By: Anu Marwah
Experiencing India for the first time can be a profound cultural shock for Western tourists. The sensory overload begins with the bustling streets teeming with people, vehicles, colours and more. India is a land of diverse landscape, cultures, vibrant traditions, and unparalleled biodiversity. The ladies for the Women in Wildlife photography India tour 2024, arrived in the bustling capital city of Delhi and were greeted by ancient monuments that stand tall amidst modern skyscrapers. As the journey progressed, we moved on to explore tranquil villages and verdant forests where time seems to stand still. For many it was the first time they indulged in the aromatic spices of Indian cuisine and experienced the warmth of hospitality that defines the country, as they embarked on a wildlife safari into the jungles of Kaziranga and Bandhavgarh National Parks.
On the first day in Delhi the group went around the city and explored some historical monument and visited a crafts bazar, showcasing India’s rich cultural diversity and craftsmanship in a single, bustling location. The open-air market features a colourful array of handcrafted goods, traditional textiles, and unique artifacts from different states across India, and the group enjoyed their shopping spree.
The second day onwards the wildlife part of the tour, started off with the group travelling to Kaziranga Nation Park, which is a UNESCO world Heritage Site renowned for its rich biodiversity and scenery, offering an unparalleled canvas for capturing the raw beauty of the natural world. The group was lucky to sight the One Horned Rhinos, from the road as we drove up to our resort. The most iconic feature of Kaziranga is its impressive population of one-horned rhinos. These magnificent creatures are a rare sight elsewhere in the world.
Kaziranga is also known for is avian diversity and we were treated to some fantastic opportunities for photographing several species of birds. The Great Indian Hornbill and the owls were the groups favourite. There were several interesting animal encounters too, with elephants and Rhinos during safari and we did get a far away glimpse of a Bengal Tiger.
While in Kaziranga some of the ladies even acquired a tase for the Indian Masala Chai (Tea) and shopped for some fresh tea leaves, produced locally from one of the many tea estates in the area.
Kaziranga was chosen as one of the destinations on this tour to give the group an opportunity to witness and experience the rich biodiversity before we proceeded to Bandhavgarh where our sole focus was on Tigers.
Bandhavgarh National Park, situated in the heart of India. Bandhavgarh boasts one of the highest densities of tigers in India, making it an ideal location to photograph these majestic and elusive predators in their natural habitat. The group got to experience how tigers are tracked, looking at pugmarks and listening to alarm calls. For everyone in the group, it was their first time seeing a tiger in the wild and they got to experience the thrill of capturing a tiger’s powerful stride and its intense gaze, as it walked head-on towards the jeep, hunting behaviour, and so much more, against the backdrop of the park’s diverse terrain.
The safaris began at the break of dawn, experience steeped in tranquillity and anticipation as the open top jeep rumble through the forest, while our experience naturalist leads the way with a practiced eye and keen ears, tracking subtle signs of tiger activity. At times we followed tiger tracks with great anticipation, sometimes the jungle echoed with the alarm calls of the deer, sensing a predator close by. We would assemble at the designated breakfast spot, with all the other jeeps, where the drivers and guides discussed tiger movements and sighting. On one of the mornings while having breakfast the news came about a huge male tiger cooling off at a near by water hole, and we quickly packed away our half-eaten breakfast and rushed to the spot. We were greeted by a magnificent male tiger, lazing around, who later got up and walked up right in front of our jeep.
The morning and afternoon safaris were filled with excitement and several up-close sightings of adult tigers and even sub adult cubs. The group was lucky to witness a cub practicing its hunting skills as it chased a group of sambar deer, the deer ran helter-skelter, water splashing everywhere with loud alarm calls. Another time the group saw a male tiger chase and catch a deer only to abandon its kill as it was chased by female tiger. The safaris were filled with chance encounters, tracking tigers and even long hours of waiting for a tiger to emerge from the bushes.
The time spent by the group in Bandhavgarh was filled with excitement, with ample photo opportunities. The experience of seeing a majestic big cat as the tiger is something that will always be cherished by the group.
The 2025 Women in Wildlife Photography has the same excitement and thrill in store for its participants as we explore a new national park Panna along with Bandhavgarh.
2025 India Tigers and Temples Tour