New Trip Report: India (Tadoba and Chambal)

A very successful trip. I don’t think I had heard of Tadoba Reserve until quite recently but it seems to be one of the best places in India to see large carnivores.

Tadoba and Chambal, 2017: Mattia Altieri, 2 weeks & 25 species including 20 Tigers, Sloth Bears, Chousingha, Leopards and Dholes.

Jon

4 Comments

  • jvnmammals

    Curious how Mattia traveled from one location to the other. Air? Trying to get to India this December with my wife and Tadoba seems fascinating. We want tigers, first and foremost. Any other tips would be welcome!

    • Mattia from Italy

      I hope to be not too late!

      I travelled with flights: arrival in Mumbai, than Mumbai-Nagpur for Tadoba leg of the trip, Nagpur-Delhi for Chambal leg, and return to home from Delhi. For Tigers April and May are much better than December.

      If you can, try Tadoba and Bandhavgarh NP. In this moment there are many Tigresses with cubs in Bandhavgarh.

      Have a good trip!

      Ciao
      Mattia

  • Miles Foster

    Hi, Mattia,

    thanks for the trip report, it is very informative and sounds like a terrific trip. My wife and I are contemplating a trip to India in March / April 2019. May I ask:

    Did you book Svasara directly or through an agent? If through an agent can you recommend them?
    Did you have any difficulties with the park bureaucracy, such as delays at the entrance etc. at Tadoba?
    How many people in each vehicle?

    We appreciate any help you can give us as I think we will need to book soon.

    Regards,

    Miles

    • Mattia from Italy

      Hi Mark,

      Sorry for the delay, but I entry in the forum just once or twice per week, and didn’t notice your questions:

      – I booked directly with Svasara lodge (accommodation, game drives, transport to/from Nagpur airport). The manager, Ranjit, is very quick and efficient;
      – No difficulties. The naturalist guide of the lodge that stay with in the car, requires just your passport on every game drive. Sometimes there is a line of vehicles at the gate, but if you are at the gate 10-15 minutes before the entry time (Svasara is just 200 meters from the gate), you are always one of the first vehicles in the park. As for everything in India, a bit of patience is much reccommended;
      – Just you! In lodges like Svasara, every guest (single, family or group) has his own vehicle. You, the natuarlist, the driver (all from the lodge) and a park guide that is really useless, but you have to accept it because it’s a way to give job to young local people.
      It’s not like some African lodge, where you have to share the vehicles with other people that you don’t know.

      Go in April: is much better than March for Tigers.

      Have a good trip,
      Ciao
      Mattia

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