Forsyth’s Satpura

The view from my window as I write this is of a dense jungly patch, bright and glossy with post-monsoon vigour. I can hear white-eyes – tiny olive and lemon birds with a white eye-ring – flutng within the foliage. A Common Crow butterfly hovers briefly by some pink lantana flowers and flutters on. A mild breeze moves the leaves. It is end September and the afternoons are warm and still humid. The breeze brings welcome relief. The insect proof netting on the window holds a lone somewhat drab winged creature with interesting wing markings.  I must ask David the resident expert on all wee creatures what it is. Beyond the window a narrow trail meanders into the dense jungle. It would be exciting if it is a trail used by the several species of small mammals that should inhabit this type of habitat. In fact the 44 acres of jungle that surrounds the lodge have been protected and managed to encourage the smaller cats and mammals – porcupines, civets and palm civets, mongoose and smaller rodents – that underpin a healthy habitat but which are so often ignored. When the jungle is so vibrant, it fairly pulses with possibilities. If I can summon the energy I might spend a few hours on one of the nights sitting in the hide. For the moment I might just wander over to cool off in the small bright azure swimming pool where Anant the manager photographed a beautiful Bronze-backed keelback snake swallowing a full grown Brown skink this morning. It’s a very low chlorine pool and in the summers birds regularly flash past swimmers to drink from it. Yesterday, as I finished my swim one of the young tribal boys who form the majority of the staff at Forsyth’s, asked with great aplomb whether I would like a cold beer. Only to help along in his training, I accepted. It was delicious.

Satpura with IndianExplorations.com

Sitting on one of the terraces of the lodge, watching dusk darken the beautiful hills of the Satpura Tiger Reserve across the lake, I was filled with excitement. News of a tigress with cubs in such uncertain times for tigers is always good. When the park opens in two weeks from now, the walking safaris will be hugely enjoyable. The mornings sparkle with freshness and the sandy substrate where the walks take place will still be moist enough to etch a tiger’s track with crisp precision. Perhaps there might be more than one set of tracks to set the pulse racing.

Camel treks in India

Camel Treks in India come in many guises. The most popular – certainly the image that is conjured up by the phrase – is of brightly turbaned men leading camel trains across scrubby desert interspersed with giant sand dunes with a romantic looking desert castle in the background. This is the classic camel trek or camel safari of Rajasthan which are conducted in the Thar desert beyond Jodhpur and all the way to Jaisalmer and Bikaner where the desert plunges into Pakistan. For all it’s clichéd images, this remains a fantastic experience. There is nothing that can match the camels ability to navigate across these inhospitable lands and open up a magical realm of desert communities, wonderfully colourful nomads, amazing if austere scenery and an unimaginable wealth of wildlife. The Rajasthani’s are a naturally large-hearted and hospitable folk to which qualities they bring tremendous style and panache. Typically an overnight camel safari will camp in the middle of the dunes somewhere with not another tourist in sight and under the glitter of desert skies, you will be treated to superb music and food lit by mashals or flaming torches.

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But camel safaris or treks are available across Rajasthan and can go from just a couple of hours to several days. One of the best places to head out into the country-side is in a remote corner of southern Rajasthan where the landscape – while arid, is broken by jagged, rocky hills which are the haunt of leopards and hyena amongst other wildlife. It is a fantastic place to experience the Rajasthan that is rapidly disappearing under the press of 21^st century development. This is still a place where the seasons dictate the pace of life; where a group of nomads on the move – with their sheep and goats, swaying camels loaded with baggage, straight-backed women clothed in bright swirling clothes and white clad, scarlet turbaned shepherds still evoke a timeless way of life – and it is entirely fitting that it should be explored from atop a camel!

Tiger Safaris in India – The high season for travel in India – especially for wildlife safaris – is traditionally from late October until mid April, with February and March being the peak months in north and central India – and for good reason. The bitter cold of January mornings and evenings has lost its edge and the vegetation is beginning to die back allowing for greater visibility especially in the moist forests dominated by sal trees. But the fact is that each month has something special to offer and my favourite time is undoubtedly the green lush period after the monsoon. As I write this in early October, I am in the middle of travelling slowly through the remoter parts of central India visiting old friends in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna Tiger Reserves and checking out the rash of new properties that have crowded into these beautiful places – of which more later.

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At Jabalpur station I am met by my friend Jehan Bhujwala who – with his wife Katie – owns and runs the lovely Shergarh Camp in Mukki, Kanha. As we twist, turn, rock and roll around and through the potholes that do service for the highway between Jabalpur and Mandla I stare delightedly out of the window at the impossibly beautiful countryside we are driving through. Lush deep green paddy fields crowd against the dark green forested hills of the Maikal Range of the Satpura Mountains. This is a region that is blessed with rich soil and plentiful water. It is drained by the stunningly beautiful Narmada River – the Sacred Virgin – that cleanses even the Ganges of its burden of sins. Against the mosaic of subtle greens the cluster of beautiful red-tiled roofs that mark a village or hamlet add interest and depth to the scenery. The houses here are substantial – built of mud and wood with the elegance and beauty of architecture evolved and honed over centuries to deal with the climate, social conventions, practical requirements and available raw materials. Traditional architecture, in short and it is magnificent. I drive through prosperous villages in Jehan’s open jeep that are spotless, uncontaminated by plastic and the horrors of flat RCC roofs.  In one charming village, half the village high street appears to be occupied by just a handful of dwellings stretching amazing distances on either side of the road, pierced periodically by elegant gateways that lead to large courtyards. As I peer through them I can see that behind the outer wall is a thriving community of inter-connected homes, courtyards, wells, barns, cow-sheds – clearly the dwelling of an entire clan where the high wall screens the women folk from public gaze and allows for complete privacy. It is utterly charming and unique to this region.

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We ford crystal clear streams that are overhung by arjuna and jamun trees and patrolled by dozens of species of dragonflies. Indeed nothing can compare with the sheer richness of colourful insect life at this time. Village ponds, meadows, streams have their air-space densely occupied by dozens of hawkers, darters, darners, ghosts, ditch jewels stacked high in darting squadrons, wings glittering dangerously in the sunlight. Magic!

South India Hampi

Tucked away amongst the ancient folds of the Deccan Plateau, amidst a wild landscape of giant rocks that date from billions of years ago, lies one of the world’s great forgotten cities – Vijaynagar better known today as Hampi. Early one morning, in pre-dawn dark, I am taken by my guide to the top of Matanga Hill. Murthy is a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to the history and archaeology of this magnificent ruined city that governed the last great Hindu empire of medieval India – Vijaynagar. He’s trudged up this hill hundred’s of times but he can barely suppress his excitement, chivvying me up the hill as I beg for a break to dip into the flask of hot tea. “On top, on top. Can’t be late”. We make it in good time. Matanga Hill is the highest point in Hampi and we are here to watch the Sun thunder out of the boulder strewn East to illuminate the splendid city below us with the long slanting rays of early light. This is high drama. And it doesn’t disappoint. For one lingering moment the giant technicolour tower or gopuram of the Virupaksha Temple is caught in a slanting beam of light throwing the rest of the temple and the long bazaar street beyond into deep shadow and then suddenly the city is revealed below in a vast, glorious, tragic panorama. Vast broken structures crowd the plain below us, girded to the north by the sparkling blue waters of the Tungabhadra River. I gaze overcome with awe and a strange sadness at so much tortured, broken magnificence. Once this city ruled an empire that stretched from coast to coast and covered the whole vast expanse of the southern peninsula. It commanded such resources, such wealth and such power that awed Persian and European traders and diplomats – no strangers to great cities judges it to be the greatest in the world.

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For over two days I explored this city on foot and by cycle following my inspirational guide who made the history, the art, the architecture, trade and commerce, religion, society and politics of Vijaynagar come alive in vivid detail often reflected or connected to the building or a particular piece of sculpture that we were examining. Nothing in this amazing place is mediocre. Everything is extraordinary and with so much beauty it is only just that the entire city has been declared a World Heritage Site. The great city was destroyed in a paroxysm of regional rivalry in 1565 but even what remains is worth several days of exploration. Vijaynagar or Hampi as it is now known, remains a quiet backwater. For me that is a major attraction because one still gets a sense of personal discovery as one wanders amongst the treasures here often with just a handful of fellow explorers.

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Hampi can be combined with several fascinating itineraries of southern India – depending on your interests.

Bhutan – Lost Land of the Tiger

Several years ago I happened to be chatting to Dr. Chuck McDougal – one of the world’s great experts on the wild tiger (and my ex-Boss) – about his recently concluded survey of some of Bhutan’s forests on behalf of WWF – Bhutan. One of his most surprising finds was fresh sign of tigers that he found between 8,000 and 10,000 feet. This was fascinating information because where Chuck had found the sign was not atop a pass that tigers might use in crossing between one deep forested valley to another. Rather it was in high country along yak trails. Exactly the sort of country where Gordon Buchanan (the cameraman filming the BBC series on Bhutan’s tigers) found his first sign of tiger at over 10,000 feet in the form of a yak kill. We do know of course that tigers are incredibly adaptable. After all, except for the rarified air, the conditions in these high mountains are no different to the habitat and climatic conditions of the Amur or Siberian tiger. But somehow we have grown accustomed to images of tigers in snow-bound taiga. But here you have what is presumably a small population of the Indian race of tigers living in country that we have become accustomed to thinking of as Snow leopard habitat. Indeed this film makes the point that here is one of the last places left on earth where tigers, snow leopards and leopards share the same habitat. There are other places where the two smaller cats may be found together in the Himalayas – but to find a tiger in this high and inhospitable country begs the question as to what keeps them here? What is their prey? This is not a 100 lb leopard but a 500 lb super predator – the largest cat in the world. No doubt some of the answers will be spun out over the remaining two episodes but to my mind the key is the presence of large herds of yaks – the sort of large prey that tigers need. The film begins in the steaming lowlands of Bhutan – in the Royal Manas  National Park just across the river from Manas Tiger and Biosphere Reserve in the Indian state of Assam.

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It is a stunningly beautiful park – especially along the river and the wealth of wildlife of all descriptions that the film reveals make it an absolute joy to visit. Our trips to Manas are never less than 4 nights and now with the possibility of continuing up into highlands of Bhutan through the park, opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities. I can just imagine a ‘tiger trail’ following reports of tigers from the lowlands to the high pastures beneath the snows. Only Bhutan – with its reverence for all life, its tiny population in a relatively large area, its huge forests – could pull off such a trick.

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Lost Land of the Tiger will be broadcast on BBC One at 21.00BST on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd September.

Snow Leopard Trek

Our snow leopard trek is a unique journey in quest of one of the most elusive and iconic of the Big Cats. Guided by experts and contributing directly to the Snow Leopard Conservancy, this exclusive trek gives one a unique insight into the ecology of these exquisite and beautiful creatures in the high Himalayas.

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Snow Leopards are rarely seen, but this trek is not a random one. Although their low numbers and reclusive nature, coupled with the inhospitable nature of their habitat can make the possibility of actually finding a snow leopard the most forlorn of forlorn hopes, our treks narrow the chances considerably. The treks take place at the end of the winter or early spring when the snow is at it’s deepest. The Snow Leopard is tied to its prey, and in vast and inhospitable country the prey is concentrated in the relatively few hospitable areas. By this time of year forage is scarce and the animals descend to the valley floors in search of graze and open ground. This narrows and focuses the search. Our treks concentrate on one such area in the Hemis National Park in Ladakh, south of the River Indus. This is an area that has been the location for snow leopard research and filming in the past. The bonus, and for many the real reward, is the exploration of the natural and human landscape of snow leopard country. The mountains are rugged but indescribably beautiful, as streams and rivers that bring the area to vivid life water the valleys that seam this barren but colourful vastness.

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The snow leopard does not inhabit this mountain fastness alone. It sits atop a complex eco-system and shares it’s habitat with a number of other fascinating creatures like Wolf, wild dog, Blue Sheep, Urial and Himalayan marmots while the skies are patrolled by such charismatic species like the golden eagle and bearded vultures.

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This is one of our most outstanding and inspirational journeys, as you trek in one of the most beautiful regions of the Himalayas and meet and interact the fiendly people who inhabit this harsh mountain area.

Tiger Safaris and Goa

Possibly the best area to see tigers anywhere is the clutch of reserves that span the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (and parts of neighbouring Maharashtra) that occupies the rugged heart of the subcontinent. With relatively low population densities and the largest absolute area of forest, this region – about the size of France – supports 8 tiger reserves of the total 30 that exist across the entire country. The habitats range from moist to dry deciduous jungles and each of the reserves offers a unique experience due to the differing scenery, habitat, surrounding cultural and historic attractions. Some of the reserves like Satpura also offer a unique model of tourism with a greater emphasis on walking safaris and enjoyment of the entire eco-system that the tiger occupies rather than just a tiger centric experience. While it is possible to visit all the parks of this region in one trip, we strongly advise limiting the number of parks to a maximum of 3 with at least four nights spent in each. If you are into walking and enjoying wildlife in a quiet undisturbed manner then Satpura should be part of any mix of parks where Forsyth’s Lodge offers very comfortable accommodation, excellent guiding and a unique wilderness experience. But as anyone who has a bit of experience knows, safaris can be hard work. By the end of two and a half weeks the lodge swimming pools simply don’t cut it for relaxation and thoughts can turn to vegetating by a beach somewhere.

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Goa lends itself perfectly to this role.  Despite the growth in charters this traffic remains pretty localised and huge swathes of coastal Goa remain quiet and charming, with a wonderful selection of beautifully restored boutique resorts and getaways. Some of them are so jealous of their seclusion that they won’t even tell you where they are located until you actually pay for the booking! The sea in Goa is always warm, the food is a delicious mix of Indian and Portuguese and because of it’s Portuguese association the state is exempt many of the excise and customs duties on alcohol that bind the rest of India. You guessed it – cheap and good booze. Which doesn’t mean that Sun, Sea and booze is the sum of Goa’s attractions. The colonial past has left a huge number of beautiful buildings, charming villas and distinctive villages; thriving markets offer some wonderful shopping and the wildlife – particularly the birds – are nothing short of spectacular. People forget that backing the Goa coast is a high range of mountains – the Sahyadris of the Western Ghats which are clothed in wet and rain forest teeming with a colourful array of birds and other wildlife. A couple of lovely camps and lodges allow you access to these treasures and the opportunity to experience the contrast and diversity of Goa. Hmmm, trying to think of a good title for a safari and Goa holiday – Tigers & Vindaloo? Perhaps not…

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Kerala luxury safari holidays are a fantastic option to get away from the crowds and really explore this magical slice of coastal India which encompasses such a variety of landscapes. Start off in the balmy backwaters at sea level and head inland rising to the middle hills and then up into the magical high country of the Western Ghats, the range of mountains that run parallel to the west coast of India for 1500 kms north to south. The coastal strip is narrow and the mountains that back it rise sharply catching the full weight of the monsoon with some parts receiving up to 200 inches of rain.

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Dense rain forest clothed these slopes once housing an incredible diversity of life. And even today – despite the surge of humanity up these mountains – they are counted amongst the worlds 24 biodiversity hotspots. Elephants roam these forests and I’ve seen tracks of tiger at over 600 feet high in the Munnar hills. Endemic species like Nilgiri Tahr (wild goat) and lion-tailed macaques make their home here. Coffee and cardamom with their dense cover are favourite haunts. At the edge of Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the buffer zone forests many of which now have an understorey of cardamom, it is possible to walk and camp in the wilderness. A single fruiting fig can hold one mesmerized as it attracts insects and birds to fruits and more birds hunting the insects and more birds hunting birds.

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As evening falls the canopy comes alive with palm civets, eyes gleaming emerald in the torchlight and the distant trumpeting of elephants is suddenly drowned by the explosive alarm calls of sambar deer that sets the hair on the nape of your neck erect. In the morning you emerge from the tents and head out for another adventure packed day along trails that plunge across streams and then climb out to high clearings with the most exhilarating views you can imagine. And one of the joys of Kerala is that a luxury pad is never far from reach. I’ve always felt a little bit guilty ‘adventuring’ from such a luxury base – but the feeling passes quickly.

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Trekking Nepal- I recently received a letter from a friend from my Nepal days in which he swears that the mountains have become higher – well, they are supposed to be growing at about 2 cms. a year – and that “some b……has gone and made them steeper too!” He does grumpily concede that it may have something to do with the fact that he is now a ‘senior’ – an ill-defined term that has nothing to do with time spent on earth but how well your knees perform going downhill. Of course, the joy of Nepal is that you can walk through jungled plains, or gentle Middle Himalayas or assault an 8000 meter peak. It’s all there. Best to get out there sooner rather than later though, for progress – as defined by the encroaching reach of roads, traffic and all that goes with it – is coming to the mountains and whatever the benefits to the locals, it does bring the sort of change that one is trying to get away from in the first place.

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Being an ex-Tiger Tops man I am admittedly biased but I think by any measure the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge has to be one of the best of its kind anywhere in the world. It has just the right balance of local style, architecture and materials, simplicity, elegance and comfort that makes you feel at home but special. And what a location – a ridge 1500 feet above the Pokhara Valley with a skyline crowded with Himalayan giants – the entire Annapurna massif, Machha Puchhare (Fishtail) – a chiselled stone age dagger piercing the heavens – Peak 29, Manaslu.  The walking from here with the spectacular back-drop is fantastic. Villages and terraced fields crowd the hillside and a path runs east dropping after several miles to the valley floor. One bright December morning a small group of us headed out with an excellent young naturalist guide – a local kid trained by Tiger Mountain. Every breath was a celebration of life. An ancient Tata bus wheezed up a dirt road, grinding past a bright coca-cola emblazoned parasol set sharp against the elegant triangle of Fishtail. As the sun climbed the thermals brought out the raptors – Himalayan griffons, steppe eagles, Greater spotted eagle, Booted eagle and – as we crawled up a short but almost vertical stepped section – a huge bearded vulture dropped down on rocking wings to investigate eliciting the classic remark from Tim H (all of 80 then), “Clearly our speed up the hill suggests that we are dead.”

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Returning to the lodge in the late afternoon, I sat on the verandah cup of tea in hand watching the sunlight change from flat-and-bright to slanting gold. The little wisps of afternoon condensation cleared and as the Sun slipped below the horizon, the high peaks flared pink and vermilion in the alpenglow. So beautiful that even the memory is a pleasurable ache.

Luxury Holidays Sri Lanka – this really does tend to sound expensive, but this is a country not only with interesting culture, beautiful sandy beaches, good wildlife and a rich birdlife, but it is affordable! There are a variety of things to do in this stunning country, be it going for forest walks in Sinharaja Rain Forest or ride an elephant into the jungle to relaxing on a beautiful beach or even going whale watching in season. You can spend a day out with the tea pickers and learn how they produce the tea which is fantastic, visit the elephant sanctuary of Pinnewela or go on a safari looking for leopards in Yala National Park – whatever your interests, the list for exciting things to do are endless and you can never have a dull moment! Although this is a poor country, tourism is one of the largest incomes and you will find the people so friendly and helpful wherever you go, making you feel very welcome right away!

Luxurious holidays in Sri Lanka

Whilst it is great to do all the sightseeing and learn more about the culture, some time relaxing at either the beginning or end of a holiday is extremely important and the more time you have the better. Sri Lanka offers luxurious lodges that are inexpensive and I found a lot of my preferred places in the country are easy to incorporate in any itinerary keeping the price reasonable. I could mention ten top places that are imprinted in my memory forever, but one of them in particular is simply fascinating. A lot of the west coast beaches can get very crowded, so it is only natural that when I found my favourite place for ultimate relaxation, I did not want to leave! Aditya is situated on the south west coast along a private, white sandy beach and near the historic Galle Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is easy to visit whilst staying at Aditya. Galle has beautiful beaches that tend to be less crowded than those around Bentota and it is an eye-catching site to see the traditional stilted fishermen reel in the catch of the day around sunset. For me Aditya not only has the best stretch of private beach, but the fact that it is not a large hotel with no character; instead it is a stunning intimate lodge with colour and passion injected into the place from the locals. Their rooms are luxurious and come with either your own little garden or a balcony with your own Jacuzzi and views of the Indian Ocean! Either way, the rooms are really beautiful with a lot of space, all modern comforts and even the bathrooms are wonderful. If you are on honeymoon or want some quality time with someone, then this is one of the most chilled out places you can find whilst having friendly staff, great service and heavenly food. This all adds to the great time I’ve had here recently and I already can’t wait for my next visit back!

Luxury Holidays in Sri Lanka from IndianExplorations.com