Highlights:

• 3 x Full Day Dawn to Dusk Safaris in Ranthambore National Park

• Best Park to see & photograph Wild Bengal Tigers

• Safaris/game drives in a 4×4 open private vehicle specially adapted for photography (Maruti Suzuki Gypsy)

• No route or zone restrictions, this means ultimate freedom & flexibility in tracking wildlife

• More time in the park simply means more time to track tigers and other wildlife

• Better sighting opportunities - With additional time & zone free access, more sighting opportunity as compared to a regular safari.

• Max 3 guests per vehicle for comfortable watching & photography

• The chance to photograph majestic Tigers in the wild, multiple times

• Most passionate and experienced trackers and drivers who know Ranthambore like the back of their hands

• Less Travel, so maximum time spent in the forest

• Best Recommended Tour for first time travellers, nature lovers & photographers of any skill level

• Stay in a boutique wildlife resort with all meals included

• Photography assistance both on and off the field

Ranthambore National Park is India's most visited tiger reserve situated in the desert state of Rajasthan. It hosts one of the highest densities of tiger in India for virtually guaranteed encounters. Experiencing tigers in the wilds of India is probably one of the most amazing experience you will ever have. The park is an intoxicating mix of nature, history and wildlife which also boasts a plethora of fauna besides the tiger. Ranthambore is a dry-deciduous forest, which means that there is very little undergrowth and most of the trees shed their leave in the dry season. Out of all the tiger reserves in India, Ranthambore gets the least amount of rainfall and as a result there are very few patches with tall grasses. This makes the tigers less camouflaged and easier to photograph. Plus it has an excellent network of forest tracks. All of these factors contribute to some great tiger sightings throughout the year. Since there is little undergrowth and very few patches with tall and thick cover of grasses, the visibility is fantastic. The excellent network of forest tracks allows for much better tracking of animals from vehicles. Ranthambhore is the only deciduous Tiger habitat in the world. The colours of the forest change with every season. It is a vibrant green in October when the park opens after the monsoons. In winter (November to February) it turns into magical shades of Red, Yellow and Green. In summer (March to June), it's more brown and yellow.

Ranthambhore is divided into 10 zones. All zones have tigers. Zone 1-6 are considered premium zones due to higher sighting probability, their geographical location, more water sources etc.

There are 2 kind of safaris in Ranthambhore - Regular Morning / Evening Safaris and Full Day safaris. Regular safari is 3 hours each. In a regular safari we will have to go to one of the allotted zones and Vehicles and guides are allocated on roster system (turns of duty).

Full Day Safari is from Sunrise to Sunset. A maximum of 5 vehicles are permitted to stay inside the forest from sunrise to sunset & are provided zone free access across entire park, allowing us to choose the region of the park we would like to be in at any given time. I strongly recommend doing full day safaris in Ranthambore to have zone free access to all the areas of the park. Its expensive but well worth it, in my honest opinion.

The benefits of the full day tour are that it allow us to stay in the park all day and be completely free to move from zone to zone to zone where you are most likely to see Tigers in their natural habitat and with no time limit. It's a great way of really feeling part of Ranthambhore. It's also the only way to be sure of getting great tiger images as a lot of encounters happen when ordinary tourists have to leave the park.

Full day safari permit allows us to choose specific drivers that are the best for photography. Other visitors are assigned a driver at random, and getting an inexperienced driver can be a disaster for photography. Plus in a regular safari, visitors are assigned a certain zone by lottery, which may or may not be a good area for sightings. Its a shame to see other vehicles having to stop at zone boundaries when there is a tiger sighting perhaps only a few hundred yards away but in a different zone. Full day permit gives us the freedom to go to whatever area on any route we choose so that we can target the areas with the best recent sightings. By being able to place ourselves in the best areas for recent tiger activity, and stay there longer taking pictures, we will maximize our chances of good tiger photography.

Often times in a regular safari, guests fail to see a tiger which is very disappointing indeed but not altogether surprising as there are limited tigers in each zone (being solitary in nature) and they are shy and elusive and not all of them are moving at the same time. So a bumpy and dusty ride in each of the 3 hour long regular safari trips is sometimes all for nothing. We know a sighting in the wild is never guaranteed, but it helps if you can go to a zone which really does have a tiger movement.

This Tour is a dream come true for any wildlife photography enthusiast just itching to create that perfect shot of the magnificent tiger in its natural habitat and experience the wild like never before! On this Tour, you will behold, observe and make images of this astonishing animal. Ranthambore is known to be a temple for our revered national animal, the royal Bengal tiger.

As a photographer myself, I totally understand the need of other photographers. I work closely with the clients to ensure they return home with a portfolio of images that they would be proud to show to their friends, family and colleagues. As a Skipper and Naturalist, I will be guiding in all aspects of photography, natural history, animal behaviour and more. I can also help them with light, composition and different ways of viewing a scene to expand their creativity. Off the field I can help them with post processing their images, so they have a “Wow!” factor. I will also help the clients to prepare for their journey with advice on what gear to bring and what to expect during their travels.

Tiger photography is not an easy thing to do. Unlike, for example, Lions in Africa, Tigers in India are rare and far more secretive. Plus there is a world of difference from a tiger sighting and a good tiger photo-op. I lead from the front and make the decisions about where we go, I have over 500 tiger safaris now under my belt so know the park inside out and so am able to make sensible decisions to ensure that you have the best chance of being in the right place at the right time!

Photographers of all levels are welcome, from beginners to professionals, from iPhone and Smart Phone users to bridge and mirrorless photography enthusiasts to experienced professionals carrying large amounts of photographic equipment.

Photographic Equipment

The most used focal lengths with a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless cameras are usually between 100-400mm.

Ranthambore is also full of magnificent panoramic views and a wide-angle in the 24-70mm range is ideal.

Tripod is not required on this tour as there will be no space to mount it in the safari vehicle. Most of the time you will be hand-holding whatever kit you have as the action is very fast paced, beanbags will be supplied and you can also use the vehicle support.

If you have questions about what equipment you ought to bring, please feel free to contact me.

Climate:

Autumn (Oct and Nov) October: 18 to 36 deg Celsius November: 12 to 30 deg Celcius Winter (Dec to Jan) December: 10 to 24 deg Celsius January: 7 to 19 deg Celsius Spring (Feb and March) February: 11 to 22 deg Celsius March: 16 to 32 deg Celsius Summer (April, May, June) April: 22 to 39 deg Celsius May: 29 to 45 deg Celsius June: 27 to 42 deg Celsius