Duration: 19 nights / 20 days

Places to See : Nagpur - Pench National Park - Jabalpur - Kanha - Chhattisgarh – Orissa

Day 01: Arrive at Nagpur
Assistance on arrival at Airport, later drive to Pench National Park. Overnight at Bagh Van.

Day 02: Nagpur - Pench National Park
Early morning visit to Pench National Park. Visit the sanctuary famous for tiger, blue bull, wild dog, bison, leopard and other species of mammals and birds. Ride the elephant for tiger show. Later back to the Hotel for lunch. Post lunch session again drive to park to see till sunset is best time to visit the park. Overnight at Bagh Van.

Day 03: Pench National Park
Fullday visit the Pench National Park. Overnight at Bagh Van.

Day 04: Pench National Park - Jabalpur
Drive to Jabalpur, check in at Hotel Kalchuri in Bedha Ghat. Evening free at Marble rock.

Day 05: Jabalpur - Kanha National Park
Early morning cruise in the river to see beautiful marble rocks, one of the world heritage sights in India. Later drive to Kanha National Park. Overnight Royal Tiger Resort or Tuli tiger Resort.

Day 06: Kanha National Park
In the morning, visit India's premier Tiger Reserve, in a naturalist's paradise of flora and fauna. Overnight in the resort.

Day 7: Kanha National Park
Visit the Park with elephant ride to see tiger and other large mammals with avifauna. Overnight in the resort.

Days 08 & Day 09: Bhoramdeo Jungle Retreat
Two hours from Kanha, near the site of ancient Khajuraho-style temples, Bhoramdeo Jungle Retreat marks the start of your tribal experience. Here, in rustic simplicity and full board basis, you will be able to tour the nearby 11th century Bhoramdeo Temple site - a smaller version of world-famous Khajuraho - and the surrounding Gond and Baiga villages.

The Retreat offers farmhouse-style living with essential mod cons, and most of all the unusual chance to experience life at Central Indian village level. Many of tribes descendants inhabiting this place today maintain an animistic and close-to-nature way of life that the urban world can only dream of. Markets, festivals and wonderful costumes add to the magic of a walk through this wild but hospitable country, a living journey through a time gone by.

Trekking into the beautiful Maikal Hills and visits to Gond and Baiga markets and villages are part of the regular programme. For the less energetic, you can simply relax at the farmhouse and soak in the delightful views. Evening can watch Baiga tribal dance.

Day 10: Bhoramdeo Jungle Retreat - Raipur - Kanker
Morning after breakfast leave for Raipur and visit Sirpur group of temples, both Hindu and Buddhist. In the afternoon we will drive south on the excellent National Highway 43 to Kanker Palace, Gateway to Tribal Bastar, arriving in time for tea.

Your princely hosts and guides are Rajkumar Surya (known as Jolly) and younger brother Ashwini (aka Jai) of the Kanker Royal Family. (Their elder brother Aditya, current Maharajadhiraj of Kanker, teaches history at St Stephen's College in Delhi.)

Familiarisation with Kanker, the region and its history before settling in with welcome drinks and traditional local entertainment. Kanker Palace/Bastar tours are inclusive full board packages, where the only extras are laundry, alcoholic drinks and discretionary tips.

Day 11: Kanker - Jagdalpur
After an Indian or English breakfast at the Palace, you climb the beautiful, forested Keshkal Ghat, 30 km south of Kanker, which marks the border of Bastar 500m above the plain.

In Bastar, majority of its peoples are still tribal with unique though rapidly disappearing lifestyles.

North Bastar is home to the Muria Gond tribe. You will visit a tribal village near Bahigaon on NH 43, have a picnic lunch in the forest, and a little farther down the road visit the Saathi NGO handicrafts project set up at Kumharpara (Potters' Enclave) near the market town of Kondagaon to maintain and develop the considerable variety of traditional arts and crafts of the region.
You will reach Bastar's capital Jagdalpur in the afternoon to check in to the recently established Naman Bastar Resort about 5 km outside the crowded city.
There may still be time for a visit to a nearby tribal weekly market before a short evening tour of the historic city and handicraft outlets before dinner at Naman Bastar.

Note: Naman Bastar's excellent restaurant only serves vegetarian food. Arrangements can easily be made for non-vegetarian meals in Jagdalpur City.

Days 12 & Day 13: Jagdalpur and South Bastar
Over these two days you will travel out of Jagdalpur into the country of the Bison-Horn Maria and Dhurwa tribes.

You will see a performance of the spectacular local dances and get a good look at village life, costumes, ornaments and customs.

You will visit Tribal Weekly Markets, and see the Chitrakote Waterfall on the Indravati River, which is illuminated after sunset. In the evenings there will be a further opportunity to explore Jagdalpur's absorbing city markets.

You may also have time to visit Kanger Valley National Park an hour or so south of Jagdalpur where there are famous stalactite and stalagmite formations in the Kutumsar and Kailash Caves.

Day 14: Jagdalpur - North Bastar - Jagdalpur
Leaving Jagdalpur after breakfast for Narayanpur - principal town of North Bastar - you will visit en route a Muria village to see an example of traditional dance by young Gotul members. Visit - Narayanpur market on Sunday and Mardoom market of Marias on Saturday, close to Chitrakoot waterfall.

Day 15: Jagdalpur - Kotpad - Kakariguma Market - Rayagada
Morning, drive to Kotpad small tribal textile village in Orissa (30 km). Later visit the Kakariguma tribal market. Further drive to Rayagada enroute visiting Paraja villages near Laximipur areas and Sunset at Hathi pathar. Overnight at Hotel Sai International.

Day 16: Rayagada - Dukum – Niyamgiri - Rayagada
Morning after breakfast at hotel starts for Dukum market of plain Kondhs. After visiting drive to the village of Agaria, metal smith who craft Jewell Aries for Hill Dongaria Kondh people. Later drive to Niyamgiri Mountain to visit few villages of primitive Dongaria Kondhs, with ancient huses, dormitory house and high platform where they used to give human sacrifice. If everything okay then watch their dance by dormitory girls and boys. Later back to Rayagada.

Day 17: Rayagada - Chatikana – Jeypore
After breakfast proceeds to Chatikana to visit the weekly market of Dongaria Kondhs. After spending a good time, drive back to hotel for lunch and later proceeds to Jeypore, enroute visiting two villages of ornamental Baro Paraja tribe. Overnight Hello Jeypore.

Day 18: Jeypore - Onukadalli - Gupteswara - Jeypore
Visir the Bondo villages. Bondos are the most primitive tribes of Orissa living in the mountains called Bondo hills. They belonging to mundari group and speak Remo, which comes under Austro-Asiatic language. The dress of a Bondo woman is remarkable. Take a glimpse into your lifestyle. After photo session proceed to Gupteswara area to see the Dhuruba tribes. Evening back to the hotel.

Day 19: Jeypore - Kunduli - Vizag
Morning proceeds to Vishakhapatnam, enroute visiting the tribal weekly market at Kunduli of Mali and Paraja tribe. Late afternoon arrive at Vizag. Overnight at The Park, The Taj, Grand Bay or Green Park.

Day 20: Vizag - Simhachalam Temple – Delhi
Morning, drive to Airport for departure enroute visiting 11th century Simhachalam Temple. Tour Ends