Fish Eagle Safaris’ ‘Great Indian Tiger Safari’ will start in Delhi on March 17, 2025 and will end back there on March 29. A full 10 days are split between Bandhavgarh (4 nights), Kanha (4 nights) and Pench (2 nights). There will be multiple morning and afternoon outings for our guides to find the tigers’ pug marks, look for fresh scat and most revealingly, pick up on alarm calls made by sambar deer and other tiger prey species. For at least one day we will have a special ‘full day’ permit to spend the entire day inside a core area in a tiger reserve, arriving earlier and departing later than everyone else. In addition to the tigers, we will keep our eyes peeled for the many other fascinating mammal species present in these three magnificent reserves, such as sloth bears, wild dogs and leopards.

The bird-watching in the Indian forests is epic and a keen birder can probably increase his or her life list with a good 80 to 100 new species over the course of the trip. Among the striking birds which we will be looking out for, are the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brown Fish Owl, Coppersmith Barbet, Scarlet Minivet, Indian Roller, Indian Paradise Fly Catcher, Golden Oriole, Racket Tailed Drongo, Ruddy Shelduck, and Green Bee Eater.

It won’t be all tigers and wildlife, all the time. We will be spending a couple of days in Delhi before the safari for some Northern Indian food, culture and history and there will be an optional pre-safari outing to experience the majesty of the Taj Mahal, in Agra. Want to add one more extraordinary wildlife experience? Join up for the optional 2-night extension to Kaziranga National
Park, home to more than 90% of India’s rare greater-one horned rhinos.

As mentioned previously, here’s why March is a particularly good time to be in India in search of tigers:

By March, which is towards the end of the dry season, the vegetation is less dense, and water is scarce, forcing the animals to congregate around remaining water sources. This makes it easier to spot tigers as they come to drink water.

March is also at the end of the peak tourist season in India, with fewer tourists in the national parks. Hopefully fewer disturbances and distractions should improve our chances of spotting tigers – and other wildlife.

By March, tigers start to become more active in preparation for the breeding season which typically starts in April. During this period, the males become more territorial and vocal, making it easier to track them down.