Tag Archives: wildlife

Satpura National Park: Luxury Safari to the Heart of India

Adventure Travel, Cultural Journeys, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, Trip Departures India, Wildlife, , ,

On the 40th anniversary of Ibex Expeditions, Mandip and Anita Soin, owners and Directors, take you on an enthralling personally led deluxe journey through this forest declared as a National park in 1981. Have you considered walking in a forest in the footsteps of erstwhile explorer, Captain James Forsyth of the Bengal Lancers who traversed this forest in 1862? The Satpura Tiger reserve covers 528 km from Gujarat in the East through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and is an extensive forest area with unique flora and fauna and is the only tiger park in India that allows for a controlled walking safari and mobile camping access accompanied by forest guards.

We first experience a walking expedition through the forest spending two days in a mobile camp. Later we experience the deluxe Reni Pani safari lodge and engage in canoe and jeep rides, all the while enjoying the local hospitality and community interactions. We then travel to the beautiful Ahilya fort (Relaix and Chateau) in the countryside town of Maheshwar living like a royal and explore the countryside with its seamless confluence of textiles, culture, serenity, and architecture. Boat rides on the Narmada river, island picnics and drinks by the poolside sum up the high life as you retreat into a bygone era of simplicity and grace.

Since 2012, Ibex Expeditions has supported the Give Back to Nature programme of WWF India and for each participant of this journey, we will donate US $ 40 per person.

Itinerary

Arrival Delhi

On arrival into IGI Delhi airport at hours, you will be met by our Office Assistant, holding a name placard followed by transfer to your hotel. Since your arrival is late at night, check-in to your hotel and rest.

Hotel: Imperial 

Delhi

After breakfast, proceed on a guided tour of Delhi at 0930 hours which includes the city’s world heritage sites. Drive through New Delhi roads & sights such as India Gate, The Presidential Palace and Parliament house to get a feel for the grand new city that Sir Lutyens built in the early 1900s.

Meals: Breakfast

Delhi – Bhopal by plane

Early morning transfer to airport to board the scheduled flight to Bhopal. Flight AI 435  ( 0555 – 0720 hours). On arrival at Bhopal airport, transfer to your retreat on the outskirts of the town. Post lunch at 1400 hours, your private city guide will report to the hotel for a guided excursion to Sanchi stupa (45 km one way). Today, the remarkably preserved Great Stupa is the centerpiece of Sanchi’s World Heritage-listed Buddhist monuments. Return to the retreat in the evening for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Meals: Breakfast on the plane, lunch and dinner

Hotel: Jehan Numa Retreat

Bhopal – Satpura Park by road (4-5 hours)

After breakfast, check out and drive to Satpura National Park. Satpura National Park covers 1500 sq. km of a unique Central Plateau Highland ecosystem, with rugged terrain, valleys, rivulets, waterfalls and narrow gorges. The park is rich in biodiversity and is the abode of numerous species of flora and fauna. The area’s stunning topography coupled with the abundance of wildlife it contains caters to a variety of interests and a combination of ways to explore them. In the afternoon proceed on a guided nature walk in the buffer zone. The feeling of being in the jungle with no separation between wildlife and oneself is truly exhilarating and is an experience any wildlife enthusiast would cherish. Birdwatchers and butterfly enthusiasts enjoy viewing the ample bird and butterfly life.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Hotel: Reni Pani

Satpura Park – Pachmarhi by road (2-3 hours)

Early morning after breakfast at 0630 hours, check out and drive to Panchmarhi at 0700 hours, a lovely hill station nestled in the highest peaks of Satpura. Upon reaching Pachmarhi, you will commence your descent towards Dehelia camp which will be used as the point for your first campsite. This walk is extremely unique, and patrons get a one of a kind opportunity to witness the transformation from Sal to Teak forest. The first 7 km is a steep decline to the Kanchighat where you will stop for lunch. Here, there is a wonderful perennial stream where you can take a dip and enjoy an array of colorful birdlife including Red-Whiskered Bulbul, Indian Nuthatch, Oriental White-eye, Common Tailorbird, Indian Yellow Tit and beautiful damselflies like the Stream Glory and the Stream Jewel. After lunch, you will walk another 6 km to the picturesque Dehelia camp located on the banks of the Denwa River. Your exclusive mobile camp will be set up along a lovely sandy beach on the river. Look for the Indian Giant Squirrel here. Enjoy cups of specially brewed aromatic coffee from the Chikmaglur estates in South India, in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Hotel: Private Camp

Satpura

You will wake up to the symphony of the flowing Denwa River. Breakfast will be served at 0700 hours. Today you will embark on a 16 km partly along with banks of the Denwa and in some pristine woodland habitat. As you walk along the Denwa you will be witness to the magical change in scenery that Satpura offers. High sandbanks, narrow waterways, and a beautiful confluence with the Bainganga River all await your strides. One may need to wade through knee-deep water at times to adventurously get to Jhela camp (9 km) which will be used for your lunch stop. After Jhela, you leave the Denwa river bed and walk 6 km through dry deciduous woodland towards Manakachar where your exclusive mobile camp will be set up for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Satpura

After breakfast in the camp, drive to Reni Pani lodge and check into tented rooms and cottages. After lunch, around 1430 hours you depart for a game park drive in open-top Jeeps looking for Tigers, Sloth bears, and birdlife. The state forest department guides along with the naturalists deliver a truly exhilarating experience filled with insightful knowledge on the flora and fauna that is indigenous to the Satpura Tiger Reserve. This evening you will be treated to a talk and presentation by Managing Director, Mandip Soin – ”Tales of an Explorer”.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Satpura

This morning return to the park for another game drive and resume the romance with wilderness and its many denizens. Return to the lodge around 1000 hours for breakfast. At 1130 hours, enjoy a yoga session led by Mandip Soin. Learn about various asanas such as shavasana (the dead body posture) and sukhasana (Easy sitting posture). The session will also include a guide to breathing and meditation. Duration – 45 minutes. A brief culinary class with the lodge chef is an interesting and fun way to learn about Indian cuisine early this afternoon. In the afternoon, you depart from the lodge for the Tawa Reservoir where you canoe for a few hours. Enroute you visit a local school and interact with the teachers and staff. Return to the lodge for dinner and rest.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Satpura – Bhopal by road (4-5 hours)

Early this morning, you visit the park for the last time, on a thrilling game drive. Return to the lodge for breakfast. Later check out and drive to Bhopal town via the Bhimbetka caves, a world heritage site listed by UNESCO. Your guide will meet you at the caves directly. The evening is at leisure after check-in at the Jehan Numa Palace in Bhopal.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Jehan Numa Palace

Bhopal – Maheshwar by road (5-6 hours)

After breakfast, you will check out at 1000 hours and make the last of your long drives for this trip. You will arrive late afternoon and check into the deluxe Ahilya Fort. Today you will visit the town of Maheshwar, starting with the statue of Rani Ahilya bai seated on the throne in the Rajgaddi within the fort complex. Other rooms in the fort are open for public viewing, too, and you can see other heirlooms and relics of the Holkar royal family. Ahilya Fort and the town of Maheshwar itself house several multi-tiered temples that are worth visiting. At sunset, you will go on a boat ride along the Narmada to get a different view of this unique town, and dinner will be back at the fort.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Hotel: Ahilya Fort

Maheshwar: Day excursion to Mandu

After breakfast at the Fort, drive 65 km (1 1/2 Hours) to Mandu, the 15th-century city with marvels of early Islamic architecture. Enjoy a picnic lunch near the old gates to Mandu, the Tarapur Darwaza. Mandu or the ‘City of Joy’ embodies the love of the poet Prince Baz Bahadur for his consort Rani Roopmati. The Balladeers of the region still sing about their love. Each structure in Mandu is an architectural gem. After a day filled with romance, weave your way back to the fort. This evening you will experience a hand-paddled wooden boat as it glides through hundreds of flickering lamps on the river. Local musicians will serenade you from their vessel and hotel staff will serve your local refreshments. Once you’ve reached magical Rupmati’s Island, disembark for your special candlelit dinner. Return to the fort after dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Maheshwar – Indore airport by road (2-3 hours) – Delhi by flight – International departure

After breakfast, check out by 0830 hours and transfer to Indore airport to board the scheduled flight to Delhi. 6E 509 (0945 – 1115 hours). On arrival at Delhi airport, transfer to hotel Trident Gurgaon, where a room is reserved for day use only. This evening/night transfer to International airport to board onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast

To know more about this journey this year, please get in touch with us at ibex@www.ibexexpeditions.com

40th Anniversary of Ibex Expeditions

Ibex Expeditions Introduces 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Journeys

Adventure Travel, Cultural Journeys, Ecotourism, Luxury Travel, Responsible Tourism, Trip Departures India, Trip Departures International, Wildlife, , , , , , ,

40th Anniversary of Ibex Expeditions

On it’s 40th anniversary Ibex Expeditions invites you to its  Limited Edition Anniversary Journeys

In 1979, in a small room in the Manor hotel, New Delhi, four friends manifested their dream of a pioneering adventure travel company by establishing Ibex Expeditions. Mountaineer, Explorer and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Mandip Singh Soin was one of them.

Four decades later, this has been a journey of innovation, enterprise, accolades, creativity and today, the company is owned and managed by Mandip and his wife Anita, an artist and poet who brings her own creativity to designing journeys with unusual themes.

Guests are welcomed into a world of heightened wonder, style, adventure, luxury that only a truly epic journey can evoke.

MANDIP SINGH SOIN FRGS - Ibex Expeditions

On this milestone of our 40th anniversary, we invite you to book a special small group journey led and hosted by the owner family in a series of holidays in India and Sri Lanka with travel experiences exclusive to our guests, privileged access to extraordinary places and inspirational people and meaningful connections along the way.

Ladakh – The stairway to heaven – September 2019

Ladakh Tour - Ibex Expeditions

Following a theme of a Responsible Eco adventure walking in the footsteps of the snow leopard, this photo adventure  journey in Ladakh is led by writer, photographer and Ibex Director, Himraj Soin. You will discuss Buddhist traditions and visit local communities, learn about renewable energy projects with conservationists, visit organizations promoting sustainable development and walk along hillsides dotted with chortens and monasteries with exquisite Himalayan vistas.

Madhya Pradesh – Walking safari – Satpura under Canvas – November 2019 

Madhya Pradesh - Walking safari | Ibex ExpeditionsMandip and Anita lead a special journey to the heart of India recreating the old explorer world of a walking safari in the footsteps of Captain James Forsyth, an explorer who served in the Indian Army in the late 19th century in the forests of Satpura in the state of Madhya Pradesh. We will stay in deluxe camps (glamping) and old-world charming lodges and immerse ourselves in art, beauty, forests, wildlife and recipes from the Nawab family kitchens. Satpura Under Canvas is a unique mobile camping and gentle walking experience through the Satpura Tiger Reserve. We also visit Bhopal, Mandu, Maheshwar where you will enjoy a royal retreat and the luxury Relaix & Chateau Ahilya Fort, the private palace of the erstwhile Holkar dynasty.

Himali Soin will be leading the journey in Sri Lanka
Himali Soin will be leading the journey in Sri Lanka

 

Sri Lanka – The Isle of Paradise – November 2019

Sri Lanka - The Isle of Paradise - November 2019 | Ibex ExpeditionsArthur C Clarke, British science fiction writer, futurist and inventor is our inspiration and we capture his spirit in a journey across Sri Lanka led by artist, poet and Ibex Director, Himali Singh Soin. We will stay at Colombo Swimming Club where Clarke spent his days, visit Anuradhapura Sci Fi monuments, Una Watuna, a coastal town where Clarke lived, and star gaze in a remote location, all the while reading Rendezvous with Rama.

Rajasthan – The Land of many Colors – March 2020

Himraj Soin will be leading journeys in Ladakh and Rajasthan
Himraj Soin will be leading journeys in Ladakh and Rajasthan

We welcome Spring and the festival of color, Holi with a journey of color and vibrance across the landscape of Rajasthan through boutique heritage hosted stays from the cities of pink, blue and gold to the Thar desert visiting ancient step wells and communities on village safaris and staying in Relaix & Chateau heritage homes with Mewar heritage architecture. Led once again by Himraj, National Geographic trip leader.

Costa Rica – a private journey for the Ibex Explorers Fellowship members
Led by Mandip and Anita, we will traverse the ideal destination of Costa Rica, a country that stands apart from its neighbors as a rich bio diverse country with farm to table restaurants and sustainable tourism. The journey will have rain forest hikes and high-altitude trails, rushing white-water rapids and kayaking into canals.

Mandip and Anita will be leading journeys in Madhya Pradesh and Costa Rica
Mandip and Anita will be leading journeys in Madhya Pradesh and Costa Rica

It is rare that Mandip and Anita themselves lead an Ibex Expeditions journey. Their young adult children are both trip leaders with National Geographic and come with their own expertise of photography, writing and poetry.

The journeys will be first-come-first-serve.

Hurry along, the adventures await!

Email us for dates and detailed itineraries at: ibex@www.ibexexpeditions.com

Satpura National Park Holiday Tour - Ibex Expeditions

Treading on the Explorer’s Trail in Satpura National Park

Adventure Travel, Ecotourism, Responsible Tourism, Wildlife, , , , , ,

Satpura National Park Holiday Tour - Ibex Expeditions

Ibex Expeditions  recently organised The Panchmarhi Trail in Satpura National Park with partners Reni Pani Lodge for the delegates of ATTA’s Adventure Connect. The journey, led by Mandip Singh Soin and a senior naturalist captured the explore spirit, was full of wonderful sightings of birds, squirrels, a leopard and pugmarks!

Satpura National Park Holiday Tour - Ibex Expeditions

The five day journey  began at Panchmarhi, also known as Satpura ki Rani, a hill station and part of the national park. The travellers, treading the footsteps of Captain James Forsyth, the original explorer of Satpura National Park  (he belonged to Bengal Lancers and entered the park looking for Indian freedom fighter Tantya Tope) and reached Dhelia camp. The Reni Pani lodge is magnificent. Private tents along the river located just outside the buffer zone of the national park. Beautiful views all around. And the best part? No plastic along the trail!

On our first day in the park, while on a jeep safari, we spotted a leopard, barely 10m from us! Just sauntering along. What tremendous grace the cat has.

The next day was a 16km walk further in. We spotted the exquisite Indian Giant Squirrel, who flew from branch to branch. They build their nests on top of the branches with leaves. They neatly place one leaf after another and make their cosy home. It was quite a sight for us.

The twelve of us had three forest guards walking alongside throughout our journey. We spotted a number of birds—wagtails, grey herons, black bellied terns; even heard an owl hoot!

Satpura Jungle Safari- Ibex Expeditions

On our way we kept seeing pugmarks. The guards told us they were three-days old. On the second day of our trail we saw pugmarks that were two days old. Things were heating up! Finally, on the third day, just about a 100m after our lunch stop, we saw a massive drag mark, going all the way from the river to the sand over a rock. The guard told us that the tiger must have had a major kill – a sambhar or a deer and dragged the prey along. It was an incredible sight.

We continued to Manakhachar, our second camp, and walked around the fields and meadows before driving back to Reni Pani Lodge.

We travelled and explored using various means of transport — jeep safari, rowing in local canoes for bird spotting, cycling around the fields, and of course our very own two feet.

Satpura Tours Bird Flying- Ibex Expeditions

It was a wonderful experience overall. We plan to organise similar wildlife-centric journeys in the future. Perhaps combine a journey to Satpura and Bandhavgarh. 🙂

To know more about our special, customised journeys, get in touch with us at ibex@www.ibexexpeditions.com

 

 

On the Wild Side – Part III

From the Archives, , , , , , ,

THE SEASON TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS:

It sounds like the name of India’s satellite launch vehicle. But it’s actually a mountain. And a formidable one at that.

Dubbed one of the great challenges of the Garhwal, Swargarohini is located in the Tons Valley and boasts five summits. According to Hindu mythology, the mountain was the ‘path to heaven’ for the Pandavas. But for modern climbers, it remains and elusive achievement.

But that is not to say mountaineers have stopped trying to conquer it. one early-bird expedition has already arrived from Britain and will attempt to scale Swargarohini I at 6252 metres. The British team, comprising just two memers, will be among the first climbers of this season.

The experienced British dup – Nick Banks and Chris Smith – will be taking the same route as I had in an unsuccessful 1989 expedition. This involves the ascent of Swargarohini II and the a knife-ridge traverse across to the main summit. Nicks is an instructor at a National Mountain institute in the UK – Plas-y-Brenin – located at the foot of Mt. Snowden in North Wales. Within this background, the team’s chances are good.

Swargarohini will not be the only peak to face conquest attempts this season. Another one will take place in August-September on a mountain called Hagshu – height 6330 metres – in the Kishtwar region of J&K. A team of four, led by John barry, will scale its north face for the fourth time. They have been beaten back by weather in the past, but they hope to crack the summit this time around.

Barry is a British Army marine, and was also the principal at Plas-y-Brenin, my alma mater. Weather permitting (autumn is generally more stable), John has an even chance. Alsom he will not be under any pressure to perform as he is not considered a die-hard unlike the British duo attempting Thaley Sagar.

Giants of British climbing Joe Brown and Mo Anthoine have attempted Garhwal’s Thaley Sagar, with its treacherous and steep north face, before. On their last attempt they climbed the imposing rock head wall and finally got to the last few hundred feet of snow and ice which lay capped on the summit.

Then calamity struck. While stretching out to relax, Anthoine suddenly pushed a rucksack down the mountain. The rucksack carried with it the climbing gear which was necessary to reach the summit. But they took the setback well and called the expedition off.

A type of peak which is becoming popular among climbers is what is called the 7000 metre-plus ones. Peaks like Nun (7135 m) and Kun (7077 m) in Zanskar top the popularity list. A specialized mountian guide agency advertizes the summit and gets mountianeers to sign on for expeditions.

One such successful agency, Allibert of France, has been sedning teams to Kun via the east ridge (Nomale) for the past five years now. It boasts an impressive success rate of nearly 60 per cent.

The peak is not difficult and lies in the remote Zanskar region. The weather is stable, though there is the danger of crevasses en route, and of black bears at the base camp. But it is an exhilarating climb for those yearning for rarefied oxygen at 7000 metres.