The Forsyth Trail

You arrive in Mumbai, amid all the heat, colour, noise and energy you would expect from the world’s sixth most populous city. At the airport you are met by a driver and taken to Hotel to relax and freshen up before being taken to Mumbai CST railway station to catch the overnight train. Night 1: on the overnight train to Pipariya.

After breakfast in Pipariya, it's a 90-minute drive to Pachmarhi, where you can relax and acclimatise over a leisurely lunch. In the afternoon, you may wish to explore the colourful bazaars of this verdant hill-station, the highest point in Madhya Pradesh and formerly a Victorian summer retreat. You stay two nights in a comfortable guesthouse.

In the morning you meet your guide to discuss the forthcoming days, after which he will take you to visit the five rock-cut Buddhist temples known as the Pandav Caves. These five caves were hewn out of the rock by Buddhist monks, and probably date from the 9th-10th centuries AD. The façades of each are adorned with columns, pilasters and simple carvings. They are named after five brothers of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, and give their name to the town – ‘Panchmarhi’ means ‘five caves’. Another excursion will take you to the atmospheric Jata Shankar cave temple – a natural cave in a deep ravine which serves as a Hindu shrine to the God Shiva.

Leaving Pachmarhi, you set out along the Forsyth Trail, named after an Indian Army officer, Captain James Forsyth, who explored the region in the 1860s and helped establish conservation of the forest. Offering wonderful views, the trail initially winds its way down through the teak, sal (a hardwood tree native to the Indian subcontinent) and bamboo forest of the core zone of the Satpura Tiger Reserve along good forest paths with some steep descents. After approximately five hours, you reach Dehlia, an attractive forest check-point, where you will find a comfortable campsite, hosted by the local communities, set up on the banks of the Dhudhar River.

Today, you can enter the forest with your guide, who will point out the local flora and fauna which includes myriad species of birds and many mammals including deer, monkeys and even big cats; or you can simply enjoy time round the camp and by the river.

Leaving Dehlia, you follow flat sandy tracks and paths along the fringes of the Satpura National Park, with further opportunities to spot more of the abundant wildlife along the way. The forests here are home to over 240 species of birds, including the fabulous paradise flycatcher – the state bird of Madhya Pradesh. Arriving at the pretty forest village of Chopna after 3 hours, you stay in tented camp, again managed by the local community.

Today morning we ride through a different tea plantation through the country side around Limbuguri Tea Estate. Return to Bungalow for lunch. Post lunch visit Barekuri Village (10 Km / 20 min) to see a small group of Hollock Gibbons and later drive back to Dibrugarh. Night in Heritage Chang Bungalow.

With a day here, you can immerse yourself in local village life, getting to know your hosts. Cattle are seen as a status symbol and there are many cows and water buffalo in the surrounding area, plus goats which are kept for milk. A huge variety of fruit and vegetables are grown here – including lemon, papaya, jack fruit, mango, banana, pomegranate, custard apple, guava, pumpkin, cabbage, tomato, onion, chilli, tamarind, coriander, pulses and rice – so you can expect delicious home-grown vegetarian food at each meal. You also have the chance to explore the forest, where you may see antelope, deer, flying squirrel, wild boar or jackal. Your guide will also point out any pugmarks and signs of tiger you hopefully come across.

After lunch, transfer by road to Karmajhiri village on the edge of Pench Tiger Reserve core zone, via Rukhad forest for a game drive. Evening wildlife safari by gypsy jeep (3hrs) in Pench core zone. You may spot bluebull, sambar and spotted deer, jackal, wild dog, hyena, langur, gaur, wild boar and abundant birdlife; and, if you are lucky, sloth bear, leopard or the mighty tiger. Spend a night in park accomodation on the edge of the core zone.

Early morning jeep safari in Pench, return to Karmajhiri for lunch. Road transfer from Karmajhiri to Nagpur (2 ½ hours). Dinner in Nagpur before overnight train to Mumbai.

Arrive in Mumbai, transfer to airport for return flight to back home.