Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Contact us by e-mail:info@hoothollow.com
Phone us at 717-543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
Return to HomePage
Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Contact us by e-mail:info@hoothollow.com
Phone us at 717-543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
Return to HomePage
Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Contact us by e-mail:info@hoothollow.com
Phone us at 717-543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
Return to HomePage
Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Contact us by e-mail:info@hoothollow.com
Phone us at 717-543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
Return to HomePage
Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Tadoba National Park
Tiger Extension
April 1-5, 2016
We will be offering several very exciting pre-trips,
including the Lions of Gir, Snow Leopards, and the
wildlife of India's western deserts. Details on the Western India Tour
will be posted soon.
This trip is preceded by our
Tigers and the Wildlife of India Photo Tour 2016
For more great information on all our past Tiger trips, read
our past Trip Reports.
Limited to Eight Participants
Price: $1795.00
Based on a tour of five participants.
$1895 - four participants
$1995 - three participants
Single Supplement: $TBA - inquire with our office
Ever since I started visiting India I found the locals telling me about a special park that was excellent for Tigers. They were talking about Tadoba, a small park that is especially productive for Tigers and for other wildlife. It is estimated that there are around 64 tigers within this park, measuring onl6 625 sq kilometers. In 2015 we did a scouting trip to Tadoba, comprised of just three game drives. During that time we had Tigers, Sloth Bears, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog, Barasinga Deer, and other wildlife -- pretty productive for just three game drives!
Almost 200 species of birds are here, included several species of Birds of Prey, and most of the major mammals are represented. Several waterholds and lakes are scattered about, many of them quite well positioned for photography, and it is these water features that we'll be spending much of our time.
This tour will be preceded by several optional Trips.
Snow Leopards in the Wild
Tigers of Bandhavgarh - mini safari
Western India's Desert Wildlife and Gir Forest Asiatic Lions
Main Trip - Tigers and the Wildlife of India
To get the absolute most out of these safaris, or any of our
offerings, consider taking one of our Complete Digital Nature
Photo Courses, in Pennsylvania next summer!
Our Itinerary
Day 1-April 1, Friday - Satpura to Nagpur
After breakfast in Satpura we'll drive to Nagpur where we'll arrive in time for lunch and a restful afternoon, probably needed after the preceding, intense tiger safari.
Overnight - Radisson Blue Hotel, Nagpur
Day 2 - April 2, Saturday - Nagpur to Tadoba
We'll leave our hotel after breakfast and drive to Tadoba National Park in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'll have the first of our 5 game drives in this tiger-rich park.
Overnight - Svasara Resort, Tadoba
Day 3-4 - April 3 and 4 - Tadoba
We'll be doing both a morning and a late afternoon game drive. Morning drives start with a predawn departure from our lodge, and last until late morning. PM game drives begin in late afternoon -- generally around 3:30 or so.
Dinner and overnights at our Lodge
Day 4 - April 5, Tuesday - Tadoba-Nagpur- Delhi - to home
After breakfast we'll drive on to Nagpur and the airport for our flight back to Delhi. Upon arrival our tour representative will meet us and transfer us to the hotel for our dayroom. Late evening transfer to the Delhi International Airport for our flights home.
Dayroom
The Tour Price is $1795.00.
based upon five participants.
There may be a surcharge for a group fewer than five.
Four participants - $1895.00.
Three participants - $1995.00.
Special Features of Our Tadoba Tiger Photo Safari
1. One of the best National Parks for Tiger and Wildlife Photography
2.
Two photographers per vehicle.
3. We rotate people per vehicle to insure group cohesiveness (see below)
4. All normal tips and gratuities
5. Internal flights from Delhi
6. CD or DVD of the group's images
7. Customized book of the best images (subject to participation)
See below for more details.
8. Customized Pre- or Post-Trips available to the Taj Mahal or any other destination
(booked directly through our Indian Outfitter and not included in
the Tour Price).
Our Rotation Policy
We will game-drive through the parks in jeeps with only TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS per vehicle. There will be both a guide and a driver in each vehicle, but you won't be competing with several people as we do our shooting. We also rotate people through the vehicles so that photographers have an equal opportunity to shoot with either Mary or Joe, and to experience the different guides and drivers. Lodge naturalists drive some of the vehicles, and to be fair to everyone, everyone is rotated so that all get a chance to benefit. This rotation also insures group cohesiveness, eliminating a clique or the rare chance that someone is 'stuck' with another person that they would prefer not to be with for every game drive. Spouses, or close friends, if they desire can request, upon registration, to be together for the entire safari and, if so, forgo the opportunity to shoot with Mary or Joe. This does not imply that a couple paid for the exclusive use of a vehicle, and if one sits out a game drive, and another vehicle also would end up as a single photographer, we will combine the participants into one. The reason -- the parks can be crowded, and we do not want to contribute to a potentially compromised photo situation by an unnecessary number of jeeps.
OUR SHOOTING PHILOSOPHY
We'll be game-driving in the best hours for seeing predators, starting our game drives before dawn and in the late afternoon prior to sunset. And, although the focus and goal of this safari is to photograph tigers, we will photograph every good wildlife and nature subject we find.
Let me repeat that -- we'll photograph everything. It is often very counter-productive to be obsessed with one subject and ignoring others while you seek one goal. While our tours have had tremendous success with tigers, these parks are not zoos, and no wildlife sighting is guaranteed. Our shooting philosophy has been extremely successful, and even when we haven't shot our target species (which has only happened once, on an African wild dog trip) we nonetheless had a great trip.
Our Tour Cost Includes
Accommodations on double/twin sharing basis. All lodging beginning on the night of April 1, concluding with a dayroom in Delhi on April 5.
Tips for the jeep drivers, mahots, and our English-speaking guides.
All Meals beginning with breakfast April 2 and ending with breakfast on April 5..
All park fees, including jeep tours.
Service of English speaking resident naturalists in each park.
Jeep safaris, with 2 per vehicle
Gratuities for transfer drivers, park guides, jeep drivers, and naturalists
Mineral water while on game drives and water at all meals
ONE still camera fee - the Pro fee for lenses over 200mm
Meeting and Assitance at arrive and departure and during hotel check in at major cities
Domestic flight to back to Delhi.
All transfers - from airport to hotel in Delhi and to airport.
3/5% Govt. Service Tax on Total Bill
Our Tour Cost does not include
Lunch and dinner in Nagpur - April 1, and lunch and dinner in Delhi - April 5
Any extra fee for changing the Delhi dayroom to an overnight room at the Radisson Blue Delhi
Airport transfer for anyone departing from Delhi at a later time than the group departureOverweight charges for luggae on the domestic flight
Staff tip at the park lodge ($5/day/person is recommended)
Tip for room stewards, food service personnel, bellmen, etc.
Laundry or internet fees
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Items of a personal nature
Insurance fees - we strongly recommend trip insurance,
and we'll send out information to all registered participants.
International Airfare.
Any pre-trip excursions, to Agra or elsewhere.
Expenditures of a personal nature, including drinks, laundary, phone calls,
alcoholic beverages, tips.
Any sudden and unforeseen increase in price due to an increase in Park Fees, Fuel Costs, or Government Tax Policies beyound our control, acts of god, natural calamity, law and order situations, riots, or forced changes in itinerary due to situations or reasons beyond our control.
Additional costs due to unexpected changes in domestic air fares.
An Important Note
While we make every effort to provide you with success, we are dealing with wild animals and your luck -- be it with the animals, with a driver or guide, with a assigned route your vehicle is arbitrarily given by the Park authorities on a given day, any of these things and more-- are out of our control. We run our trips for the benefit of the group, not a lone individual, and all of our decisions and actions are based upon the group's well being and success, and not to catering to a single individual.
Please Read this MOST IMPORTANT Notice
Tigers are the rarest of the big cats. Less than 1,500 survive in India where one has the best chance of seeing this cat across its geographic range. Tigers are jungle cats, not conspicuous grassland species like lions or cheetahs, nor do they linger in trees like African leopards which can be seen from afar.
Although we have never had anyone strike out and not seen or photograped a tiger on the five trips we’ve made in the last three years, it is entirely possible that you might not see or might not photograph a tiger to your satisfaction. In 2015 we had 23 sightings, and most of these provided photo opportunities. In contrast, in 2012 one of our tours had a total of 55 tiger sightings, and one lucky participant had 34 sightings alone.
A tiger safari perhaps embodies the real meaning of wildlife photography and all that this truly implies. In contrast to a photo trip to Antarctica, where one practically stumbles over the photographic subjects like penguins and seals, or East Africa, with multiple charismatic mega fauna – rhinos, elephants, big cats and nearly two dozen other species reasonably easy to see and photograph - one has to work for tigers, and have luck at the same time.
This trip goes to one of the best tiger parks for quality photography. But I cannot stress enough that even in being in the best parks, and scheduling our time allocation in such a way to maximize our chances, ultimately, photographing the world’s rarest big cat in its jungle habitat is a matter of luck.
I’m not trying to discourage the right people from joining us, and I sincerely believe we offer the best tiger shoot available (our past numbers and images should confirm that). However, I do want to discourage the wrong people from joining us. The people we’d love to join us are those who can accept the possibility of failure, of not getting their dream shot. Those people are the ones who can appreciate all of India’s wildlife and will take the time to photograph the peacocks and langur monkeys and gaurs and various species of deer and birds that can make any excursion into a park a rewarding experience. People who truly realize that India is not Africa or the Pantanal or some other wildlife rich area, and that for tigers, one is dealing with their habitat of forest and jungles and sometimes the inane or incomprehensible (to us) rules that are implemented in various parks.
Game drives are restricted to established tracks, and so a tiger in clear view in an open field may be too far away for good shooting. This can be frustrating, but it also saves this dry environment and it does provide peace for the tigers from harassment. If a cat wants to be by the road it will be, but it makes the choice; not you or your driver. People comparing Africa with India can become frustrated, but the best, and really only, wild tiger photography in the world occurs in the Indian parks, and these are their rules.
We love photographing in India and although we’d love to have easier tiger photography it is what it is. Luck, a good attitude, good karma and a desire to shoot a complete portfolio of Indian wildlife are the qualities required to really appreciate this experience; this endeavor to photograph the world’s rarest big cat. It is not always easy, and immediate gratification is quite rare, but we are talking about the trophy cat, the rarest cat, the most beautiful and charismatic cat, and we certainly believe that the prize is worth it.
About Your Leaders
Read more on Joe and Mary Ann
My wife Mary Ann and I strive to provide the most comfortable and thorough safari you will experience. Both Mary and I are professional photographers, and I'd hope you've seen our credits. These included National Geographic, National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Living Bird, Birder's World, and most nature/wildlife calendars.
As a husband/wife team, Mary Ann and I have won more times in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition than any one. To date we have had 15 firsts, seconds, or thirds -- and we have not entered every year. Our trips are not about us, however, they are all for you, but credentials seem to matter, and we have them.
Mary has written twenty-nine (29) children's books, including Leopards, Grizzly Bears, Woodpeckers, Flying Squirrels, Sunflowers, Cobras, Jupiter, Boas, Garter Snakes, Pythons, Rattlesnakes, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, and Cows, and a coffee table book, Out of the Past, Amish Tradition and Faith.
I've written several how-to wildlife photography books -- A Practical Guide to Photographing American Wildlife, The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual, The Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, Designing Wildlife Photographs, Photographing on Safari, A Field Guide to Photographing in East Africa, and the New Complete Guide to Wildlife Photography, African Wildlife, Creatures of the Night, The World's Deadliest, and several ebooks. We have produced an instructional video, A Video Guide to Photographing on Safari with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald.
We are both editors for Nature Photographer magazine.
In addition to leading our trips to Tanzania, Mary and I personally lead photo safaris to Kenya, Brazil's Pantanal, Chile, Galapagos, Svalbard, India, Alaska, Rwanda, Yellowstone, Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Falklands, Antarctica, South Texas, Arizona, and some other spots, too!
As with any International trip, we strongly recommend you purchase travel trip insurance.
Contact us by e-mail:info@hoothollow.com
Phone us at 717-543-6423
Or FAX us at: (717) 543-5342
