Welcome to the Jungle – Nagzira National Park

First time going to Jungle? First time going to for a wildlife photography workshop?

Join us and experience the jungle like never and learn about the nuances of wildlife photography.

Tour Dates

07th Mar – 10th Mar 2020

Price

22,500 INR per head

(Includes accommodation for 3 nights)

Itinerary
Day 1

We meet at the Nagpur airport by 8 a.m. From the airport we would be travelling to Nagzira national park by Car. The drive takes about 3-4 hrs and we would be expected to reach our accomodation by 12 – 1 p.m.  We would be having the breakfast on the way and we would have lunch once we reach the Pitezhari gate.

Post lunch we would be proceeding to enter the Pitezhari gate. Nagzira is one of the few places where you can stay inside the core area of the forest. Our accommodation would be 12 kms inside the forest near the Nagzira lake.  It would take around 1 hr to reach our accomodation for the gate.

We will be quickly, reaching checking-in to our rooms and will then continue with our afternoon safari.

Afternoon safari in Nagzira is an excellent opportunity to see and photograph the raptors like the Crested serpent eagle, crested hawk eagle, honey buzzard, etc. We will be hoping to see woodpeckers, orioles, shama, etc.

Evening time in Nagzira is the time when one expects to see the elusive ghost of the forest – Leopard. Our guides will try to track the movements of this animal for us to get a chance to see this beautiful creature.

We come back to our room by evening and have some tea.

Evenings would be spent in reviewing the photographs taken by each participant and learning the nuances of photography.  Photographs will be reviewed and the improvements needed in the next Safari(s) discussed.

Dinner would be served by 8:30 – 9 p.m.

 We go to sleep early tonite as next day we would need to get up and start early.

Day 2 and Day 3

Get up early morning and get ready for our morning  safari. Nagzira is also famous for the packs of wild dogs found here.

We start our early morning safari with the aim of finding and photographing these hunters.  

Morning time is also an excellent time to utilize the light for photography. We will try to use this light and photograph all the interesting subjects that we see in the jungle.

We finish our safari by 10:00 a.m. and come back to our room.

Have breakfast, rest and have lunch and get ready for our afternoon safari.

By 2 p.m. we start our afternoon safari. 

We will get to see and learn about the raptors and the various other birds that are  found in this park. Indulge in some bird watching, pug mark identification and generally observing the nature aroung us. 

Learn about the different animals and birds in the forest.

We come back by evening and have dinner.  

Night time is a great time to review your photographs and check the improvements needed for the next day. Our tour leader would help you in identifying and improving the photographs.

Nights in nagzira are best spent listening to the sounds of the jungle – the alarm calls of spotted deer, the call of an owl, night jars.  Additionally it is also a good time to share your wildlife experiences. Participants and the tour leader would sit together and narrate their amazing and rich wildlife experiences till date.

Day 4
We get up and undertake our morning safari and come back by 11 a.m. Have breakfast and proceed towards the Pitezhari gate.

We reach the gate by 1p.m. and have lunch at the gate. By 2 p.m. we start towards the Nagpur airport and reach the airport by 6 – 6:30 p.m.

The tour would end here.

‘Welcome to the Jungle’ tour is a specialy desinged tour for the people who are looking to visit and experience the Indian jungle for the first time.  This tour has been designed to maximise the learning and the photogrpahy experince in the jungle.

The jungle has been carefully chosen to ensure that the participants get an actual feel of the forest and get to see lots if birds and mammals.

The tour leader will help you identify different birds and animals in the forest, identify their calls, identify the pug marks and increase your knowledge of the denizens of the forest.

First time wildlife photography enthusiasts will be given instructions and guidance during the tour about the ways to utilize the lights and to photographs of different subjects. Review sessions of the photographs would be conducted in the evening to improve the photographs. 

Join us on this amazing learning experience!!

Nagzira is a beautiful forest located in central India. It is often known as the Green Oasis of Maharashtra.The Sanctuary harbors beautiful landscapes, ranging from hills, bamboo forests to lush green meadows. The sanctuary has a diversity of plant community.  The major forest type is “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests”.

Nagzira is home to 34 species of mammals and 166 species of birds.  It is also home to 36 species of Reptiles and 49 species of butterflies.

Of the mammals, the most commonly sighted are the Langurs, the Spotted Deers and the Sambar. The elusive Mouse Deer is also sighted here.  Large herds of Indian Bison are also seen in Nagzira. You can see these herds early morning near the Lake inside the forest. Other herbivores seen in the forest include Four Horned Antelope, Barking deer, Hares etc.

Tiger, although a top most predator and the main attraction, is difficult to sight in Nagzira. According to the recent census (2015), there are around 8-10 Tigers in and around Nagzira. The Bamboo vegetation also hinders the visibility to spot these beautiful creatures.

But what it lacks in the number of one big cat, Nagzira more than makes up with the number of its younger cousin, the Leopard.

Leopards abound in Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary. There are around 40-50 leopards in and around the sanctuary. You can hear the leopards moving around the vicinity of the campus, inside the forest, at night.

Another predator which is very common in Nagzira is Wild Dogs.  Quite a number of visitors have been lucky to see them hunt and devour their prey. It is an ideal and suitable place to observe and study these hunters.

You can also spot the good old bruin, bear in this forest. Civet cat and fishing cat are also found here.

Birds abound in Nagzira. Migratory birds can be seen from the months of October- February.You can see the Created Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Grey headed Fish Eagle in this forest. Spotted owlets, collared scoops owl, Indian eagle owl and Jungle owlet are also seen here.The Oriole, Indian pitta, Orange headed thrush, Rufous Tree pie, Jungle Babbler etc are the commonly found birds in this forest.

But the major attraction of this sanctuary is the accommodation which is available deep inside the forest, near the lake. You get to stay inside the forest, close to nature. The fun and adventure in staying inside the forest can be only experienced and Nagzira provides one such opportunity to nature lovers.

There are rest houses, holiday homes and family suite options available. A 32 bed dormitory is also available inside the forest.

All these accommodation facility is provided by the forest department. All the rooms are good, clean and well maintained.  You can book the accommodation from the maha eco tourism website.

Food is served by the canteen situated within this campus. The food served here is vegetarian and is healthy. They take good care of their guests with regards to the facilities provided in the campus.

Inclusions:

  • Accommodation for 3 nights inside Nagzira National park
  • All transfers to and from Nagpur railway station
  • Breakfast Lunch and Dinner for all the days while on tour
  • 6 Gypsy safari’s in the jungle with 6 people in a gypsy
  • All park entry fees
  • Gypsy charges
  • Guide charges
  • Camera charges if applicable.
  • Guidance on the nuances of wildlife photography during the tour
  • Explanation and on field pratice of the basics of photography

 

Exclusions:

  • Travel cost from your starting place and back.
  • Personal expenses such as laundry, water bottles, cold drinks etc.
  • Gratuity/tips to guides/drivers.
  • Any item not mentioned in the inclusions.

      Please Note: Consuming and carrying alcoholic beverages on any of our tours is strictly prohibited.

 

  • Knowledge of the flora and fauna of the forest.
  • Approaching wildlife in the field.
  • Identification of different mammals and birds
  • Pugmark study and bird calls study.
  • Exposure control while taking photographs.
  • Framing and composition
  • Living close to nature Amazing memories Desire to explore other places
  • Please Note: During camp strictly follow the instructions of the camp leader,guide and the organizing staff.
  • Clothing related items:-Light colored clothes (preferably t-shirts, pants, track suits, salwar kameez etc),cap, scarf, handkerchiefs, socks, towel, bedhsheet.
  • Medical related items:- Band-Aid strips, washing and bathing soap, personal medicines prescribed by doctors.
  • Personal Hygiene:-Toothbrush, toothpaste, toiletories, hair cream, comb, napkins.
  • Others:-Torch (with extra pair of batteries), water bottle, sun glasses, camera.