While tiger tourism may have returned to India, Barbara King of Great Getaways Travel believes there are some must-know pieces of information that travelers ought to be aware of before booking a safari trip to India.
"I was on safari in India last week, staying at Mahua Kothi and visiting Bandhavgarh National Park," she tells Luxury Travel Advisor. "I believe it's vital that we explain to our clients that an Indian safari is not the same as an African safari."
King explains that the guides, for the most part, are not as well trained on an Indian safari, and that guests will see fewer animals. "While Bandhavgarh National Park was a high number, for an endangered species, tigers are scarce many times of the year," she says. The best viewing times are March, April and May, but those times also bring extremely hot weather.
"Mahua Kothi is physically a nice property, but could use a good cleaning. The staff is polite and appropriate, yet not gracious and familial compared to high-end South African camps. The butler hovered over us and often we had to ask him to leave us alone. The focus at Mahua Kothi was more about what the staff had planned versus emphasis on what they can do to enhance our experience - a subtle, but vital difference."