KANHA NATIONAL PARK

Kanha National Park, in Madhya Pradesh, is the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, which was created in 1974 under the Tiger project. A strict conservation program for overall protection of the park’s animals and plants makes Kanha one of the most well-managed national parks in Asia. In the park there are great possibilities to see several species of birds, monkey, deer, wild dogs and of course the king of the park – the Bengal tiger. It was the Kanha National Park that inspired Kipling’s classic saga, the Jungle Book.

BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK

Bandhavgarh National Park, one of the most well-known national parks in India, is located in the Vindhya Hills of the Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh. Declared as a national park in 1968, the Bandhavgarh National Park is spread across the area of 105 sq kms. Due to varied topography, the Bandhavgarh National Park provides ample opportunity to spot the majestic Indian Tiger and some rarely seen animals like Leopard and Sloth bear. Other wildlife in the park includes the Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Stoured Hyena and Jungle Cat. The artiodactyls frequently sighted are Wild Pigs, Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer, Chausingha, Nilgai, Chinkara and Gaur. Mammals such as Dhole, the small Indian Civet, Palm Squirrel and Lesser Bandicoot Rat are seen occasionally. There are also more than 250 species of birds in the park.

VARANASI

Varanasi is the “India of your imagination”. One of the most colorful and fascinating places on earth. Varanasi is said to be the oldest, still inhabited city in India and is one of the holiest places in Hinduism. The city has a fascinating long history that dates back all the way to about 500 BC. The River Ganga is a sacred river for the Hindus and you will see traditional rituals and bathing occurring at all times of the day. Pilgrims come to the Ghats, lining along the river to wash away sins in the sacred waters or to cremate their loved ones. Many Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi brings salvation/nirvana and so they make the trip to the city when they realize that they are close to death.

DAY 1 – DELHI TO KANHA NATIONAL PARK
We gather at the airport in Delhi in the morning. Here you will meet the tour leader from Zoom Photo Tours as well as our Indian guide, who will be with us throughout the trip. From Delhi, we take a domestic flight to Jabalpur for further transportation to one of India’s premier tiger reserves, Kanha National Park. During our drive to Kanha, we need to have our cameras up and ready to shoot, you never know what exciting photo opportunities awaits as we move through the Indian countryside. When we arrive in Kanha we are welcomed by Mattias and Iris and during the evening we enjoy a great Indian welcome dinner together. During dinner Mattias and Iris will tell you more about what we can expect from the upcoming days of our photo adventure. (D)

DAY 2-3 – KANHA NATIONAL PARK
Every morning we have an early start, to head out on our safaris. With great anticipation, we jump into our jeeps for our first meeting with axis deer, Indian bison and hopefully the Bengal tigers. As we drive into the park, the fog is dense and the experience of slowly watching the sun rise over the open meadows, dotted with sambar deer, is hard to beat. When we slowly move into the forest we are met with a beautiful soft light as the morning sun filters through the foliage. Mattias and Iris constantly share their great knowledge about the sounds of the jungle and the various photo opportunities that opens up in front of us. With our memory cards filled, we return the lodge for a few hours of relaxation followed by lunch. In the afternoon, it’s time again to meet Kanha’s wildlife in the beautiful national park, which once was the source of inspiration for Kipling’s novel the Jungle Book in the late 1800s. With some luck, we may even be able to photograph Baloo, the very elusive lip bear. When the sun begins to sink towards the horizon, chances of seeing tiger increase, and with some luck we are able to photograph this majestic animal in the soft evening light. Back at the lodge we have dinner together before we edit our photos or listen to an inspirational talk by Iris and Mattias. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 – KANHA TO BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK
After another morning filled with wonderful photo opportunities in Kanha National Park, it’s time to move on and continue our journey to Bandhavgarh National Park. After checking in at our lodge we have time to take a cool dip in the swimming pool before enjoying dinner. After dinner it is time for image evaluation. We will look at some of our photos, have discussions and get feedback from Iris and Mattias on how to develop our images and work with storytelling. (B, L, D)

DAY 5-6 – BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK
The next two days, we will spend in the Bandhavgarh jungle. Early in the morning we enter the National Park with great anticipation. We move between open grassland and compact jungle where langurs, placed high up in the trees, are busy scouting over the environment in order to warn the Sambars of potential threats. We are now in the most tiger frequent part of India. Few other places offer this good an opportunity to photograph the majestic predator.

Back again after the morning safari we have some time to relax by the pool. After lunch we head out on our second safari. From our open jeeps it is always important to pay attention to sounds and movements in the vegetation. Suddenly a roar is heard from the woods, and it is with excitement that we hear how the sound is coming closer and closer. Suddenly we see the majestic tiger silently emerging out of the forest, slowly walking towards us. All we can hear is the sound of our cameras clicking away, capturing this magical moment. And just as fast as the tiger showed up, it disappears again into the forest. We return back to our hotel for dinner and image processing. (B, L, D)

DAY 7 – BANDHAVGARH TO KHAJURAHO
After yet one morning safari in Bandhavgarh, we head on towards our next stop, Khajuraho. Check-in at our hotel. We then spend some time discussing and analyzing our photos from our last jungle adventure. After this we close up the day by having dinner together. (B, L, D)

DAY 8 – KHAJURAHO TO VARANASI
In the morning, we will have the opportunity to photograph Khajuraho temple, a temple area that many people consider to be one of the most beautiful in India. The erotic sculptures of lovers, united in different positions, has made these temples especially famous. The opportunities for good photographs are many and the soft morning light makes the sculptures appear even more beautiful.

DAY 9 – VARANASI
In the company of Iris and Mattias, we explore India’s oldest city, many times described as one of the world’s most colorful and fascinating places. We start the morning with a boat trip on Ganges to allow us to photograph the city during sunrise. We slowly glide down the soft current of the Ganges river, in a mysterious fog that seems to be floating over the river. As the city along the river wakes up, we aim our cameras towards the Ghats and the colorful house facades. The photo opportunities that we get this day are endless and behind every corner in the winding alleys awaits a new surprise to capture. The life of Varanasi is mainly centered around the 84 Ghats, leading down to Ganges. Here you will see many Hindus swimming in the dirty but holy river and it is also on these stone staircases that many people are cremated to have their ashes scattered into the river.

DAY 10 – VARANASI – HOLI FESTIVAL
Today it is time to experience one of the highlights of the trip – the colorful Holi festival. The Holi festival goes a long way back in Indian mythology. Today it is mainly a festivity, celebrating that winter is over and welcoming spring’s arrival. The true highlight of the celebration is the color party, where thousands of people go out into the streets, filled with joy and throwing colored powder at each other. The festival turns Varanasi’s streets into a sea of colors and the photographic opportunities are absolutely fantastic! We spend all day in this colorful chaos and you cannot avoid being painted like a rainbow by the all the happy festival participants. Here you will constantly have great snapshot moments showing up in front of you so you need to have your camera ready at all times. Painted with color from top to bottom and lots of memories of a lifetime, we return to our hotel. Time to shower off all the color powder and get a little rest before we enjoy our last evening together. During our final dinner, Mattias and Iris will select the best “Photo of the trip”, which automatically continues to the final in Zoom Photo Tour’s “Photo of the Year” competition. (B, L, D)

DAY 11 – VARANASI TO DELHI AND HOME
Filled with great impressions from this amazing city, it is time to leave Varanasi and fly to Delhi. Upon arrival to Delhi, we will devote the rest of the day to street photography in the chaotic streets of Delhi’s old town area. Walking or taking a bicycle rickshaw trough these narrow alleys is a fascinating experience, offering lots of photo opportunities. When our memory cards are filled with amazing images we go to a hotel where we will have the chance to shower and change before it’s time for dinner. After dinner we have a transfer to the airport for further transport to your home destination. (B, L, D)

MATTIAS A. KLUM • Wildlife & Nature Photographer

Mattias Klum is a photographer, cinematographer and director. In an artistic way that is entirely his own, he describes and portrays animals, plants and natural and cultural settings in the form of articles, books, films and exhibitions. Since 1997, Mattias has produced multiple articles and thirteen cover stories for National Geographic magazine. He has produced 9 film projects and published 14 books to date. His photographs have been shown in one-man exhibitions at renowned museums and art galleries all around the world. He has been named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, awarded an honorary Doctorate in Natural Sciences by Stockholm University, appointed Fellow at the National Geographic Society, goodwill ambassador for IUCN and WWF and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at WWF Sweden.

You can read more about Mattias here.

See more photos: @mattiasklumofficial

IRIS ALEXANDROV KLUM • Visual Artist & Photographer

Iris Alexandrov is a conceptual artist working with installations, film and photography. She uses storytelling in a visual narrative anchored in both the ancient traditions of icon paintings and mythological stories as well as modern science. The art works she creates are often depicted in entire worlds where smell, sound and light are used to place the viewer within the artwork itself. Time is a central topic to Alexandrov, where she often seeks to portray a passage where the time stands still; before or after an event, leaving the beholder lingering in a certain state of mind.

You can read more about Iris here.

See more photos: @irisalexandrov

KANHA: TULI TIGER RESORT**** 

KHAJURAHO: RAMADA KHAJURAHO****

PRICE

Price per person: USD ???

Included:

• Domestic flight, according to itinerary.
• All ground transfers, according to itinerary.
• Accommodation in shared twin room.
• Meals according to itinerary: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Safaris according to itinerary.
• Local rangers during all safaris.
• Park fees.
• Photo activities in Varanasi.
• Participation & workshops by Mattias & Iris during the trip.
• A tour leader from Zoom Photo Tours.
• Various conservation activities and lectures during the tour.
• Hotel taxes and other local fees.
• Travel documents and other travel information.

Excluded:

• Single room supplement. USD ???
• International flights to Delhi.
• All expenses of personal nature like drinks, laundry etc.
• Tips to the rangers. Approximately USD 10 / day.
• Cancellation & travel insurance. For more details, click here.
• Any other item not mentioned as included.

FLIGHTS

International airfare to India is not included in the price. But if you wish, we are more than happy to help you arrange all your flights. Just send an email to info@zoomphototours.com and we will respond with flight suggestions and prices.

GROUP SIZE

In order to for you to get personal photo guidance and the best experience with our photographer our groups are always small. On this tour the minimum and maximum number of guests are 8 / 16.

PHOTO GEAR

• A DSLR camera.
• Telephoto zoom lenses up to a 500 mm.
• Wide angle lenses, at least 24 mm.
• Tripod.
• A laptop computer with any of the Photoshop or Lightroom software.

TOUR LEADER

Apart from a professional photographer, our tours are always accompanied by a tour leader from Zoom with good photo knowledge. Our tour leader will handle all logistics and general matters and make sure your having the best possible experience in India.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

For more information about Terms & Conditions click here.