itinerary for my wildlife tour Dec 2009

santos_g15

Hi ,
After a bit of research i have picked a few national parks in india for my wildlife tour in december 2009.They are namely
1.Ranathambore
2)kanha
3)kaziranga
4)Manas.

Ranathambore :
Because i sheerly beleive this is the best managed park in india offering internet booking of jeeps.It also offers lot of wildlife . .oh did i say TIGER.

kanha:
Will do it for the barasinga .hard ground swamp deer.name is more of oxymoron isnt it.This species is unique to kanha.

kaziranga:
for the rhino and the elephant safari.

Manas:
For the bodo people. .i have been reading a lot about conservation efforts in Manas.let me see it.then Red panda and golden langur deserves a mention i guess.both are unique to this park.

my itenary looks like this :

11 dec chennai -sawai madhopur train - 17:10
12 dec train
13 dec train.detrain at sawai madhopur by 4:00 am
13 dec jeep safari
14 dec jeep safari
15 dec jeep safari
16 dec sawaimadhopur-jabalpur-kanha
17 dec jeep safari
18 dec jeep safari
19 dec jeep safari
19 dec night board train at jabalpur -guwahati
20 dec train
21 train reach guwahati.take bus to kaziranga.
22 elephant jeep safari
23 elephant jeep safari
24 elephant jeep safari
25 kaziranga-guwahati-manas
26 manas
27 manas
28 guwahati -fly-chennai
29 chennai

1) How is the itenary.do you any reason for inclusions/deletions from the list?
2)Since i am travelling alone ,except ranathambore,i am facing problem of taking the entire jeep if i dont get to share taxi.how easy is it to share jeep at these places.i intend to do atleast 3 safaries and if it all goes well 6 safaries in each park.
3)recommendation for best and budget accomodation.affordable jungle packages recommendations appreciated.oh my budget for stay is rs 1000 and safari per day is 1800.
4)i have a canon 1000D dslr.whats the best lens for wildlife photography?i am looking at 100-400 L IS USM f/4.5-5.6 .it seems bit costly and i am wondering if its best to go for 400mm prime since most of shots would at that length.

smakkar

Forgive me for asking, but where do you work, or what do you do?
How can you manage these many days off from work/business..!!

Can't offer much advice about the plan but I am sure this would be a great trip..

Regarding the Lens, it depends on how close the animal is to you...

So sometimes 28mm would be excellent, sometimes even 400mm wouldn't be enough... but as a thumb rule, the bigger the better, and prime lenses would offer better quality for sure..!!

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kausiks

Nice trip

Since you are starting from Chennai, may be you can opt for Kanha first and then Ranthambor. You may gain a day or two.

You can book the safaris at Kanha online in advance. December might be rush time, so you may do it also. Unlike Rantahmbor, at Kanha you pay only the permit fees in advance.

santos_g15

Thanks for your comments.We have to compulsarily take a week off during 18-28 .Company policy.christmas week is off time.so if i take a weeks time it would do.

kartikp

Santos,

Looks like a dream itinerary to me. If I was in your place, I would try and cut some travel time by taking a flight from Chennai to Delhi and from delhi I would take a train to reach Ranthambhore. One extra day saved would mean I have 4 days in Ranthambhore. Though 6 drives in the park are good, 8 are better .

As far as your photography setup goes, 400mm prime would limit your reach to only 400mm. In most of the parks most mammals would be covered within 200-300mm. 400mm is just okay for birds, you might end up wishing for 500mm/600mm. 100-400mm strike a good balance. You can also look into sigma 135-400mm/150-500mm/50-500mm/80-400mm. All of these are cheaper than 100-400mm but 100-400mm does outshine them due to the IQ. One lens I can recommend is Sigma 100-300mm f/4. It is just as sharp and can take a 1.4x converter well.

There is no one best lens for wildlife, you will have to decide what you like :-)

Cheers,
Kartik

santos_g15

how do i book safaris online at kanha.can you give me link to site?Is it official or should i book with hotel?currently i am looking to stay at mp tourist dorm at kisli.if i book one, is it guaranteed i will get a seat on jeep.

kausiks

You can book it through
https://mponline.gov.in/Portal/Servi...x?langid=en-US

or by clicking on these links in sequence:
1. mponline.gov.in. Select language
2. In the left panel you will find an icon 'National Parks and Forests'. Click on it.
3. Click on 'Book Now' icon at the top of the page


Yes, this reserves a jeep entry for you as you are paying the entry fees. Give a printout of this to the MPT reception and they will take care of everything. You will have to pay the jeep charges directly to the driver.

santos_g15

thanks kartik.i am on budget so cant take planes.i will think about it.
Advice on photography from expert like you is taken.(yes i have seen the photographs of tiger from your ranathambore trip).

santos_g15

Kaushik i dont have words to praise you.you have provided me with an excellent link.greatly appreciate your help.

patilsushant001

Hey Santos,

I really liked your plan. You inspired me man..
Best luck for your travel.. Please put your experience on the forum.

shahronakm

Truly a dream wildlife vacation.

Ronak.

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sharan_travelcrazy

Santos, tell you , this is one amazing itinerary (Trip of a lifetime may be! )
by the way, have you chalked out a rough estimate of the total trip cost? because I would actually like to know an estimate as I will be planning a trip on similar lines (though not for 18 days ) somewher around oct - dec ..

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santos_g15

Yes i have .its almost accurate for safari rates and train rates and accomodation cost (my choice.).i have added some extra amount for emergency purpose.


11 dec chennai -sawai madhopur train - 17:10 Rs.2000
12 dec train
13 dec train.detrain at sawai madhopur by 4:00 am 2000
13 dec jeep safari
14 dec jeep safari
15 dec jeep safari 3200(safari)+4000(stay)+1000(f ood)+1500(travel)+2000(misc)
16 dec sawaimadhopur-jabalpur-kanha Rs.1122 +1000(bus+taxi)
17 dec jeep safari
18 dec jeep safari
19 dec jeep safari
6000(safari)+4000(stay)+1000(f ood)+1500(travel)+2000(misc)
19 dec night board train at jabalpur -guwahati RS 1686
20 dec train
21 train reach guwahati.take bus to kaziranga. 500
22 elephant jeep safari
23 elephant jeep safari

24 elephant jeep safari
7500(safari) + 3000(stay) +1000(food)+2000(misc)
25 reach guwahati 500

26 guwahati.take train to chennai.Rs 2000 2000
27 train
28 train
chennai

sharan_travelcrazy

Thanks for the detailed split-up Santos! that does help a lot to get an idea of the required budget

jayanraj

Thats great,

R u planning Dudhwa national park also in future ? I am trying to book it in November, 2009

Jayanraj
Mumbai