There is a lot more to wildlife in India than just tigers. The best India tours seek to show you the country in its entirety, not just the popular highlights from a TV show. The best wildlife tours in India feature 10 days in Bangalore, or reach into Madhya Pradesh and beyond, that will leave you breathless at the range of wildlife, beauty of the environment and the best overall experience of India possible.
Where are the best wildlife tours in India?
There are two ways to do wildlife tours in India, go north or go south. In the north, the wildlife tours in India focus on the areas of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka. Part of the reason these spots are listed is that this area has four of India’s largest and best National Parks – the Satpura, Kanha, Kaziranga and Nagarhole. To the South, the focus is on the region of Karala and Bangalore. The unique climate of the south makes it ideal to explore the intensity and variety of the flora and fauna in this mostly coastal region.
What do you see?
You can see just about every form of wildlife in India, thanks to the presence of over 89 National Parks and over 400 wildlife sanctuaries. There are also 18 bio-preserves in the country, all of whom are dedicated to preserving the natural balance and ecological order of India. While most people take wildlife tours of India to see the famous Bengal tigers, there are many other animals unique to India that you will see. There are Indian lions and elephants, bison, wolves, pythons, monkeys and more. Depending on where you are, the same species may have evolved to have much different characteristics. No true wildlife tour would be complete without also seeing the Golden Langurs, rhinos and antelope too.
How responsible are the tours?
There is such a variety of wildlife species, and the presence of a very high number of endangered species that conservation is incredible important in both culture and politics in India. It is one of 18 countries that have been designated with a “mega-diverse” animal population. The wildlife tours of India are done in conjunction with conservation mandates that assure that your tourism is helping preserve the ecology too.
When is the best time to go?
November through March is generally the best time to go anywhere in India. The monsoons are over, and the heat has yet to come. If you plan on staying to the North on your wildlife tour, you should come a little later, if you plan on going south the best India tours there can launch off in early October. Wildlife tours in India do occur year round. If you can stand the heat or rain then taking advantage of this is a good idea. There won’t be as many tourists, but you will get to see more unique animal behavior due to the difference in the season too. India is so vast that the climate tends to move from the South to the North across the continent, with each defined area receiving its neighbor’s weather in about a 2 week delay.