National Park, where we stayed two nights at Bagh Villas, a lovely, tented boutique accommodation near the park. Bagh Villas, a 10-tent luxury jungle resort, led by husband-and-wife team Lia and Akhiliesh Nair, prides itself on its eco-sensitivity. They support the local community by sourcing produce from local farmers, hiring locally, maintaining their own on-site organic gardens, and running the jungle camp on solar power as a part of their sustainability efforts. The accommodation and outstanding service set our tiger quest off on a high note.
Inside tent at Bagh Villas. (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
Excited for our first safari, we eagerly jumped in the jeep after a 4:30 wake-up call. Though the days see temperatures in the 90’s, the mornings in early March are still very cool, making for a pleasant ride to the park, with a blanket and a heating pad for warmth.
Each morning and afternoon before your game drive, your guide has to check in with the gate and procure the paperwork with your zone assignment for that drive. While we sat and waited in the open-top jeep, we were suddenly bombarded by a group of five local gentlemen, all vying for photos of, and with us. We happily obliged as they were very kind and simply curious about the two of us traveling together to this area of India. After becoming the wildlife spectacle ourselves, we finally made our way into the park. Within five minutes, we had our very first fleeting sighting of a male tiger crossing into the woods.
We thought this was a fantastic omen to kick off our time in Kanha, but we soon learned that, after five safari drives, spotting these elusive striped creatures was a bit harder than we expected. Kanha Tiger Reserve became a reserve forest in 1879, a wildlife sanctuary in 1933, and finally a national park in 1955. It spans a total area of 1945 square kilometers (just under 751 square miles). Kanha is a very large park, and at the time of our visit, there were an estimated 115 tigers and 30 cubs, making frequent sightings difficult given the park’s size relative to the number of tigers.
The park itself is stunning, and we saw some of the best sunrises and sunsets of our trip there. In our five game drives at Kanha, we had two tiger sightings (one that I consider a real sighting). The first fleeting one, and the second when our jeep got stuck, and we lucked out getting to spend thirty minutes watching DJ-9 by the water. My photography portfolio from Kanha consists of many langur glamor shots, but that’s how safaris go. The animals decide if you get to see them.
Our next destination was Pench National Park, a much smaller park than Kanha Tiger Reserve at just 758 square kilometers (293 square miles). Pench is said to have been the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book.” After my first drive through the park and witnessing a leopard sleeping in a large banyan tree, I was immediately transported to my childhood, watching Mowgli climb trees, surrounded by his jungle friends.
Sleeping leopard at pench national park. (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
We stayed at Pench Tree Lodge, another eco-resort with 10 cottages and 6 tree lodges housed on 40 acres. I decided to skip a morning game drive to rest and kick a lingering headache, which turned out to be a mistake. Rachel saw both a leopard and a tiger underneath the banyan tree, keeping a watchful eye. What a sighting! In the four drives I went on at Pench, I saw one leopard and had two great tiger sightings. Our guide and driver, Radhe with Pugdundee Safaris, was phenomenal and extremely knowledgeable, making our time at Pench a wonderful experience.
Though our energy was beginning to wane, our spirits were restored by great sightings, and we loaded up and made the last four-hour drive to our final safari destination, Tadoba National Park, also known as Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. In 1986, Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was established and later merged with Tadoba National Park in 1995, becoming the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Spanning 1727 square kilometers (roughly 667 square miles), Tadoba is estimated to have 89 adult tigers in a recent tiger census, plus around 50 cubs and sub-adults. They do not count sub-adults and cubs in the official census, since they have not yet established their own territory.
Tadoba ended up being my favorite stop of the trip. Our accommodation at the Bamboo Forest Lodge was a welcome, luxurious respite. The rooms were very large, the air conditioning crisp, the food wonderful, and the spacious shower a sanctuary for removing stubborn red clay after our long game drives.
In addition to fantastic accommodations, we had our first female naturalist of the trip. Irene Jose obtained her Master’s degree from MA College, Kothamangalam, Kochi, Kerala, and had accumulated a wealth of knowledge in her two years as a naturalist. Her love for the jungle was contagious. We chatted and joked comfortably throughout our drives, and our time spent with her was the best way to conclude our trip. That, and our fantastic tiger sightings on four out of five drives.
Our last day brought a brief sighting of a mother (Junabai,T-82) and her four cubs as they traversed the buffer zone. After waiting out the sighting in the hopes of one last glimpse of the babies– while Junabai waded in the water around us– our permit time had concluded, and we raced back to the gate to avoid fines and penalties. After a quick tour of Maharashtra’s cleanest village, Satara, it was time to jump into the car and head to the airport for our evening flight back to New Delhi.
With fourteen game drives under my belt, I can proudly recognize the calls of langurs and sambar deer when they sound the tiger alarm. Listening for those calls and racing to track the movement is part of the thrill. Without cell phones in the parks or radios connecting drivers, sightings depend on your guide’s experience, instincts, and a healthy dose of luck.
Mom langur and her baby (Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
Like a safari in Africa, nothing is guaranteed, but that uncertainty is what makes every encounter special. And even when a tiger doesn’t appear, there is no shortage of wildlife to hold your attention. Giant gaur, rambunctious langurs, elusive leopards, sloth bears, as well as wild dogs, wild boar, and countless bird species await. Perhaps the greatest surprise, though, was how little I missed my phone. Relinquishing my cell phone for six to eight hours a day was a digital detox I came to welcome each day, allowing me to be more present on the drives and soak in the quiet of the Indian jungles.
Traveling to India for tiger safaris was a unique experience and well worth the journey. While some sightings can feel a bit hectic, the parks have made significant efforts to reduce overcrowding by banning cell phones and limiting the number of vehicles permitted in each zone. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing a tiger in its natural habitat, consider this your sign to start planning a trip to India. And, if you only have time to visit one park during your travels, I would highly recommend Tadoba.
Information before you go!
• The best time for sightings is February to April, when it starts to warm up, but it is not yet unbearable. The heat drives tigers to the watering holes, which makes them easier to spot. If you love heat, then May to June is also a great time for sightings.
• Stay hydrated and bring plenty of electrolyte packets. I’d also recommend a small, portable fan or a cooling gel you can put in the fridge each evening and wear around your neck during afternoon drives. I resorted to dumping water on a towel and keeping that around my neck to stay cool.
• Hats, sunglasses, insect repellent, and sunscreen are a must.
• You will get dusty after every drive due to the dry climate before the monsoon season and open safari vehicles.
• No cell phone use permitted in the parks; you will need to bring a camera to document your sightings.
• Your travel advisor or lodge will coordinate your safari permits. You can choose your zones, or leave it up to the lodge based on your preferences. You can choose from morning, afternoon, or full-day drives (though I would not recommend a full-day in the heat).
• The game drives are much longer than in Africa, usually around four hours, twice a day. We started only doing three hours in the evenings (the hottest part of the day), which worked out nicely for us. Remember, these are your drives, and you can control how long you stay out. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you’ve had enough.
• The lodges around the parks are all-inclusive, meaning room and meals are covered during your stay. Extras like soft drinks, alcohol, massages, etc., are not included.
• As mentioned previously, the visa application website is stressful. Start the e-visa process at least two months before your arrival in case of issues. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/
• In addition to the visa, you also need to fill out an arrival card prior to landing to speed up your immigration process. Screenshot or print out the confirmation. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/
• Use a travel agent to coordinate your travels to India. We used Travel Inn India, which specializes in curating B2B trips for photographers. As an experienced traveler, I would not travel to India without having everything pre-arranged with local guides and drivers. For your personal trip, inquire with https://www.pugdundeesafaris.com or India Someday.
• Only buy bottled water from trusted vendors, and ensure the caps are sealed and the label intact. Some street vendors in larger cities refill bottles with tap water to resell them, which may not bode well for your stomach. All of the lodges provide filtered water during your stay.
• The national parks close to visitors for three months each year during the monsoon season (usually July through September).
(Photo by Erin Henderson/www.erinhendersonmedia.com)
About the Author
For the past 16 years, Erin Henderson has documented stories through her lens, capturing the people, places, and experiences that shape travel, food, conservation, and military communities worldwide. In recent years, she has expanded her storytelling into travel writing. After two years in Korea, she is now based in Stuttgart, Germany. Explore more of her photography and travel stories at erinhendersonmedia.com or follow her on Instagram @erinhendrsn.