Kanha National Park Extension

After breakfast, you transfer to the airport to board your flight to Raipur. Upon landing, you begin the drive to Kanha National Park. This road trip covers 190 km and takes approximately 4 hours. You travel through the rural countryside, passing colorful towns and villages before stopping in Mandla. This sleepy town serves as a sacred city for the Gond tribes, where the Narmada River acts as a central hub of daily activity. You enjoy a scenic picnic lunch en route before arriving at your lodge.

Kanha offers a dramatic landscape of sal forests and vast grassy meadows known as maidans. Once the site of villages, these open grounds now support a rich variety of wildlife, including tigers and the endangered Barasingha swamp deer. You spend the evening getting oriented with the park's layout. Together with resident naturalists, you study maps to distinguish between the core and buffer zones and discuss the conservation efforts that saved the Barasingha from extinction.

Note: All national parks in Madhya Pradesh remain closed to visitors for afternoon safaris on Wednesdays.

You begin each day early with a wake-up call and fresh tea or coffee before heading out on a morning safari. Accompanied by a resident naturalist and forest guide, you explore the terrain in a 4x4 jeep, searching for tigers and other wildlife. Deep in the jungle, you pause for a picnic breakfast, enjoying hot tea or coffee amidst the wilderness.

Between drives, you unwind at Kanha Jungle Lodge. Situated closest to the Mukki entrance gate, the property sits well-camouflaged within the Sal forest, designed to minimize impact on the environment without cutting down trees. The atmosphere is immersive; you might hear the alarm calls of deer or the occasional roar of a tiger while relaxing in your room. Deer often graze fearlessly within the compound, reinforcing the lodge's deep connection to nature.

After lunch, you embark on an afternoon safari to traverse different areas of the reserve. Your stay connects you directly to India's conservation history, as you are hosted by a family with a heritage spanning three generations of tiger protection. Their grandfather, Kailash Sankhala, served as the founding director of Project Tiger. You have the opportunity to interact with the family and learn about this legacy firsthand. In the evening, you view Tigerland, an award-winning Discovery Channel documentary that premiered at Sundance and highlights the efforts of passionate conservationists, including Sankhala. You conclude the day with dinner at the lodge.

You head out for a final morning safari, soaking in the sights and sounds of the jungle one last time. Following the drive, you travel to Raipur Airport. This trip covers 230 km and takes approximately 5 hours. You board your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel in Delhi to rest or explore at your leisure.

After breakfast and lunch, you transfer to the International airport to board your flight home or continue to your onward destination.