Tigers of Central India — The Meadows & the Canyon

Arrival · Private Transfer to Kanha

After the drive from Jabalpur, the first thing I want you to do is nothing — just sit on the verandah, listen to the forest, and decompress. We'll have dinner together that evening and talk through what you want from the next ten days. Camera settings, what wildlife we might encounter, how to read light in an Indian forest at dawn. It's always a good conversation, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Safaris in Kanha National Park

We're out before sunrise every morning in private open vehicles — just our small group, a naturalist who knows this forest better than anyone, and me. Kanha rewards patience. The meadows here are extraordinary, and when a tiger moves through that golden grass in early morning light it's the kind of moment you don't forget. During the safaris I work alongside you — on composition, on reading animal behaviour before it happens, on how to expose when the light is changing every few minutes. Afternoons are yours to rest or go through images together. Evenings we go back out for golden hour, which in Kanha is something else entirely.

Final Kanha Safari · Road Transfer to Panna

One last morning in Kanha, then a long lunch and the drive to Panna. It's about seven hours but the road takes you through the heart of Madhya Pradesh and there's something quietly wonderful about it. By the time we reach the lodge the forest is dark and the stars are out. Good time to talk about what Panna is going to ask of us photographically — it's a completely different challenge.

Safaris in Panna Tiger Reserve

Panna feels ancient in a way that's hard to explain until you're in it. The gorges, the Ken river, the light hitting sandstone at dawn — it photographs completely differently from Kanha and that's exactly why I pair them. The tigers here are harder to find and more dramatic when you do. We also spend real time on the river ecosystem — the gharial, the vultures, the kingfishers. Evening sessions shift towards post-processing and how I think about editing wildlife images without losing what made the moment real.

Final Safari · Departure from Khajuraho

Last safari at dawn — always worth it, Panna has a habit of saving something for the final morning. Brunch at the lodge, then I'll see you to Khajuraho Airport for your flight back to Delhi or Mumbai.