In May 2015, our guests Donna and Tim had a whale of time traveling from the Taj Mahal in North India to the land of tigers in Central India. This is their story.
All photography by Timothy D. Brooks
My wife and I had been contemplating a vacation to India for several years. Thanks to Enchanting Travels, our dream came true in May 2015.
Although rather seasoned travelers, this was our first trip to India. Being very detail-oriented, we expect the same of our outfitters. There were absolutely no disappointments! Because of the extensive planning and flawless execution by Enchanting Travel staff, everything fell in place perfectly. They did a great job preparing us for each day’s activities and keeping us safe. They arranged amazing accommodations such as like looking out our window directly at the Taj Mahal, great transportation that included clean, comfortable, and spacious vehicles with remarkably skilled drivers, and knowledgeable local guides who were incredibly educated about the architecture, history, customs, wildlife, flora and fauna of their country.
Our primary reasons for traveling to India were to photograph Royal Bengal Tigers, visit the Taj Mahal, and enjoy Indian cuisine, but we knew there was much more to experience, which we began to appreciate upon arrival. We stayed on sensory overload as the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this country were amazing.
We toured the bustling cities of Mumbai, Delhi and in Agra we were awestruck by the iconic structure, the Taj Mahal. We traversed the colorful countryside through villages where the people were friendly, engaging and most genuinely seemed excited to see us. Well, a few were unsure why we would be interested in photographing them.
Since our passion is wildlife, a large portion of our time was spent on game drives in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore National Parks where the sightings were off the charts! We saw something interesting at every turn including many species of birds, deer and many other creatures including the amusing Langur monkeys, who made us laugh at their antics.
Our safari guides facilitated the best sightings and getting us in prime position for photography. Since we were there at the near peak of their summer, the animals congregate near the limited watering areas, which improves the viewing quality/quantity and boy did that work in our favor as we had 22 unique sightings of 14 different tigers including this handsome lone male and a mother with three juveniles.
It is impossible to fully describe the fascinating history, complex traditions, and diversity that we encountered on this magical tour. Even the food was a pleasing change. Most lodges would describe the dishes and adjust the ingredients to our palates. My wife’s number one spice now is curry.
India is one of those places where you see both opulence and poverty and this will have a great impact on your perspectives of life. As with all great trips, we returned home with a better understanding of the people, places and wildlife. It was difficult to leave and, after returning home, we spent a lot of time reflecting on the memorable journey.
We recommend Enchanting Travels for any trip to India. They will take care of everything and your experiences will be amazing.
Timothy & Donna Brooks