Lisa G Saw • April 15, 2019

Tigers In India

Exploring Bandhavgarh National Park

India 2019

This was yet another fabulous wildlife experience booked with Exodus and my fourth trip with professional photographer Paul Goldstein. We were a small group of 14 and based at the Nature Heritage Resort near one of the entrance gates to Bandhavgarh National Park. We had lovely rooms, great food and service, plus a nice swimming pool to cool down. It was needed. I thought the Pantanal was hot, but this time the temperature was in the low 40s all week! It was seriously hot by 9am most days! If you've read about my other trips with Paul, it'll come as no surprise to hear we were woken at 4.30am every morning to be amongst the first through the gates when the park opened each day. It wasn't too much of a hardship since it was the coolest part of the day! I don't even think the temperature dropped to below 20°C, even at night!

Himanshu was our local knowledeable leader, full of enthusiasm and always quick to respond to any issues or problems. He worked hard to make sure we had a great trip, which involved lots of work behind the scenes. There was a great team of drivers too, who took us out in the safari jeeps each day. Despite the severely limiting factors imposed on our safaris by the Indian authorities, such as staying with the same vehicle and driver for the duration of the holiday, restricted to zones within the park and not being able to go wherever you like, we still managed to have an amazing time and that was definitely down to Himanshu and the drivers. I'd been impressed by our boat driver's skills in the Pantanal and these guys in India were just as adept, often having to manoeuver their jeeps on narrow tracks, even when there were 20 others doing the same. Supposedly, we were there during the off-peak season. I dreaded to think what it was like during peak times.

On each safari we had a local forest ranger accompany us to help locate the tigers and tell us the names of the other wildlife we were seeing, including many different types of birds. The knowledge, experience and communication skills varied amongst these rangers, but then again, they don't get any kind of formal training. The incentive for them to be good at their job was the tip they'd receive after each game drive. For the most part I was lucky and had good rangers who worked hard and were rewarded proportionately. They'd check out the prints in the sand and listen for alarm calls from the other wildlife, such as the birds, langurs and deer. Sometimes, it would be so quiet, as if all the wildlife were asleep or inactive, which wasn't too surprising considering the heat! We certainly took refuge from the scorching heat in the middle of the day and only went exploring at dawn and dusk except for the two occasions we had full day safaris.

...For the most part I was lucky and had good rangers who worked hard and were rewarded proportionately. They'd check out the prints in the sand and listen for alarm calls from the other wildlife, such as the birds, langurs and deer. Sometimes, it would be so quiet, as if all the wildlife were asleep or inactive, which wasn't too surprising considering the heat! We certainly took refuge from the scorching heat in the middle of the day and only went exploring at dawn and dusk except for the two occasions we had full day safaris.

Our jeeps were open sided vehicles without a roof. With just three of us in each vehicle, plus a driver, this gave us excellent uninterrupted views of the park and wildlife and it was great for taking photos, but gave us no protection from the dust, sun and disease carrying insects. So, despite the heat, I spent the majority of the time covered up. To help cool me down I sometimes dowsed my tube scarf in water or would pour a little into my hat before putting either on. It was lovely! When we weren't on the move, we'd take shelter under the trees (sometimes referred to as the living room), whilst sitting in the jeep waiting for something to happen. Only on very few occasions did the living room double up as a toilet, when people were desperate to relieve themselves bush style, behind the jeep. Generally though, the rule was no getting out of the vehicle unless we were stopped in the designated fenced off areas for food, drinks and toilet breaks.

When we weren't on the move, we'd take shelter under the trees (sometimes referred to as the living room), whilst sitting in the jeep waiting for something to happen. Only on very few occasions did the living room double up as a toilet, when people were desperate to relieve themselves bush style, behind the jeep. Generally though, the rule was no getting out of the vehicle unless we were stopped in the designated fenced off areas for food, drinks and toilet breaks. Whilst we were waiting for the tigers to appear or move, we were sometimes lucky enough to see other species nearby.

It was vitally important to keep our fluids up during the course of the week to prevent deydration. I've never drunk so much in all my life! On our first full day, two of our group were worse for wear by the early afternoon and they returned to the resort when one of the drivers was going back to collect more cold water. On the second full day, I started to get a headache and made the decision to go back for an hour and a half, along with three others. Thankfully, after a swim and time to chill out in my room I was fine to go back out for the rest of the day. We had the added bonus of seeing Solo, an adult female tiger, when we drove to and from the resort. The first time she crossed the road right in front of us and walk through the trees barely 10m away. It was amazing to see her so close and unphased by our presence. On our return, we saw her lying down in the shade of an overhanging rock.

On the second full day, I started to get a headache and made the decision to go back for an hour and a half, along with three others. Thankfully, after a swim and time to chill out in my room I was fine to go back out for the rest of the day. We had the added bonus of seeing Solo, an adult female tiger, when we drove to and from the resort. The first time she crossed the road right in front of us and walk through the trees barely 10m away. It was amazing to see her so close and unphased by our presence. On our return, we saw her lying down in the shade of an overhanging rock.

In terms of the tiger sightings, they were amazing! Just like in the Pantanal, we had 100% record for sightings across the eight safaris we went on. We saw 22 different tigers in that time. There I was, before the trip, wondering if we'd see any at all! We were just 10mins into our first game drive when our first tiger was spotted! It was a good sign of things to come! However, I ought to point out that kind of 'hit rate' for sightings is incredibly rare! For some of us it was our first time seeing tigers and we were thoroughly spoilt. Paul kept telling us we didn't deserve it! You hear of people visiting these parts and not seeing a single one.

It hadn't crossed my mind we might see multiple tigers together, but we did. There were two groups of cubs that we saw quite a lot of. It was amazing to watch them interacting with each other. The first group was Solo and her four seven month old cubs who were often seen close to some rocks. They weren't small, but clearly not fully grown either. This group were often seen really close to the dirt track and one time, when I leant out of the side of the jeep to try and get an unobscured photo of one of the cubs who was looking straight at me as she lay down, about 10m from me, I felt a little unnerved. I realised I was touching distance from the bank and she might have been eyeing me up thinking 'Mmm...dinner'! Thankfully, she didn't have the speed of a cheetah, nor the inclination to spend any energy, so I was safe. Tigers like to silently stalk their victims. Nonetheless, I didn't linger in the position long!

The first group was Solo and her four seven month old cubs who were often seen close to some rocks. They weren't small, but clearly not fully grown either. This group were often seen really close to the dirt track and one time, when I leant out of the side of the jeep to try and get an unobscured photo of one of the cubs who was looking straight at me as she lay down, about 10m from me, I felt a little unnerved. I realised I was touching distance from the bank and she might have been eyeing me up thinking 'Mmm...dinner'! Thankfully, she didn't have the speed of a cheetah, nor the inclination to spend any energy, so I was safe. Tigers like to silently stalk their victims. Nonetheless, I didn't linger in the position long!

The other set of cubs were Dotty's three male 11 month old cubs who we saw play fighting in the water on several occasions. It was incredible to witness. They'd be up on their hind legs and jumping in the air. I took so many photos! The first time we saw them at the water hole there were only two playing, but on the subsequent visits we saw all three play fighting. On our final game drive, one of the cubs had managed to kill a langur and was using it to taunt his brothers. But, he made the mistake of going into the water with the langur still in his jaws and managed to drop it. The cub seemed very confused when he couldn't find it again. What we witnessed over those few days was something really quite extraordinary and extremely special. Paul told us he'd never seen behaviour like it in all his 20 years of seeing tigers in India! Even the other drivers and guides that spend their lives working in the national park said they'd never seen anything like it before either!

On our final game drive, one of the cubs had managed to kill a langur and was using it to taunt his brothers. But, he made the mistake of going into the water with the langur still in his jaws and managed to drop it. The cub seemed very confused when he couldn't find it again. What we witnessed over those few days was something really quite extraordinary and extremely special. Paul told us he'd never seen behaviour like it in all his 20 years of seeing tigers in India! Even the other drivers and guides that spend their lives working in the national park said they'd never seen anything like it before either!

We had the opportunity to go on an elephant ride whilst we were in the national park. The idea is that you can get closer to the tigers because they're unphased by the presence of elephants and so hopefully get some better close up shots. Paul assured us that it was run by an ethical group and the elephants were well looked after. There's no denying, it's a good source of income for the locals. In countries like India and Thailand they're used to using elephants to work, like in other countries they use oxon and horses. However, it didn't sit right with me. I felt very conflicted and also under pressure as it was a case of all of us or none of us doing it. In the end, I gave in to temptation, but I regretted it afterwards and felt sad. I was disappointed with myself. The experience didn't add to my overall enjoyment of the trip, nor was it an amazing sighting of a tiger. At the end of the day, I prefer to see animals wild and free, not being used for human enterprise. I'd never do it again.

...There's no denying, it's a good source of income for the locals. In countries like India and Thailand they're used to using elephants to work, like in other countries they use oxon and horses. However, it didn't sit right with me. I felt very conflicted and also under pressure as it was a case of all of us or none of us doing it. In the end, I gave in to temptation, but I regretted it afterwards and felt sad. I was disappointed with myself. The experience didn't add to my overall enjoyment of the trip, nor was it an amazing sighting of a tiger. At the end of the day, I prefer to see animals wild and free, not being used for human enterprise. I'd never do it again.

My lasting memory of the trip, aside from the playful cubs, was the snarling face of a female tiger wanting to cross the road. She was about 10m away, looking at me directly, our vehicle being in her path. For that brief moment my face wasn't shielded by my camera. Instead, we were eyeball to eyeball. Her power and beauty took my breath away and completely intimidated me. She didn't look in any way vulnerable. But she is! Sadly, there are people in the world that think it's okay to kill tigers for their coats and body parts. Like so much of the world's wildlife that have been in rapid decline, tigers need our protection. We should stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves and try to take better care of the planet that is our home!

See photos...

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Books and Courses

By Lisa G Saw • March 11, 2026

THE FIRST SET OF BOOKS AND COURSES THAT HAVE HELPED ME ON MY JOURNEY I began this blog series, Living My The Best Life Possible , back in 2022 after a series of events, and a couple of chronic injuries, quite literally stopped me in my tracks. Having followed conventional approaches to try and turn things around, but to no avail, I felt compelled to seek out help from alternative approaches. I opened my mind to the possibility they could help me, taking a more holistic approach to my healing. Along my journey, I've done some serious soul searching, dug deep to uncover suppressed and hidden trauma, and held a mirror up to myself, realising there were things I needed to let go of and much I needed to change. It's been uncomfortable at times and emotional, but completely worthwhile, as I've worked through things and persevered. Awareness was key . From that I had the power to change my thought patterns and my view of the world. I know all my relationships are better for it, including the one I have with myself, and I wouldn't be where I am today without what I've learned. I've discovered there are many different ways to heal and I've been amazed by what I've learned. It's been surprising, uplifting and most of all, empowering. Along this journey I've been led from one book to another, then another, and on it goes. Sometimes the books have been recommended to me by family, friends or health practitioners, other times they've merely been mentioned in passing or in another book, and I've felt as though it was something that could help me further my knowledge and understanding. In many ways, they were like signs guiding me along at just the right moment when I needed them. My curiosity to learn more has led to a voracious appetite to read, which I've never experienced before. I love it! I feel like I'm on a fast train to somewhere, but the landscape out of the window isn't a blur as I whizz by, metaphorically speaking, but a glorious view of the world around me, simply seen from a new perspective. There is still much I wish to share in this blog series about my experience, in the hope it helps others and not just myself. But, it will take time to write it all whilst I'm still working. So, in the meantime, I decided to share some of the most significant books that have helped me along the way. It isn't the full list, by any means. For now, I'm only including a brief summary and snapshot of the significance to me, but hopefully this will be interesting and/or useful. Perhaps one of them will grab your attention and be something you might wish to read to help you on your own unique journey. I will continue to add to this list gradually, and new entries will appear at the bottom of the post, so scroll down if you're returning to this post and go directly to where you left off. You can also see a list of all the books that will eventually be mentioned in this blog by clicking on the button below.

February 26

By Lisa G Saw • March 10, 2026

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS Bob and I have visited West Rise Marsh a few times this month to look for Jack Snipe, but sadly without much success. We did see one, we think, on one visit, but it flew off before we set eyes on it. It's much the same with the Common Snipe, which as their name suggests, we see more of, but they're super skittish and fly off well before we're even close to where they're hiding, around the boggy wet marshes. With so many wet, windy and dull days, plus the fact I still have to go to work, I was starting to wonder if my February Highlights would be virtually non existent, so I was content with photographing and observing a Heron, standing in the water. They can stand motionless for ages, and move very slowly, stealth-like through the water to new areas. Unfortunately, I was just moving into a new position, when it actually caught a fish. I missed capturing that moment when its head quickly and unexpectedly darted downwards and snatched its prey from the water. But, you can see the Heron in mid-gulp (first photo).

January 26

By Lisa G Saw • February 7, 2026

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS January can be a difficult month for many people. I don't usually suffer from the January Blues, but I did notice this year I felt a certain flatness. I think it was largely because there were days when Bob and I would go out for a walk and hardly see anything at all. Well, that is, anything out of the ordinary. There's no doubting it - I get a real lift when nature reveals its beauty to me in its many wonderful and surprising ways. But, it's been a good reminder that even the simple things can give great pleasure if we take the time to appreciate them. Sometimes, it's worth looking with more careful eyes and appreciating even the ordinary. The year actually was off to a great start, when the snow fell early on in the month. I love the snow! I'll leap at any opportunity I have to walk in it! Living close to the coast meant we didn't have any on our doorstep, but Ashdown Forest had a good covering and it wasn't too far away to visit. Even the car park looked lovely, with the sun shining through the wintry trees on this gorgeous sunny day. It might have been crisp and cold, but we were dressed for it and of course had some welcome hot drinks after our walk. The highlight of the day, aside from the snow, was having some brief glimpses of a couple of Crossbills at the top of the fir trees, though not as good as we'd had in December .