This ancient country portrays a landscape of living cultural heritage and spiritual mysticism. In the country’s many colourful cities and villages you will find not only a hectic folklore but also a wealth of cultural attractions. It is impossible not to be fascinated by India. With its area of ​​3,287,590 km2 and a population of 1.2 billion, India is considered the seventh largest country, the second most populous country and the most populous democracy in the world. With the Himalayas separating India from the rest of Asia, the Indian subcontinent touches three large bodies of water and is immediately recognizable on a world map. This thick triangular half is defined by the Bengal Gulf of the East, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. India’s northern border is dominated mostly by Nepal and the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. Apart from the Arabian Sea, its western border is defined exclusively by Pakistan. India’s 26 states have virtually all types of landscapes one can imagine. An abundance of mountain ranges and national parks offers great opportunities for ecotourism and hiking. From the northernmost point on the Chinese border, India stretches 3200 km to its southern tip, where the island of Sri Lanka is located. Because of India’s size, its climate depends not only at what time of year, but also on what area. In general, the temperature tends to be cooler in the north, especially between September and March and in the south between November and January. Hinduism is the dominant belief in India, with about 80 percent of the population. 10 percent are Islam and five percent are Sikhs and Christians. The rest, about 45 million people are Buddhists and Jainists.

DELHI

Delhi, India’s capital, are two cities that has grown together. Partially Old Delhi, the exciting, gigantic, medieval city that houses huge bazaars, Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque and the Red Fort. Partially New Delhi, the colonial city, designed by architect Edwin Lutyens when the British 1911 decided to move the colonial capital here from Calcutta. Here is the Parliament, the parade streets and the giant roundabout Connaught Place, which for many is the symbol of India’s capital. When India liberalized its economic policy in the 1990s and the growth of the Indian economy began to speed up, the wheels began to spin faster in Delhi. No other city in India has grown so fast: from ten million to 1991 to fourteen million today. And in no other city, so many new jobs have been created. Delhi, The Boomtown, the epicentre of India’s economic advancement, is a city full of hopes and strings.

PENCH NATIONAL PARK

Pench National Park, nestling in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda hills is named after Pench River, meandering through the park from north to south. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Maharashtra, in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara.Pench National Park, comprising of 758 sq kms, out of which a core area of 299 sq km of Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and remaining 464 sq km of Pench National Park is the buffer area. The area of the present tiger reserve has a glorious history. Pench National Park and its nearby Kanha National Park is the original setting of Rudyard Kipling’s most famous work, The Jungle Book. The undulating topography supports a mosaic of vegetation ranging from moist, sheltered valleys to open, dry deciduous forest. Over 1 200 species of plants have been recorded from the area including several rare and endangered plants as well as plants of ethno-botanical importance. The area has always been rich in wildlife and is especially famous for large herds of Gaur (Indian Bison), Cheetal, Sambar Deer, Nilgai, Wild Dog and Wild Pig. The key predator is the Tiger followed by Leopard, Wild Dog and Wolf. Other animals includes Sloth Bear, Chousingha, Chinkara, Barking Deer, Jackal, Fox, Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Jungle Cat, Hyena, Porcupine etc.

KANHA NATIONAL PARK

Situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque Kanha National Park was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The romance of the Kanha National Park has not reduced over time-it is still as beautiful. If one were to point to the middle of India, chances are he will pick out the forests of the Banjar and the Halon valley, the two forming the western and eastern halves of the Kanha National Park, which have long been famous for their wide diversity of wildlife. The park was created in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of species. Today Kanha is among the few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia and the ideal home for both predator and prey. There are numerous tiger reserves in India, that are preserving this ferocious beast, but nowhere can you see them as often, and as regularly as in Kanha National Park. By far the most striking features of this park are the open grassy meadows, where sighting blackbuck, swamp deer, sambar deer and chital is common. Kanha extends over an area of over 1,940 sq kms. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha’s central Maidans, grasslands that cover the extensive plateau. Steep rocky escarpments along the edges offer breathtaking views of the valley. However, if one species were to represent Kanha, apart from tigers, it would probably be the Barasingha, or the Swamp Deer. The Barasinghas at Kanha are unique, being the hard ground variety, which populate the large open tracts of grass amidst the forests of teak and bamboo. Twenty years ago, the Barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate measures helped save them and again the air in Kanha bugle with their rutting calls.

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. The name Bandhavgarh has been derived from the most prominent hillock of the area of Umaria. The area of Bandhavgarh is being flourished with a large biodiversity, the place which is also being famed to grip highest density of tiger population in India. Similarly, the park also beholds the largest breeding population of leopards and various species of deer. The park has been divided into three major zones named as Tala, Magdi and Bamera. The Tala zone offers good tiger sighting opportunities. The park authorities are also focusing on the Magdi Zone by providing more opportunity to spot tigers. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of mixed vegetation’s ranging from tall grasslands to thick Sal forest and so is the perfect habitat of variety of animals and birds. 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, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Gray Mongoose, Stoured Hyena, 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.

Tom Svensson

Tom Svensson is a world renowned conservation photographer. Toms major driving force in life is conservation, and he travels as a Canon Explorer Ambassador regularly around the world to document endangered species, anti-poaching and illegal animal trade. His skill as a photographer is to take pictures that touch people and that shine a light on important animal conservation subject matter. In this regard he is seen as one of the best in the world. Tom is the only Swede elected into the IEPA, the International Environment Photographers Association.

AWARDS: Winner of the WWF price Pandbook of the Year with the book “At the end of the road”.

PUBLICATIONS: Tom has published four books including the award winning “At the end of the road”. Tom is the only Swede elected into the IEPA, the International Environment Photographers Association.

GEAR: Tom uses professional Canon equipment. Among his cameras is a FDX Mark II along with a whole range of lenses from a fisheye to long zoom lenses.

PORTFOLIO: www.tomsvensson.se

DAY 1 – WELCOME TO DELHI

Arrival to Dehi. Since many of our guests prefer to book flights on their own, we have decided to not include the international airfares in our price. But if you wish, we are more than happy to help you arrange all your flights.

Check in at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel*****. Here you will find both Tom Svensson and our Zoom Photo Tours’ host to help you out and answer any potential questions. Given the long flight and time change the remaining time of the day and evening is for relaxing. Lunch and dinner on your own. Overnight at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel for two nights.

DAY 2  – DELHI

In the morning we will do a guided city tour around New Delhi, the new part of the city, where we will among other things, experience the iconic Rashtrapati Bhawan (the President House), the India Gate and Humanyun’s Tomb, which was built in the 16th Century and said to be the forerunner of the Taj Mahal. In the afternoon we will do street photography in Old Delhi, including in the street market near Red Fort. We will also do a rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys of the Old Town where you will come across some great photo opportunities. This area also houses large wholesale markets of papers, cloths, spices and book publishers to name a few. There are temples, gurudwaras, mosques and devotees from almost all religions in order to offer prayers in their respective place of worship. After a long day with many impressions and hopefully amazing pictures, a nice welcome dinner is served at the hotel and we will have time to get to know each other and to discuss expectations and thoughts about the tour. (B, L, D)

DAY 3 – DELHI TO PENCH

Morning flight will take us to Nagpur and further by vans about 140 km to Pench National Park where we will check in at the Tuli Tiger Corridor****, located very close to the entrance to the park. After lunch, Tom will have a talk and give some tips on what you should think of when photographing in the parks. Afterwards, we enter the park in open jeeps for our first game drive. The terrain has a mixture of both open and rocky areas which is a perfect environment for many species, especially leopards. The parks main attraction, however, is the Bengal tiger. In the park you will also find jungle cat, wild dog, wild boar, lip bear, monkeys, Indian bison and different species of deer. Three nights at Tuli Tiger Corridor. (B, L, D)

DAY 4-5 – PENCH NATIONAL PARK

Two full days in Pench National Park with both morning and evening game drives. Between the game drives and during the evenings we work with image processing. Tom will be present to share his best tips in Photoshop and Lightroom and he will also talk us more about his work as a conservation photographer and what to consider when photographing wildlife. (B, L, D)

DAY 6 – PENCH TO KANHA 

We will start out the day with a morning game drive followed by breakfast and further transport to Kanha and Kanha Earth Lodge, rated as one of the best lodges in Kanha. Here we check into luxurious bungalows followed by lunch and our first game drive into India’s most famous tiger park. A strict conservation programs for the park’s wildlife and plants make Kanha the perhaps best and most well-managed national park in India. In the park, which is dominated by mountains, forests and valleys, there are a large number of different species of birds, monkeys, deer, wild dogs and of course both tiger and leopard. Three nights at Kanha Earth Lodge. (B, L, D)

DAY 7-8 – KANHA NATIONAL PARK

Game drives both early morning and in the evening. During the days we will also work with post processing of our images as well as visiting a local village to see how to live in the Indian countryside. B, L, D)

DAY 9  – KANHA TO BANDHAVGARH

Morning game drive followed by breakfast, lunch and further journey to Bandhavgarh where we check in at the luxurious Kings Lodge**** which is located very close to the entrance of the national park. 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, Gray Mongoose, Stoured Hyena and Jungle Cat. The remaining part of the afternoon is for relaxation and maybe a swim in the pool. Three nights at Kings Lodge. (B, L, D)

DAY 10-11 – BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK

Two days in Bandhavgarh National Park with game drives both in the morning and evening. One of the evenings there will also be a presentation about the current tiger situation and its survival by local tiger experts. We will also have an amazing final dinner together where Tom will, among other things, award the best photo of the tour. (B, L, D)

DAY 12 – BANDHAVGARH – DELHI 

Our last game drive in Bandhavgarh, for this time. After check out and lunch at the lodge it is time for transfer to the airport for our flight to Delhi where we arrive in late afternoon. Transportation back to your home country is on your own. (B, L)

POST TOUR • NOV 13-17

For those who wish to extend your stay in India. We can offer the amazing opportunity to experience the city of Agra with Taj Mahal, one of the world’s seven wonders and a UNESCO world heritage site, in combination with the pink city of Jaipur and it´s Amber Fort according to below program.

DAY 1 – DELHI

Upon arrival to Delhi in the evening you will check in at the Radisson Blu Plaza. The rest of the evening is on your own.

DAY 2 – DELHI TO AGRA

After breakfast and check out we board a bus for a four hour drive to Agra, famous for the Red Fort and Taj Mahal. After lunch we start with a visit to Agra Fort. Agra Fort is a massive structure with 70-foot high, 1.5-mile long walls encompassing an astounding collection of well preserved buildings, many of them completed during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The afternoon will finish by experiencing the sunset over Taj Mahal from the Mehtab Bagh gardens across the Yamuna River. Overnight at the five star Crystal Sarovar Premium Hotel. (B, L, D)

DAY 3 – AGRA TO JAIPUR

Early morning visit the world famed Taj Mahal to capture its picture under morning soft light. Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder, which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every visitor to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen. This is something you will remember for the rest of your life.

Return to your hotel for breakfast followed by check out and then proceeding to Jaipur – the pink city.
Later, after arriving and checking in at ITC Rajputana Hotel we will experience the hustle and bustle of two of Jaipur’s wonderful markets, the famous Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar, which is perfect for street-photography. Dinner and overnight at the five star ITC Rajputana Hotel for two nights. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 – JAIPUR

This morning we take a short drive through the nearby Aravali Hills to visit and photograph the stunning Amber Fort one of the most famous forts of Rajasthan. Amer, originally, was the capital of the state before Jaipur. It is an old fort, built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh. This fort is also very popularly known as the Amer Palace. The Amer Fort was built in red sandstone and marble and the Maotha Lake adds a certain charm to the entire Fort. Though the fort is quite old and may even look so from the outside, it is beautiful on the inside and boasts of various buildings of prominence like the ‘Diwan-i-Aam’, the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ and even the ‘Sukh Mahal.
In the afternoon we visit the beautiful City Palace, the ancient observatory, Jantar Mantar as well as Hawa Mahal known as the Palace of the Winds. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 – JAIPUR – DELHI

Enjoy a relaxing breakfast this morning. During the day we will and explore Jaipur’s famous markets, it´s street life with fantastic opportunities for good street photos. Late in the afternoon we will depart for Jaipur airport for an hours flight to Delhi. On arrival at Delhi’s domestic terminal, you will be transferred to International Departure terminal T3 for your onward flight back home. (B, L)

DELHI: RADISSON BLU PLAZA*****

Radisson Blu is a very good five star hotel conveniently located on the way to the airport. The hotel has four restaurants as well as a coffee shop / café and a bar / lounge. There is also a full spa, outdoor pool and a gym. The 261 air-conditioned rooms have a minibar and a locker, free Wi-Fi and a TV with satellite channels. Bathrooms feature showers with rainfall showerheads, bathrobes, hair dryers, and slippers. In-room amenities include coffee / tea makers and complimentary bottled water.

www.radissonblu.com/hotel-newdelhi

PENCH: TULI TIGER CORRIDOR****+

This first class lodge is located in a 22-hectare green area in the national park’s buffer zone. Tuli Tiger Corridor offers 15 spacious and luxurious bungalows with air conditioning, bathroom, private terrace and surrounding greenery. At the lodge there is also a nice restaurant that serves Indian and Continental food, a bar, a billiard lounge and a library. Finally, Tuli Tiger Corridor offers a very large and inviting pool.

www.tulihotels.com/tuli-tiger-corridor

KANHA: KANHA EARTH LODGE*****

Kanha Earth Lodge is a great lodge beautifully embedded in a lush forest in the national park’s buffer zone. The architecture has been inspired by a Gond city, and the construction materials have been sourced locally, such as clay, gypsum, stone, terracotta tiles, rough wooded beams and furniture made from recycled wood, all for melting into the surroundings. Kanha Earth Lodge offers 12 luxurious bungalows with air conditioning, dressing room, desk and a large terrace overlooking the lush forest. At the lodge you will also find a restaurant and a bar as well as a large and relaxing infinity pool that beautifully blends with the surrounding greenery. Kanha Earth Lodge has won a number of international awards-

www.kanhaearthlodge.com

BANDHAVGARH: KINGS LODGE****+

Kings Lodge is an eco-friendly first class lodge nestled between two Sal forested hills of Bandhavgarh National Park in a large natural forested estate of 14 hectares. The lodge is in the heart of wild country only ten minutes’ drive from the Tala gate of the national park. The lodge has 18 luxurious bungalows with en-suite modern bathrooms. All bungalows are air-conditioned, a large private terrace with views of the forest. King Lodge has a bar and a multi-cuisine dining hall with a fireplace overlooking expanses of wild grasslands. The in-house spa offers a variety of holistic spa treatments for body rejuvenation. Guests can also enjoy views from the watchtower, relax in the swimming pool.

www.kingslodge.in

SAVE THE WILDLIFE

PRICE – MAIN TOUR 

Price per person: USD 5 875

Included:

• All domestic flights in India according to itinerary.
• All transfers according to itinerary.
• Free mineral water in rooms and on buses.
• Accommodation in shared twin room.
• Meals according to itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• City tour in Delhi with local guide.
• Street photo in Delhi including rickshaw ride.
• A total of 16 game drives according to itinerary.
• Participation by Tom Svensson during the tour.
• Workshops by Tom Svensson during the tour.
• Local rangers during all game drives.
• 
A host from Zoom Photo Tours.
• Participation by one of India’s best nature guides.
• All tips except to the nature guide.
• Conservation activities/lectures during the tour.
• Travel documents and practical travel information.
• Local taxes and fees.

Excluded:

• International flights to/from Delhi.
• Single room supplement: USD 1 200.
• All expenses of personal nature like drinks etc.
• Tips to the local nature guide: USD 10 / day.
• Travel insurance. 
Any other item not mentioned as included.

PRICE – POST TOUR

Price per person in USD: 1 270:-

Included:

• All transfers according to itinerary.
• Domestic flight from Jaipur to Delhi.
• Free mineral water in rooms and on buses.
• Accommodation in shared twin room.
• Meals according to itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Entrance fees to palaces.
• Participation by a local photo guide during the tour.
• Local guides during city tour in Agra and Jaipur.
• Local taxes and fees.

Excluded:

• Single room supplement: USD 250.
• All expenses of personal nature like drinks etc.
• Tips. Approximately USD 10 / day.
• Any other item not mentioned as included.

FLIGHTS

International airfare to Delhi 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 / 12.

PHOTO GEAR

• A DSLR camera.
• Wide angle lens like a 24-70mm
• Telephoto zoom lenses up to a 500 mm.
• A Laptop computer with any of the Photoshop or Lightroom software.

TOUR LEADER

Apart from an award-winning 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 making sure you are having the best possible experience during your journey.

TERMS & CONDITIONS