India's Great Northwest

India is one of the best travel destinations and we’ve designed this itinerary to take us through India’s as yet largely undiscovered northwestern regions, along with sites about which we’re more likely to have heard. Here we’ll find a unique complement of savanna, wetland, prairie, forest and desert habitats where we can search for an assortment of enigmatic wildlife, including several endangered and highly localized species found nowhere else. Among sand dunes in Rajasthan, we’ll look for the Great Indian Bustard and other desert wildlife, and we’ll quest for the Indian Wild Ass and other creatures on the expansive salt flats of Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch. We’ll explore primeval grasslands of Velavadar and encounter the world’s only Asiatic Lions at Gir Forest.

Among the many other wildlife highlights will be our exciting jeep rides in the Project Tiger reserve of Ranthambore, where the Bengal Tiger will be top of mind. Although tigers aren’t guaranteed, we’ll find much else to captivate us. We’ll also visit Bharatpur, one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world.

Just being in India is an enriching experience in itself. We’ll have a chance to meet everyday people and complement our time with walks in the desert outpost of Jaisalmer and at the iconic Taj Mahal. A tour highlight will be the unassuming desert village of Khichan, where villagers feed thousands of overwintering Demoiselle Cranes. The sound of their bugling is spectacular! There should be fantastic photographic opportunities all around us. Our tour coincides with the transition from winter to spring, as bird life becomes conspicuously active, and the trees begin to blossom.

Whether this is your first time to India, or you’ve already been acquainted, this tour promises a fresh perspective!