Wednesday 22nd After leaving Pench at 1.00pm we travelled for 4.5 hours stopping en route at a service station for the facilities, passing through several towns and villages eventually climbing up into the highlands and on to Kanha arriving at the luxury Chitvan Lodge before dark.
We were greeted with hot towels and a welcoming fruit juice, very quickly we were issued with keys and taken with our luggage to our bungalows.
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| My Chitvan Bungalow |
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| The bedroom |
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| Chitvan bathroom |
Dinner was buffet style again with a soup starter, at least 5 main spicey dishes plus rice and salads followed by a dessert and fruit. All were of a high standard, and the kitchen was on show looking spotless.
Thursday 23rd February.
An early start again leaving the lodge at 5.45 so we could be in the queue to get into the Kanha National Park at the Mukki Gate as soon as the gates opened - we had to wait for around 30 minutes till 6.30 when the gates opened but the time was filled watching the birds as it was getting light or buying souvenirs. This park was different to Pench as there were open areas of grassland between the forests. Also here the vehicles could go around together whereas in Pench each had its designated route and no contact between jeeps was allowed
A 4.5 hour safari around found more birds and similar mammals to Pench with the exception of the Barasingha (Swamp Deer) but the highlight was seeing my second Tiger.
Our driver got news of a Tiger in the area and went a place where it was anticipated that it would cross the track, it wasn't long before he said Tiger Tiger get your cameras ready and shore enough out of the trees came an adult female known as T27 (named Dhawajhandi)
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| Tiger T27 |
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| Tiger T27 |
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| Tiger T27 |
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| Tiger T27 |
Video taken by Judy and many thanks for sharing
Back for lunch by mid day and then again in the afternoon we set off for another safari this was to be repeated the next 2 days. The afternoon safari saw similar birds but despite trying the same area there were no more Tiger sightings.
Friday 24th. The plan today was to head over the hills and onto the plains in the northern part of the reserve, this meant an hour and a half driving before stopping at the open plains. Rachit was our Nature Trek guide this morning and all our four jeeps were together, picking up a few birds on the way a couple of Tiger trackers on elephants were seen and Rachit caught a glimpse of a Tiger's head in the long grass. Despite moving around the area and waiting patiently it was thought as the heat was rising the Tiger had gone to ground in the shade. A bonus sighting was the rare Blackbuck. So no Tiger this morning (apparently there were no other Tiger sightings this morning) but we did see pug marks plus those of a Leopard and Sloth Bear footprints.
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| Plains of Kanha |
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| Waiting for Tiger with Gary Linda Judy Karen and Pradeep |
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| Barasingha (Swamp Deer) |
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| Barasingha |
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| Blackbuck (young male) |
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| Blackbuck (female) |
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| Black-shouldered Kite |
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| Common Kingfisher |
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| Common Kingfishers |
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| Crested Treeswift |
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| Green Bee-eater |
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| Jerdon's Leafbird |
Back at Chitvan before lunch I took a wander around the gardens a few Jungle Babblers and Common Mynas were flitting about, a Purple Sunbird was calling and I eventually got a sighting, plus a Purple-rumped Sunbird and a Chestnut-shouldered Petronia
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| Tiger MV3 |
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| Tiger MV3 |
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| Tiger MV3 |
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| Tiger MV3 |
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| Tiger MV3 |
So another brilliant day in Kanha and back to our Lodge for dinner.
Saturday 25th. The same routine an early start and a drive around, there was news that a couple of cubs were on the move, but firstly we did a bit of bird watching - this time we had Pradeep in our jeep.
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| Tiger Twins |
With time running out and we had to be out of the park the jeeps slowly went past the Tiger, pausing for that last photo
Back at the lodge for lunch we were all elated and thought what a climax to our trip. We still had one more safari to come.
Back in the park this afternoon and we were taken back to the area where the cubs had been seen earlier hoping to get another sighting or even their mother who may have been looking where they have got to. A lot of driving around and the drivers talking to other drivers we went to different places and waited and waited until news of a Tiger moving came through and went to a known crossing and within seconds of arriving MV3 the mother of the cubs came from the undergrowth and crossed the track. She was so close and quick I couldnt get her in the camera frame only the head.
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| Tiger MV3 |
Next we had news of another Tiger sighting not far away, with all the jeeps tearing around the tracks became dust.
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| Kanha Dust |
Unfortunately by the time we got there she was heading into the undergrowth and no chance of a photo but it was T31 the mother of a single cub, thankfully Judy who was already in position managed a video and photos for me.
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| Tiger T31 |
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| Tiger T31 |
We didn't expect the trip to end on such a high, another extra glass of wine with dinner was had.
Sunday 26th, A lie in this morning but we all meet up at 7.00 for a bird walk around the gardens, plenty of Red-vented Bulbuls and Jungle Babblers and a couple of new birds were seen.
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| Indian Golden Oriole |
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| Oriental Magpie Robin |
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| Oriental Magpie Robin |
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| Oriental White-eye |
Breakfast was taken and we had a couple of hours to pack. 11am we set for Nagpur the start of our journey home through the forests and towns. A couple of stops were made, and to use the conveniences at a service station. Traffic was quite light being mainly of lorries and motorbikes in the towns
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| Typical Indian lorry |
Finally reaching Nagpur at around 6.00 pm we checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel again which seemed to take forever and again waiting for our luggage to be delivered to our rooms. I managed a shower and then it was time for dinner at 7.30 which was exceptionally good with an enormous choice on buffet and all what I had tasted good. Bar service was slow however and a nightmare in getting them to do individual bills. Finally back in the room for a couple of hours sleep before departing for the airport at midnight arriving there 15 minutes later. We then had a 3.5 hour wait before the flight departed to Doha. The flight left on time and then a 1.75 hour connection in Doha we eventually arrived back at Heathrow just after midday UK time on Monday 27th.
A brilliant trip, the weather was hot in the daytime around 35 deg.C. early morning safaris were cold with temperatures starting between 12 and 14 deg.C. Clear blue skies for the whole of the trip. Excellent food although I got a bit tired of curry every time. My only criticism is having a lack of sleep on the journey there and on the way back - I feel this could have been better organised. Also a for me the only birder in my jeep I would have liked a bit more input on the birds there another jeep in our party saw far more than I did.
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| The end |
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