We had a truly wonderful trip. The national parks were lovely with beautiful views. We were really lucky and had some wonderful tiger sightings as well as sloth bears & leopards & wild elephants. A large array of birds from different species of Eagles, Kingfishers, Owls and many more. We didn't see tigers on every safari & sometimes would have different sightings to our other travel companions. In the last park we didn't see a tiger until our last safari then we had 3 amazing close displays from them. The accomodation at the last lodge was by far the nicest. The drivers & guides on the safaris could really vary in English ability & knowledge. Obviously it was alot better when you had a good guide. The overnight train was interesting & we enjoyed it. The facilities were better than expected with western toilets. We took a dinner pack up from our hotel & bought drinks & snacks before getting on. Although there was some long travel days they didn't feel ling. There was plenty of stops and things to see. Travel between was in comfortable Aircon suvs. If you want to see some amazing wildlife but also want abit of culture this trip is for you.
Finding the ghost of the mountains This is my second time to Ladakh for snow leopard spotting and both times have been incredible. The landscape, people and wildlife are incredible and matched by the dedication of Valerie and her team to ensure you enjoy your time here and have the best wildlife spotting opportunities. It can get cold and you should pay careful attention to the trip notes, bring plenty of layers and be prepared to trek and work for your sightings, but those sightings are the stuff of magic. The homestay and festival visit are a great extra to the wildlife too, giving you an insight into local life and culture. Lastly the food provided by the local team is excellent and plentiful, with Johnny the chef's culinary delights being worth the trip evenif you didn't have the wildlife.
If I had boxes this trip would tick all of them Exceptionally well organised trip with a good standard of accomodation throughout. The focus on maximising the chance of seeing tigers in three different parks meant there was a good balance between spending time wildlife viewing, seeing a variety of habitats and having a cultural experience of India. There was a much higher density/abundance of other wildlife than I had expected which was also a real pleasure to see.
