INDIA AND THE PALACE ON WHEELS
February 21 - March 6, 2008*

Photo courtesy Peter Roberts

GENERAL INFORMATION: This specially designed Victor Emanuel Nature Tour (VENT) tour will provide an opportunity to experience the very best of Southern India’s wildlife and landscapes. We will spend a few days on the luxurious Deccan Odyssey, India’s premier train, visit some of India’s foremost national parks, and visit several outstanding ancient cultural sites such as the World Heritage caves of Ellora and Ajanta, and Daulatabad Fort.

The Western Ghats granite mountains extend the entire western edge of peninsular India, rising from emerald-green lowlands garnished with rice paddies and a mosaic of deep, little-known forests where species reside that are found nowhere else in the world. We’ll search for Gray Junglefowl, Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, Malabar Trogon, White-bellied Treepie, and Small and Loten’s sunbirds. Our explorations will include the magnificent Nagarhole National Park, which contains the best concentrations of wildlife in the peninsula. We will explore remnant patches of bird-rich montane forest among little-known shoals hidden in the granite mountains, semi-arid woodland, and a medieval village graced by Painted Storks and Spot-billed Pelicans nesting in the thatched roofs. We may also encounter Red Spurfowl, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Indian Pitta, Kashmir Flycatcher, Forest Wagtail and Black-throated Munia. Southern India is home to several large herds of Asian elephants, and, we may also encounter the giant gaur, Nilgiri Langur, Bengal tiger (with a bit of luck), dhole (Indian wild dog), and if we are very fortunate, the peculiar sloth bear. We may also encounter mammals such as the spectacular Indian giant squirrel and the leopard.
 

Accommodations range from a Maharaja’s palace in the city of Mysore to the attractive Kabini Lodge located within roaring distance of Nagarhole National Park and some of Southern India’s richest forest areas.


*All arrangements are made through Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) by calling 800-328-VENT. Make sure you tell them that you are a NJAS member.  Please contact VENT directly for more information, or to register.
 

DATES:  February 21 to March 6, 2008.  Trip departs from Bangalore and ends in Mumbai.

PRICE: Cost for this tour is $9,995 based on double occupancy from Bangalore. Single supplement for this tour is $1,700.

TOUR LEADERS:  Led by Victor Emanuel Nature Tours leaders, and NJAS VP Natural History Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne is best known for his prolific writing, engaging wit and unique view on the natural world.  He recently released Pete Dunne on Birding and his next project will be a Field Guide to the Birds of North America.  Pete is also a veteran tour leader, having led tours to Africa, Australia, Argentina, Antarctica, Ecuador and Panama.  He has also visited Peru as well (but only once) and looks forward to sharing this extraordinary experience with our travel participants.  Pete has been with New Jersey Audubon Society for 28 years and currently is the Society’s Vice-president for Natural History Information as well as Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory.
 

NJAS Eco-Travel at: (908)-204-8998
9 Hardscrabble Road
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
or email travel@njaudubon.org.

If you are not a member and would like to become one, consider Joining New Jersey Audubon Society.