Arrive at Singinawa Jungle Lodge by 11:00am. It is a 4hr drive from both Jabalpur and Raipur. After a welcome drink and general orientation, settle into the room. Following lunch, the guests will be given a tour of the property and a briefing by their respective naturalists, about their plan over the duration of their stay followed by a walk which takes place in the buffer forest that adjoins Singinawa along the river Tannaur. The walk is aimed at experiencing the forest through all five senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch and awakening the sixth sense – intuition or instinct.
Being on foot allows the senses to be permeated by the Jungle and opens a secret world that is normally missed when in a vehicle on safari. The focus of the walk will be on wildlife viewing but with a focus on interpretation of tracks and jungle signs. The length of walks can be tailored but typically last a couple of hours, stopping en-route for refreshments/ picnics.
Please Note: Binoculars and field guides will be provided by the lodge. They will also be given mammal, bird and butterfly checklists for Kanha.
This morning will see the first jeep drive into Kanha National Park. We will meet at 5:15am for their morning drink and set out by 5:35am. Packed breakfast will be carried into the park. The guests will use their binoculars and field guides to identify various fauna and flora. We will stop for birds and mammals and help them identify and tick them on their checklists. We are most likely to see spotted deer, sambar, langur, wild bore, swarmp deer, jackals and the Tiger if we get extremely lucky. Birds that we will most likely see – Indian Roller, Rufous Treepie, Honey Buzzard, Serpent Eagle, Drongos, Owlet, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers and Wagtails.
After a short period of rest, the guests will visit the Kanha Museum of Life and Art. Following this, they will be taken on a village walk. Here, they can observe the ways of life of the Baiga and Gond tribes, visit a farmer’s field, the local school and a lot more. They will also witness a talk by a local Gond artist, followed by a fun art activity. On our way back from the village, we will stop at a Baiga’s brickyard. This particular brickyard is rather special, as the bricks here are not made of clay, but are made of “Lantana” plant matter.
The evening will comprise of a presentation on “India Wildlife” by one of the naturalists, emphasizing on some of the unique eco-systems, dynamics of species radiation and evolution.
This day will be a day of Safaris, One in the morning and one in the evening. The hours in between the safaris are to relax or maybe a trip to the spa or the Pool. The guests will join our naturalists to set up the camera traps with-in the premises after dinner. It is interesting to see how there are some unexpected species that show up in these cameras when one views them the next day.
This morning we again meet early, at 6:15am, for their morning drink. We set out by 6:45am into the buffer zone, on cycles or by walk, depending on what the guests prefer. They will be educated about the lesser-discussed aspects of wilderness like plants, butterflies, dragonflies and tracks and signs of various fauna. They can also learn to use a “Sound Recording Device” and try their hands on recording birdcalls and other voices of the jungle. During the morning activity, each guests will also be given a sapling that they will be taught to plant; as each plant requires it’s own unique way of nurturing. After lunch, the guests will go back into the Kanha National Park on a jeep drive. Dinner tonight will be outdoors at an area called “Leopard Rock”. It is a stunning candlelight set up below a banyan tree.
This day will again be a full day safaris day with a morning and evening safari. The time between the safaris could be used to visit the local village market. Mohgaon, Baihar and Sarekha are three village marts, on different days of the week, which offer a chance to experience the charming chaos of traditional markets. On offer you will find fresh farm produce, seeds and saplings, spices, bamboo wares, earthen pots and ethnic jewellery, the local tailor making instant blouses, the repair shop for transistor radios, the cobbler, knife sharpener, ear cleaner, local barber holding forth in his shop under a tree and congregations having a shot of ‘chai’ at the tea stalls all to the accompaniment of local music blaring from a small chai stall.
Day of departure. One could opt for another visit into the park or a walk depending upon the departure time.