Snow Leopards, Tigers and Sri Lanka

Snow Leopards, Asiatic Leopards & Tigers - From £8,400 per Person, Excluding International Flights

Day 1
Upon arrival into Delhi International Airport you will be met by our local representative who will present you with all onward travel documentation. You will then be transferred to your hotel for a relaxing evening.
Overnight: The Leela Kempinski – Deluxe Room – Comfortable, en-suite bedrooms. The hotel has a pool and a choice of restaurants.

Day 2
Early this morning you will be transferred to the Delhi airport for flight to Leh (departing Delhi at 0630hrs and arriving into Leh at 0745hrs), where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. You will have some time to relax and acclimatise, interrupted only by a basic orientation to the socio-political, economical and religious perspectives of Ladakh, an introduction to the local guides and camping crew and a briefing with your tour escort in the evening.
Overnight: The Grand Dragon – Deluxe (B/L/D)
Altitude: 3500 meters

Day 3
After breakfast you will be taken to explore Shey, Thikse and Hemis monasteries as well as a visit to Stok Palace. The Shey Palace and Monastery are in ruins but the monastery is still in use to this day and inside you will find a huge, 39 foot statue  of the Sakyamuni Buddha made of gilded copper. Thikse Gompa is an impressive imitation of Lhasa’s Potala Palace; dramatically perched on a slope overlooking the Indus Valley. Within one of the newly built structures lies a three-story statue of the Maitreya Buddha, one of the most beautiful pieces of religious art in Ladakh. Founded in the 1630s by Stags-Tsang-Ras-Pa under the royal patronage of the great ruler of Ladakh, Sengge Namgyal, Hemis is the largest and richest Monastery in Ladakh.

In the evening, should you wish to, you can head out to explore the Leh markets and visit the Lamayuru monastery.
Overnight: The Grand Dragon – Deluxe (B/L/D)

Day 4
Today you will set of towards Zingchen by car (approx. 2 hours). You will then leave your vehicle and trek to Husing (approx. 2.5 hours) where your base camp for the next few days will be set up.

Husing is at the intersection of three prominent valleys, know globally as “the world capital of Snow Leopard” and you will venture out over the next five days towards the many bye-valleys that vein out of the Husing pastureland.
Overnight: Tented Camp – (B/L/D)
Altitude: 3500 meters-3600 meters-3800 meters 

Day 5
Today your local expert guide will take you on an early morning excursion to the trails frequented by the ever elusive Snow leopard. Your guide will teach you how to track the snow leopards by using different techniques, such as smelling rocks and sand, reading of pug mark, scrape  and scate (stool), and rock-face rubbing of the snow leopard. The expert will also share local traditional knowledge on how to identify the hunt patterns and kill spots of the snow leopard through the other local wildlife!
Overnight: Tented Camp – (B/L/D)

Day 6
Today you will identify “hot spots” and vantage points through mapping and tracking, working closely with the local villagers, gaining their confidence so that they can alert and relay instant information of any signs or actual sightings of the snow leopard. Whilst you're tracking, the support team will shift your camp from Husing to Rumbak. Rumbak Doh offers excellent vistas into the higher ridges where the snow leopards hunt hopefully meaning better sightings!

Here you will be staying in homestays, a unique opportunity to stay with and share the culture of the Ladakhi people in remote villages, while trekking through the rugged habitat of the endangered snow leopard. By staying with the locals of Ladakh, you help them generate income from tourism activities in their region. Rooms are clean and comfortable, lit by candles or solar light and furnished in traditional Ladakhi style with a traditional dry-composting toilet. The owners of these homes are trained to cook and we will have extra staff around to help them with your meals.     
Overnight: Village Houses (B/L/D)
Altitude: 4000-4200 metres 

Day 7
Today you will be tracking the snow leopards within the nearby bye-valleys of the Ranjon, behind Husing and Rumbak. The other two prominent valleys where snow leopard sightings are frequent are that of Tarbung and Kharlung where you will also take day excursions to check out their habitats and trails.
Overnight: Village Houses (B/L/D)

Day 8
Today morning we trek back from Rumbak Doh to Zinchen (Approx. 3.5 hours) where you board your vehicles to be driven back to Leh (approx 2 hours), the rest of the day is your to spend at leisure. Later in the evening enjoy cultural show at the hotel.
Overnight: The Grand Dragon – Deluxe (B, L, D)
Altitude: 3800 mts-3600mtrs -3500 meters

Day 9
Early this morning you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the airport to board your flight to Delhi (departs Leh at 0825hrs, arrives into Delhi at 0940hrs). The flight provides spectacular views of the Zanskar Range to the west, including the two peaks of Nun and Kun, while to the north you easily spot K2, the second highest peak on Earth. Towards the east is the spectacular Chang Thang plateau, a beautiful landscape dominated by vast turquoise lakes and rolling mountains.

Upon arrival into Delhi you will be able to board your connecting flight to Khajuraho (departs Delhi at 1040hrs, arrives into Khajuraho at 1150hrs) then transferred 5.5 hours to Bandhavgarh. One of the smaller National Parks in Central India, Bandhavgarh is set amidst the Vindhyanchal ranges and covers an area of 437 sq km. The forest is tropical, moist and mixed deciduous forest with bamboo in the higher areas and grasslands interspersed with streams in the lower areas. Because of the terrain and the fact that the parks roads cut across the forests, your chances of spotting the tigers here are increased, you might also spot sambhar deer, wild boar, barking deer Asiatic jackal and leopard. As well as the park, the Bandhavgarh Fort is a must see (additional charge). This beautiful fort sits right in the centre of the park and you are able to spend the afternoon with a picnic, overlooking the park!
Overnight: Samode Safari Lodge – Cottage – Beautifully designed, individual cottages with large bedrooms leading out onto a decked veranda. Each cottage has a large en-suite bathroom decorated in intricate local art, which leads out to an outdoor bath and shower. The food here is fantastic and there is a lovely pool perfect for cooling off in during the heat of the day. (B/L/D)

Days 10, 11, 12
Spend three full days exploring Bandhavgarh National Park with knowledgeable guides and naturalists, if you're lucky enough to spot them, the next few days will be spent following the movements of these beautiful creatures.
Overnight: Samode Safari Lodge – Cottage (B/L/D)

Day 13  
After your final morning safari you will be driven to Kanha National Park (approx 5.5 hours). Kanha is one the largest and most beautiful Central India Parks, extending over 1945 sq km of undulating country, including a core area of 940 sq km. Kanha has some 22 species of mammals; the most commonly spotted being the langur, jackal, wild boar, spotted deer, swamp deer and sambhar deer, all of which let you know as soon as a tiger is about and driving through the jungle listening out for their warning calls is extremely exciting! Less commonly seen are the tiger, Indian wild dog, sloth bear, jungle cat, panther and wolf. As well as the mammals, Kanha has over 200 species of birds including the peafowl, crested serpent eagle, hawk eagle and the grey hornbill.
Overnight: Shergarh Tented Camp – Tent – Shergarh is a beautiful tented camp located on the southern edge of Kanha National Park. En-suite tents, individually located throughout a wooded grove, ensure the maximum privacy possible. Each tent is covered by a tiled roof and has its own private veranda and en-suite bathroom, with coolers provided for warmer months. The main house is the centre of action in the evening, with a cosy log fire outside and beautifully home-cooked Indian or continental meals, often consisting of home grown vegetables or locally farmed fish from the lake. (B/L/D)

Days 14, 15    
The mornings will start with a wake-up call and tea before heading off on your morning game drive in the National Park. Kanha is a fantastic park and the tigers here are doing exceptionally well, you might also spot Jungle cats, leopard cats, striped hyenas, wild dog, sloth bear and gaur. Make sure you wrap up in layers as the mornings can be exeptionally cold. Breakfast will be taken in the park surrounded by the beautiful jungle and you will head back to the camp around lunch. The afternoon is yours to relax before heading out on your second game drive around 3pm; spending so much of your day in the park means you will come across a huge diversity of wildlife. You also have the option of nature walks, cycling through the forest and bird watching walks, all escorted by the one of the camp’s naturalists.

The evening’s are spent with the other guests talking over your days adventures and eating delicious, freshly made meals either at the large table in the dining room or outside by the camp fire under the stars.
Overnight: Shergarh Tented Camp – Tent (B/L/D)

Day 16
Following your final morning safari and breakfast you will head back to camp for lunch. Later you will be met and driven to Nagpur for your flight to Delhi (departs Nagpur at 1705hrs, arrives into Delhi at 1825hrs) where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight: Leela Kempinski – Premier City View (B/L)

Day 17
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Colombo (arranged yourselves)where you will be met by our local representative who will hand over your onward travel documents and introduce you to your driver. You will then transfer the short distance to your overnight hotel, The Wallawwa.
Overnight: The Wallawwa – Wallawwa Bedroom – A former traditional manor house, this enticing boutique property is set is acres of beautifully manicured gardens. Its location only 15 minutes from the airport makes it the perfect arrival destination. Bedrooms are beautifully designed are all have en-suite bathrooms. (B)

Day 18
This morning you will be collected early (latest 6.30am) from the Wallawwa and transferred to the Kelani River to board your scheduled flight transfer to the south of the island. The plane seats a maximum of 15 passengers and baggage allowance are limited to 10kgs if you did not travel internationally with Sri Lankan Airlines (otherwise you are allowed your international allowance). All excess baggage is transported by road to your final destination so you should take immediately required items and clothing for the next 24 hours.

The flight is fantastically scenic travelling down the coast and over the historic fort city of Galle, making a stop at nearby Koggala before continuing to Dickwella. On arrival at the Dickwella landing point you will be met and transferred by a local air-conditioned minivan to the gate at Yala National Park where you will be met by a representative of Leopard Safaris and transferred to camp in a 4WD safari vehicle - your first tase of a Sri Lankan game drive...

Leopard Safaris are pioneers of tented safaris in Sri Lanka, offering abundant wildlife viewing opportunities deep inside the national parks, with an excellent chance of seeing leopards, elephants, bears and primates as well as a myriad of birds. You will camp within the park itself, so you can be out and about on safari whilst the rest of the world queues outside the gates, and similarly take a more leisurely pace in the afternoons whilst the rest of the vehicles rush to get back to the gates before sunset! 

Meals are taken al fresco and the food provided is incredible, especially when you consider the limited kitchen resources. Conditions permitting, you will certainly experience a tasty BBQ under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of the Sri Lankan jungle.
Overnight: Leopard Safaris – Tent – Large tents equipped with comfortable beds. Facilities are not en-suite but comfort is a premium and hot showers and flushing loos are available on site (B/L/D)

Days 19, 20, 21, 22
Unlike in Africa, leopards in Yala are not primarily nocturnal hunters, since they have no predators to fear, so they are often to be seen during the day as well. Yala has the highest concentration of leopards anywhere in the world, so you'd be unlucky not to spot these elegant, beautiful cats during your stay in Yala. The male leopards in Yala are very confident animals and they are often seen walking the jeep tracks during the day, seemingly quite unaffected by the jeeps too which makes it a photographers paradise. As well as leopards, the large number of elephants can sometimes be seen wandering on the deserted beaches or bathing in the numerous watering holes in the park. The best time for seeing leopards in Yala is first thing in the morning as the sun is rising and last thing during the day when they generally get up and start thinking of hunting. Each of these days you will head out at dawn and again in the afternoon to take advantage of these peak times.
Overnight: Leopard Safaris – Tent (B/L/D)

Day 23
After your morning safari and breakfast, you will be transferred back to the gate to be collected by a local air-conditioned minivan and taken back to the Dickwella for your flight back to Colombo. The flight departs at 1630hrs and arrives back at the Kelani River at 1720hrs with no stops en route. Again any excess baggage will be transferred by road. After disembarkation you will be met and transferred to the Wallawwa.
Overnight: The Wallawwa – Wallawwa Bedroom (B)

Day 24
You will be met and transferred to the international airport for your flight back home. We recommend a minimum of two hours for check in and the journey to the airport is 20mins. Our representative will be on hand to assist you through the security checks and the check in desks. (B)