Loading search...
Bret Charman comes towards the end of his month-long trip to India with visits to some famous landmarks, his mission to take as many photographs as possible …
Taj Mahal by Bret Charman
The morning after my Tiger sighting in Kanha I was to move on to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and after a 6-hour drive I arrived at my fourth Tiger Reserve in central India. Bandhavgarh has been known for the last few years as India’s premier Tiger Reserve and, until recently, it was thought to have the highest concentration of Tigers in India. I was only to have one game drive in this spectacular park and had no luck with Tiger sightings. I did get to enjoy the park's diverse wildlife and the spectacular rocky massifs that split it into different areas. I spent the night in Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge before I moved onto the much drier and dustier Panna.
Panna is a park that is in the process of being restocked with Tigers and, as there are currently less than 10 Tigers in the park, it was unlikely that I would see a Tiger. I was lucky enough to see some of Panna’s more unusual wildlife, however, such as the Chinkara, as well as seeing signs of both Sloth Bear and Striped Hyena. The usual wildlife of India was also on show and there were some huge Sambar stags showing off their large antlers. This park is close to the famous Hindu temples at Khajuraho and after a night’s stay at Ken River Lodge I went to visit these historic temples for myself. Khajuraho is best known for its erotic sculptures carved into the temples’ walls but the history alone makes this site one of great interest and it is well worth a visit. In the evening I caught the Shabtadi Express to Agra and the next day I was planning to see the sights of this historic city.
After a comfortable night in one of Agra’s many tourist hotels I needed to be up at dawn and then head to the Taj Mahal. After a short transfer we arrived at the heritage centre and caught the tourist bus up to this famous building. Nothing quite prepares you for the splendour and sheer scale of this fantastic building. The symmetry, grandeur, landscape and setting all add to the ‘wow factor’ of this world famous landmark. It is even more impressive when you think it was built as mausoleum to the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. After a wonderful morning discovering the history of this iconic landmark I moved on to the great fort of Agra. Agra Fort is better described as a walled city and it housed the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan’s palace. This also became his prison when his son tried to seize power from his father. After a leisurely tour around the fort it was time to head back to the hotel and pack my things for the last time. This was my last day in India and I was to catch the train to Delhi, where I would be flying back to the UK. The Shabtadi Express is a fantastic train, mainly used by tourists, with food provided and it is very comfortable. After a fantastic few weeks in India it was time to head home and make myself comfy at my desk in Naturetrek’s Hampshire offices.
For more information on our tours to India, click here.