----- Original Message -----
From: John Uscian
To: sharad@naturesafariindia.com
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 5:46 PM
Subject: Thank You
Hi Sharad,
Greetings from the New World once again. It seems like yesterday that I was on game drives in Indian game parks. If only those could have gone on forever. I think you know from observing my enthusiasm that the trip far surpassed my highest hopes. Indeed, I felt as though I had seen many of the greatest natural wonders on India. Thanks for making it all possible and attending to both Mariynn's and my needs throughout our safaris. We are both certain that we could have done no better than to have booked our adventure with you.
Here are my appraisals of the general trip as well as the individual game parks that we visited. Please feel free to post these on your website or otherwise use as they may promote your safari expeditions. You may post my name and use me as a reference (I have 253 photographs that can be sent via a U.S.-based film processing center [Walgreens] that will verify all of the animals I have seen... all I need to do is send an email message to a potential client of yours and they can see these photographs at their convenience).
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1. GENERAL APPRAISAL OF INDIA WILD SAFARI SERVICES/SAFARIS
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We have just returned from our 15 day safari to three Indian game parks (i.e., Corbett, Bandhavgarh, and Kanha National Parks) with Nature Safari India. As a veteran of numerous, past African safaris in 9 different countries of that continent, allow me to assert that the best of Indian wildlife is on a par with the best of Africa. Indeed, as an extreme nature enthusiast and professional biologist, I long for finding that remote part of the world where one simply escapes civilization and finds truly wild animals in pristine habitats.
The first park we visited, Corbett, offers just that. There are dramatic vistas as one winds through the Himalayan foothill topography enroute to the Dikhala lodge. Thick sal tree forests transition into brush-laden valleys that are strewn with jagged boulders. All the while, one hears the cries and alarm calls of barking deer, chitta/spotted deer, peacocks, and the hum of cicadas (pre-monsoon season). And one also sees other mammals, including wild boars, samba deer, and perhaps the hog deer as well.
Of course, there is always the chance that one may spot His or Her majesty, the Royal Bengal Tiger or Tigress. The anticipation that one may have this encounter is always on the mind in Corbett. The forest just looks as though it may yield a tiger sighting as the safari jeep/gypsy turns the next bend in the road.
Continuing on towards the Dikhala Lodge, our driver, Sarjeet, stopped to show us a forested area where the tawny fish owl resides. I got good photographs and video here. He also showed us the gharial and mugger crocodiles residing in the Ramganga River. It was fascinating to see the highly endangered gharials lounging in the clear, flowing waters below. Corbett Park is one of the few remaining places where one can observe this primitive crocodilian, with its truncated snout and bulging- forward-directed eyes set well atop the head.
The Dikhala Lodge, with its comfortable accommodations, overlooks the Ramganga, the river flowing through an immense, flat valley. This valley is itself bordered by mountainous terrain on the side opposite the lodge. Asian elephant herds emerge from the forests to enter the grassy, clear areas surrounding much of the river. There are also herds of spotted deer here as well. And, again, there is always the possibility that the Royal Bengal Tiger may appear here as well. Driver/nature guide Sarjeet got us into plenty of excellent elephant herds for the evening game drive. Lots of uniquely elephantine socializations, including that of adults surrounding and protecting young, were observed.
The next day Sarjeet put in extra effort and found a tigress that was cooling itself in the Ramganga River near the Dikhala Lodge. We oberved her for two and a half hours. It was my first wild tiger and, appropriately enough, was seen here in Corbett, the most classic of Indian game parks. For a while, she actually looked up through the openings in the trees and, no doubt, saw us in the tower above. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The Royal Bengal Tigress in all her glory.
By the way, the food at the Dikhala Lodge is served buffet style. It is wholesome Indian food, consisting of vegetarian and meat options. Though Nature Safari India described our Corbett Dikhala Lodge accommodations as being basic, I must note that the room we were given was large, contained a powerful cooling fan, had comfortable beds, electricity, and a large bathroom with toilet and shower.
Our elephant ride on the second evening in Corbett was most pleasurable, with sightings of small elephant herds, ring-necked parakeets, and the black shouldered kite being special highlights. Exiting Corbett the following morning, Sarjeet took time to show us additional elephant herds that we had not observed earlier. It is amazing how very keenly aware the elephants are of human presence. The adults turn and face the jeep if approached too closely. While being very safety-conscious, Sarjeet nonetheless got us close enough for good photography and video of these majestic, social animals.
After a night back in Delhi at a 5 star hotel (The Oberloi), we were off the next morning to Bndhavgarh Park and thus boarded a domestic flight for the nearest airport in Jabalpur. All of this had been pre-arranged via Nature Safari India months in advance. As was the case on all such occasions, we were cordially greeted by our driver at the airport. Everything ran with complete smoothness. Sensing that we were nature enthusiasts, the driver stopped on our way to Bandhavgarh Park so that we could photograph flying foxes residing in a tree, several white throated kingfishers, a peacock, and the Indian roller.
We arrived at the Tiger's Den resort and were warmly received with both friendly hospitality and a delicious Indian meal. After a good night's rest in the air conditioned comfort of our room, we were off on our first game drive in Banhavgarh, which means "Brother Fort". This smaller Park is home to some approximately 50 tigers, including the grandson and great grandsons of the famous male tiger Charger (who both terrified and thrilled park visitors some one to two decades earlier by making surprise mock charges on jeeps and domestic elephants used for traveling about the park).
No less than 10 minutes into Bandhavgarh we were into our first tigers, these being a tigress with two 10-month-old cubs. While the tigress was lying on her back, I obtained video footage of her caressing one of the cubs as the youngster casually ambled by her immense body. But when a wild pig started to walk near the tigers, the mother turned from tenderness to the passions of a born-hunter, her ears and eyes acutely alert as she made rapid, silent strides towards the pig. Luckily for the herbivore, it noticed one of the cubs and beat a life-saving retreat before the tigress could charge it.
While our driver, Sanjay, took us about Bandhavgarh throughout the remainder of the morning so that we could get good photographs of male peacocks displaying to peahens (it was mating season during our late May/early June visit), nice shots of the common kingfisher, and some photographs of jackals and barking deer, it was on the evening drive that his skills as a Bandhavgarh guide especially came to the fore. Indeed, Sanjay placed us (along with numerous other jeeps) in just the right location so that we could observe Kahlua, a great grandson of Charger. Kahlua emerged from a mountain valley and lumbered in his uniquely feline, confident swagger along the dry grass and forest paralleling the road. All the while Sanjay kept me about 20 to feet in front of Kahlua, his orange- and black-striped, muscled beauty flowing along to the rhythm of this tiger's evening stroll. This made for once-in-a-lifetime photo and video opportunities and I took full advantage for at least 5 minutes, Sanjay always maintaining the jeep just ahead of the this Royal Bengal Tiger.
After celebrating our evening of tiger successes and getting another good night's sleep at the Tiger's Den, we were off with Sanjay for even more tigers the next morning. We saw the same tigress and two cubs again. But we also saw another great grandson of Charger. This was Nilau (spelling?), the father of the two nearby cubs. We watched and photographed him as he glided along the grass so that he could quench his thirst from the clear-flowing, stream in the area's vicinity. How amazing it is to see these predators still living wild in a world that has otherwise gone completely digital!
Always giving us much more than we had dared hope for, Sanjay also found Charger's grandson, B2 (B2 was the progeny of a cross between Charger's daughter Mohini and the male tiger called the "Mahaman male"; this male is famous for having wrested mating rights of a portion of Badhavgarh Park from Charger in 1996). This B2 tiger, who I was informed is the father of Kahlua and Nilau (the two large males seen the previous day), emerged from a rocky grotto one morning and made his way up and over the mountain. I obtained excellent video footage of this fabled tiger.
Other animals seen during our visit at Bandhavgarh included sloth bears (made for great photo and video shoots), serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle, malabar pied hornbill, chittal/spotted deer, sambar deer, ruddy mongoose, three-striped squirrel, mating Egyptian (or scavenger) vultures, jungle fowl, jackals, and bats (seen in the ancient, human-carved sandstone caves).
A visit to Bandhavgarh is greatly enriched by having one's guide take them to the water pool that occurs alongside an 80 foot-long statue of a reclined Vishnu, all carved out from a single piece of sandstone. This is located half-way up the mountainside that leads to the 1,000 year old palace/fort atop the plateau. Water from a spring flows into this sacred area and fills the pool. Black-faced monkeys in the overhanging trees are very active and yet, despite their energetic activities as they swing through the overlying branches, somehow add to the serene ambience. Though we did not see any that day, it is reported that tigers, and sometimes even leopards, visit the pool to get a drink from the cool, clear waters. That must be a fantastic scene to witness!
Upon leaving Bandhavgarh after 7 very fulfilling game drives, we were driven to Kanha Park, home to some 90 tigers. This park is about as large as Corbett. Besides tigers, it also contains the last population of swamp deer. It is also home to the gaur, incorrectly called the Indian bison. These latter animals are remendous, bovine beasts that may reach in excess of one ton in weight. As was the case in Corbett and and Bandhavgarh, I felt as though Sharad Vats had set us up with the best guides one could hope to find. My Kanha guide, also called Sanjay (this was also the name of our Bandhavgarh guide), knew very well how to track tigers, leopards, and all animals of the sal forest. Besides getting us into four tremendous tiger sightings during our stay, Sanjay of Kanha also found four leopards one evening. One of these was solitary and had just exited a tree when we saw it. The other was a mother, father, and a cub. How Sanjay spotted those
leopards in the darkening, evening forest I will never know. But we watched this family proceed through the forest, the parents keeping a watchful eye on 'Junior' all the while.
We also saw the Indian rock python and had a great tiger show from atop an elephant while in Kanha. In addition, Sanjay got us good sightings of the jungle owlet and a scops owl species. The photo opportunity with the ruddy mongoose was greatly appreciated as well. Certainly, the wildlife to be seen here is nothing short of incredible.
I must mention that the Chitvan Jungle Lodge, where Sharad Vats entertains his guests who are visiting Kanha, is easily a five star accommodation. The rooms one stays in include a giant living room equipped with comfortable, solidly built furniture, large air-conditioned bedroom (with refrigerator), and a very large indoor bathroom as well as an optional outdoor shower. There is a large swimming pool of a uniformly 3.5 foot depth for those wishing to cool off a bit and take in some exercise as well. Morning tea and bisquits/cookies are delivered early to one's room (it arrives a half hour before the game drive). Meals are served to one's tastes by a chef who always visits you to see if you are satisfied with your meal. The presentation of the meals is excellent, with dinner being served at tables set out on the grass and thus under the stars. The reception room is large and spacious. It has a good library that is stocked with local wildlife books as well as inspired writings by such authors as Gandhi, Lincoln, and various other authors presenting on theological topics.
I would recommend, without any reservations at all, Sharad Vats and his www.naturesafariindia.com services to anyone who wishes to experience the wildlife of India. I cannot imagine a more organized and congenial service anywhere that simply delivers on the wildlife one has come to see. The fact that the accommodations are superb just makes my recommendation all the stronger.
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Stay in touch for next year. I shall begin inquiring about bringing a group of students to the game parks of India for next year. Naturally, we would need your services to properly arrange this.
Cheers,
John
jmuscian@yahoo.com
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----- Original Message -----
From: Olive Mcdermott
To: Sharad
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 4:45 PM
Subject: RE: re trip
Hi Sharad
I just wanted to thank you once again for making my holiday stress free. All the staff and managers I met were courteous, friendly, efficent, friendly and pleasant. Veejay was a delight and nothing was ever too much bother for him. Vibhav and Manjay at Kanha were terrific. Poor Manjay had trouble trying to find food I would eat and he always made me feel that my needs and wishes were the most important thing in the world to him. He was also always smiling and had time for a chat. Vibhav and his passion for wildlife was also very evident and this made his comments during the safaris more interesting. During the drives he could not have been more attentive. I was not allowed to do anything. He took care of everything and of me. I want you to know ( which i'm sure you do anyway ) that I think all the staff I met at Kanha were some of the best I've met on my many travels and I cannot praise them highly enough. You have a great team and great people working for you. Until we meet again
Olive
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From: Mr and Mrs Phillip Paul
To: Sharad
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 4:18 PM
Subject: thank you
Dear Sharad
just a quick note to say it all worked out very well. Everyone in India, drivers,
guides, hotel staff at Tiger Den did an excellent job in looking after us.
Tiger Den Resort was a great place to stay. The staff there, and in particular Milan
and Manesh were so attentive. Ajeet our guide, told us it would normally be his
brother, a naturalist, looking after us on our safari drives,but he was not well.
But I have to say Ajeet was a superb guide himself. We were particularly interested
in the birds, and he knew them all. The lovely thing about Ajeet was he himself
seemed to be just as enthusiastic to spot the wildlife too, and certainly seemed to
have a knack of knowing just what to look for.
I thought the management of Bandhvgarh N.P was well organised, I hope tourism
continues to flourish in all Indian National Parks with a Tiger population, as I
believe if its properly controlled it is a good, and probably only way to ensure the
tigers survival whilst bringing in jobs and money to the local people.
by the way I loved your tiger photos which were everywhere at Tiger Den! Mine may
not have been as good as yours but we certainly had some wonderful encounters with
the Tiger, and some wonderful memories to cherish.
Thank you again, we will be passing on your contact details to other people!
kind regards
Mrs K Paul
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----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Buckley
To: Sharad Vats
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 3:39 AM
Subject: Nature Safari Tours - Tigers plus variety of other mammals & huge
variety of birds ALL in natural environment.
Successful various wildlife tour with numerous Tiger Shots.
Our experience of the "Nature Safari" company was on a "Leopard & Tiger
Tour" personally tailored to our particular needs in all aspects of
travel/accommodation/safari's & flexible dates. This was personally
arranged by the highly experienced & knowledgeable: "Sharad Vats" who made
this one of if not the best Safari/wildlife vacations of our lives! We
visited the wonderful Kanha National Park staying at the naturally sited
"Chitvan Camp" which has first class accommodation and an entirely organic
menu from the in-house vegetable garden. We had a good Tiger sighting on
our first late afternoon safari so the most important box was immediately
ticked! Two breif & another good sighting followed on the next two days
(four safari's). A good variety of various birds were photographed as well
as other mammals including numerous antelope all at close quarters. We
then moved on to Bandhavgarh National Park booked into Tiger's Den
immediately outside the park gates. Another good Tiger sighting & two
brief glimpses were followed by the highlite of our tour when we were
included in an Elephant Show - this is when a Tiger is sighted at rest in
the bush enableing four passengers to ride on the elephant to within 20
metres of a large Male Tiger in fantastic condition and relaxed after a
good meal - we were almost in tears of delight at the sight of such an
impressive creature in its natural environment without any tags or
electronic tracking systems. If your goal is to snap a Tiger in the wild
I would reccommend a ninimum 3/4 night visit to both Parks but if only one
is possible the almost guaranteed sighting would be at Bandhavgarh. The
natural and quiet venue of Chitvan Camp would be at the top of my listings
for a memorable visit to this area of India. For any "Twitchers" visiting
the parks I was able to snap a Paradise Flycatcher/Serpent Eagle/Painted
Stork and many more on a particularly exciting day in Bandhagarh!
Good shooting to all camera carriers (is that everyone now?)
Rob.B. from Dorset U.K.
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----- Original Message -----
To: sharaddesk@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 12:06 AM
Subject: Thank you!!
Dear Sharad,
We have safely returned from an outstanding trip and are grateful to you for making our first experience in India so amazing! India can be intimidating to even the most experienced traveler, but from the moment of initial contact, you provided prompt and courteous guidance that was invaluable in planning the perfect holiday.
The execution of our trip was flawless...we were met everywhere promptly, and no detail left unattended. As you know our itinerary included Delhi, Bharatpur, Agra, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Khajuraho. We really appreciated the flexibility of our tour and dining options in Delhi, and the extra birding opportunities available as the water level was low at Bharatpur. The lodging everywhere was superb, the service likely the best we have had anywhere. The food authentic and wonderful. We loved tracking wildlife at the national parks, yielding great tiger viewing as well as surprisingly good leopard and jungle cat sightings. The cell phone service you arranged for us during our stay was unexpected and much appreciated.
It was a great pleasure meeting you and Manjeet personally during our stay, your skill and extraordinary dedication to your clients' satisfaction really sets you apart. Truly outstanding! We look forward to working with you again and will highly recommend you to all.
With kind regards and best wishes,
Steven Sardo & John Parente
Scottsdale, Arizona USA
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----- Original Message -----
From:
Stuart Shaw
To:
sharad
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 4:10 PM
Subject: Thank you!!
Dear Sharad,Manjeet
We just got back from a wonderful trip to India. Everything went well and we made all our connections even though three of the trains were several hours late. We had a great time at Bandavgarh and the Tiger Den Resort where we saw two tigers. The park was very busy and we felt that the number of vehicles in the park should be limited so that there is a better chance of seeing tigers. I believe we were exremely fortunate to spot the tigers and a lot of people must have left disappointed without seeing any tigers due to the number of jeeps racing around. I have attached a picture we took of B2, the biggest male tiger in the park. After all the train travel we needed a good rest and enjoyed five days relaxing at Benaulim in Goa.
If any of our friends are planning a trip to India I will certainly pass on your details.
Thanks and regards,
Stuart Shaw and family.
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----- Original Message -----
From:
Caroline
To: Nature Safari
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 8:43 PM
Subject: Our Safari
Dear Sharad and Manjeet,
I am aware it is a bit late, but I herewith wanted to thank you once again for the terrific organisation of our holiday in your beautiful country. In case we would like to come back for a tiger safari, we will certainly contact you again to make the arrangements. We will also recommend you to our friends in case they plan to visit India. I will also leave a recommendation on your website.
I was also wondering if you could help me to get in contact with an owner of a shop in the old town of Khajuraho. It was a very small shop and the owner sold old bronze items and it was also possible to have statues made like the ones you see on the temples of Khajuraho. We were brought to this shop by your local agent and I would really appreciate it if you could help me to get in contact with the shop owner.
For now, I wish you and your family a happy New Year and I am looking forward to hear from you again.
Best regards,
Caroline Don
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----- Original Message -----
From: Michael McCaskey
To: Nature Safari
Subject: Our Safari
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----- Original Message -----
To: "Nature Safari" <info@naturesafariindia.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 2:21 PM
Subject: Thank You
Dear Sharad and Manjeet,
Thank you for arranging our tour so efficiently. We had very good sightings of the Tiger. Out of the 5 Game Drives that we went on, we had sightings on 4 of them. The only time we did not see the Tiger was when we were supposed to go on elephant back. We waited at Centre Point but as there were no reported sightings, had to return without seeing the Tiger.
Thank you Sharad for you sensitivity when conveying the news about the passing away of my mother. She was a heart patient and used to get Angina pains but from 10th December until I left, she was in good spirits and looked and felt well. I called her from New Delhi Airport while waiting for the flight to Kajuraho and she said she was fine and that everything at home was fine. That is why it was such a shock when you gave me the news. I guess God did not want me to see her in a coffin but to have a good memory of her.
We were very comfortable at Tigers Den Resort (TDR) . Gyanendra was extremely kind and helpful. The boys who waited on us at table went out of their way to please us. You have a great team there. The food was superb. I will certainly recommend TDR to my friends and anyone who wishes to visit Bandavargarh.
Today is my first day at work and I have loads to do so I will stop now.
With best wishes,
Tara..
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----- Original Message -----
From: Christer Stormyrbakken
To: Nature Safari India Pvt Ltd
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 10:04 PM
Subject: Re: Bandhavgarh - Fort of the Tiger,Tiger Safari India Reservation Form through tigersafari.net
Dear Sharad
We want to thank you for helping us plan and arrange our visit to India. We had a great time and enjoyed all aspects of our stay. All the people we got in contact with through Nature Safari were friendly, helpful and proffessional. We are hoping to come again one day and we will certainly not hesitate to recommend Nature Safari to anyone looking for help planning a trip to India.
Kind regards
Elisabeth and Christer
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----- Original Message -----
From: John Field
To: Nature Safari
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 1:47 AM
Subject: Appreciation
Dear Sharad and Manjeet,Thanks:
the service you provided for us could not have been bettered. We had a memorable two weeks round Rajasthan, and the chief credit must go to your choice of Laxman as our driver. He was exemplary in every way. Given the nature of Indian roads and traffic, it was amazing that his driving never gave us the least concern or anxiety: he was safe and careful and considerate to a degree I hadn't imagined possible. In addition he was thoughtful, good-humoured in all conditions, and very good fun to spend time with. He is a good and remarkable man, and I was sorry to learn that after dropping us all in Delhi he had to head straight back to Jaipur to begin another tour. I hope you find opportunities to give him much deserved rests in between spells of driving duty. Thank you, Manjeet, for your patience that night in Delhi when the hotel failed to give you information about where we were. You were very level-headed at a time when you were under pressure with other obligations. So I am enormously grateful for all your professional support, and hope to keep in contact with you. Thanks and good wishes.
John.
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----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Belotti
To: Nature Safari
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 3:31 AM
Subject: My recent Visit to India Dear Sharad and Manjeet
I want to thank you both for a wonderful visit to India. I was fortunate to choose Nature Safari as my travel company. This was my first visit to India and I had no worries about anything throughout my visit. Both the Tuli Tiger Resort and the Tiger Den were lovely places with pleasant staff and beautiful grounds. I was fortunate to have seen two beautiful tigers in Kanha and both a tiger and a leopard in Bandhavgarh. Of course I saw plenty of other wonderful Indian wildlife in both parks. I look forward to traveling with Nature Safari again in the future.
Dawn Belotti
New York
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----- Original Message -----
From: Peter van Dijk
To: sharad vats
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:28 PM
Subject: U hebt 15 foto(s) toegezonden gekregen
Sharad and Manjeet,
In the first place, we want to thank you for the wonderful journey into India. It was a beautiful and very pleasant vacation.
Nature safari is in my opinion a highly professional organisation. Everything was good arranged. Hotels and resorts are good. Assistance on arrival and railway stations have been a great help for us. We have seen what we asked for: Lions and Tigers ( a lot of tigers) and a leopard as bonus.
As promised I send you the tiger photo's. If you want I wil send you a dvd of the whole journey.
Very warm greetings,
Janny and Peter
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----- Original Message -----
To: info@naturesafariindia.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 4:56 PM
Subject: Apologies
Dear Sharad and Manjeet,
I have been very remiss in not contacting you following the excellent tour we had with you earlier this year.
Both Irvin and I consider it to have been one of the highlights of our travelling. The organisation was superb and we were always met and taken to our next destination. As one gets older this is quite important as worries can easily set in. My late decision to include Udaipur was never forseen as a problem and all the arrangements worked like clockwork. It was a very wise decision to visit there as we both loved the palaces and the lakes.
The safaris ,too, were excellent and although we didn't see tigers at Ranthambore we were very fortunate at both Bandhavgarh and Kanha. All the drivers and guides involved were very knowledgable and because Irvin has quite bad problems with rheumatism which affected him getting in and out of jeeps,they could not do enough to offer their assistance. I must single out Dr Siva, the naturalist from Kanha who absolutely made the safari there for us. He took us outside the park where we saw Sarus cranes which come down from the Himalayas and again he was with us when we saw a pack of wild dogs attacking a young deer. His knowledge of ornithology is marvellous and I have now become interested since my return to UK. The accommodation was good and adequate for our needs. We did have a small hiccup at Kanha but following a telephone conversation with Sharad everything was resolved within half an hour. The customer service is second to none and it is good to know that if there are any problems Sharad is on the ball immediately to address the issue. I would most certainly travel with you again and I have in fact recommended your company to my friends.
Thank you all once again and my apologies for the delay in writing to you.
Jennifer and Irvin Falk
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----- Original Message -----
De
:
Alain Meyere
Envoyé : mercredi 7 mars 2007 21:26
À
: info@naturesafariindia.com
Objet : French group, our trip to India
Importance : Haute
Good evening Sharad,
Coming back to France (after a long queue at the 4 we would like to say to you
that our trip was excellent and that the care you took for us was very well
appreciated. Thank you Sharad to you and all your team
From the 1st minute we arrived at Delhi till we left from 15 days later, all
people of your organization were there at the right time, no delay, all drivers
drove us through roads and traffic in good condition, very kindly and in time.
Guides were also helpful and for some of us, it was nice to have some French
speaking ones sometimes (for me as well, less work to do for my fellows...)
Hotels were also as expected and very nice (next time we should go more to "havelis",
there is some kind of spirit in)
Even with the booking missed for our internal flight at the end of the trip,
the back up solution was a very good experience (what a drive here...!) and
left us enough time to enjoy.
May be some improvments to be done for the packed picnics, (train, minibus)
but not a big deal , we were not starving
Wildlife : we saw 5 tigers in Khana (by elephant only) and 10 in Bandavghar
both by elephant and from the jeeps, so as this was the main topic of our trip
this was excellent. Sharad you must try to offer some elephant ride to see tigers
during 1 or 2 hours, searching and following the cats, it will be top of the
top...!
I will surely recommand Nature Safari to anybody wanted to go to India, and
believe us , we have some experiences traveling around the planet...
From all of us 8 again thank you for this very good organisation, and next trip
to Paris, I will be pleased to be your guide for a city trip........
Best personal and warm regards
Alain + "French independant group"
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----- Original Message -----
From: Lone Kirkwood
To: info@naturesafariindia.com
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 3:13 PM
Subject: Thank you
Dear
Sharad and Manjeet
We have arrived safely back and are slowly sorting through pictures and memories.
Thank you for organising a great trip. as promised heres a testimonial for your
use:-)
"We have spent 16 days primarily visiting National Parks and Sharad and
his team ensured the extensive logostics worked perfectly. There were someone
to meet and greet
at every juncture. Knowledgeable guides and helpfull staff were everywhere.
We were thouroughly briefed at the start and everything went smoothly throughout
the entire trip.
We visited Corbett, Bandavgahr and Kahna and saw lots of wildlife, not least
9 Tigers which was the main goal of the trip. So all in all a great success."
Hope this is the sort of thing....please note my new mail adress - new job!!
Med venlig hilsen/ Best Regards
Lone Kirkwood
Sales Manager
IDG Danmark A/S
Carl Jacobsens Vej 25
2500 Valby
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----- Original Message -----
Dear Sharad,
I was really impressed by the punctuality and all the services of your company
and by the friendliness and the professionality of your collaborators. My first
trip to India has definitely been well organized and I spent nice and interesting
days. I got to see the tigers and I had the chance to take some good pictures
of birds, places and other animals. In Bandhavgarh, surprisingly, I didn't have
many chances to spot tigers (just one good spotting from the jeep), probably
due to the fact that my stay was shorter there than in Khana.
The Tiger Den Resort was very comfortable with a very cordial and familiar atmosphere
just as Tuli Tiger Resort was, which also offers very well prepared guides for
safari. In fact I did eight spottings of tigers, six of which from the jeep
and one very near, about 5 meters, for 25 minutes.
Certainly I will contact you in the future to organize some other vacations
maybe in Gir and Kaziranga. Until then, thanks for everything!!
See you
Guido Parma
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----- Original Message -----
From: Heather-Belle
To: Nature Safari India Pvt Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 11:40 AM
Dear Sharad & Ashwani
I am emailing some of the pictures all taken by Malcom Hill and hope you enjoy them. Ashwani could you please show the ones with Sham and Divendra the driver to them, as I said I would send them to you to show them.
We cannot tell you enough how fantastic the trip was and so well organised. Every little thing was thought of and that's marvellous.
The tigers especially the one walking towards us for 500 m. was sensational - nothing can compare to that tingling feeling you get because they are wild and you don't know what they will do next. Is this for real, you have to keep asking yourself - but believe me its real. Your heart is beating so fast while you are viewing this magnificent animal - WOW its great. An experience that's eteched in your mnd forever.
We have already told many of our friends that if they are interested in doing such a tour to contact you in the near future.
Thank you once again for such a good time.
Warm regards
Heather & Malcolm Hill
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----- Original Message -----
April
12, 2007
Dear Sharad,
It gives me great pleasure to share the wonderful experience we had during the
Tiger Safari at Bandhavgarh Wild Resort with our friends.
For every trip that is successful, there needs to be someone attending to the
little details like entrance tickets, transportation, accommodations, guides,
etc., etc. Your professionalism in attending to these very details within the
one week that you had to make all the arrangements, we thank you. From the time
you arranged to have Prem pick us up from my residence in Delhi, till the time
we returned back after 5 days, all arrangements for the train tickets &
seating, the stop at Agra to see the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the Baby Taj
and back on the train for the night journey to Bandhavgarh, Tiger Den Resort
and the return journey, we experienced no wasted time and were always being
met by courteous staff at each point.
Kudos to Mr T, as Tirath was known to his guests was both a courteous and fun-loving
guide and willing to detour to the far side of the park, so that we would not
miss the opportunity to spot the young tiger cub moving about making his way
at dusk towards the water hole! We will also not forget Mr Tiwari and his staff
for taking care of our room and meals at the Tiger Den Resort.
We are recommending this to our friends, encouraging them to use your services
to take care of the details! We appreciate your integrity and professionalism
- invaluable in a country in which, everyone you bump into the streets seems
interested in parting you with your money without regard to value received!
Sincerely,
Happie Datt
Happie Taunque Datt
851 Lane Lorraine
Lake Forest, IL 60045
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----- Original Message -----
From : paula
To : Nature Safari
Sent : Tuesday, March 13, 2007 1:44 AM
Subject : India Trip
Hello
Sharad & Manjeet and all @ Nature Safari.
Well we arrived home safely after the amazing trip organised by you, we have
many happy memories! We had a fantastic time and couldn't have hoped for a more
organised trip - we were met at each port of call and transferred to all the
lodges / sites as promised without any worries at all.We got to see a few Tigers
- which was fantastic- bviously there is no guarantee - but we were fortunate
in seeing them both from an elephant and from the vehicle (good views for photos).
The lodges were comfortable - we particularly enjoyed Tuli Lodge. The rooms
were spacious, the patio area was bright and airy and it had a nice swimming
pool. Bandhavgarh was also very nice - the service here was much more personal
and friendly. I would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone I know
who was thinking of visiting India. I have attached a few of my fav. photos
for you as requested. Many Many thanks again - it was great dealing with you
all. Do you organise trips other than to India? We may be looking to go on safari
in Zambia at the end of the year, and if you can assist or recommend a tour
operator that would be great.
Warmest Regards
Paula & Thomas
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----- Original Message -----
To: info@naturesafariindia.com
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 6:36 PM
Subject: Nature Safaris
Dear Sharad
Nature
Safari India.
Being a keen wild life enthusiast & photographer i would like to contribute
a short note on the Safari to Bandhavgarh - Kanha arranged by your company for
us recently.
I have travelled to India many times since the late 80's & visited most
of the wildlife parks, some of them on several occasions on tours arranged by
numerous Indian travel agents. I am delighted that our last visit was refreshingly
different from the earlier bad experiences in the hands of unscrupulous travel
agents trying to make a fast buck.
We have finally found a knowledgeable, capable & most importantly an honest
& reliable travel agent. He provided us with vehicles, lodges and other
ground handling arrangements to perfection in accordance with our contract.
We were indeed fortunate to have excellent sightings of 19 tigers including
a family of five and 2 sloth bear during our six day visit, thanks to the excellent
tracking & anticipation of well trained guides provided to us.
I take great pleasure in recommending Sharad & staff at Naturesafari as
a trusted, reliable and hospitable agency to handle travel in India.
With Warm Wishes for your continued success
Suren Senewiratne
London
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----- Original Message -----
From: Mary Heys
To: 'Nature Safari India'
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 12:49 PM
Subject: Nature Safaris
I found Nature Safari and Sharad and his team while searching Internet in
2005. I saw on the site that they also had links to Care for the Wild, WWF,
and was impressed that they even contribute towards conservation. I have a tiger
adopted through Care for the Wild and so of course I checked up on Sharad and
company with CFW! Sharad doesn't know - but now he does!! I got a very good
recommendation and so I went for it. I had a wonderful 2 weeks in Bandhavgargh
and Corbett (although Sharad quite rightly tried to discourage me from doing
both, and so far apart, in such little time - never again!!) It was wonderful
and Tiger's Den so warm and friendly and my guide "Raghu" excellent
that of course I came back again this year (2006) but only to Bandhavgargh this
time and of course I'll come back next year!!! Nature Safaris are a wonderful,
small but serious and very personal company and they care very much about their
clients. I could go on and on and on!! I have aleady been to India and other
parks twice before so I have a comparison. I am a Nature Safari fan!
Mary Heys
Rome
Italy
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----- Original Message -----
From: Pam Flanagan
To: nature safari
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 7:11 PM
Subject: Our Wonderful Holiday in India, April 2006
Dear Sharad,
Please accept our apologies for the unforgiveable delay in writing but many
thanks to you and Nature Safari for arranging our wonderful holiday in India.
Our guides and drivers were knowledgeable and efficient and we were looked after
so well. Not just taken to the relevant arrival/departure points but personally
escorted to trains, planes, hotels, etc., and there was always a friendly face
waiting at the end of a journey.
Our 4 days on safari at Bandhavgarh were the highlight of our holiday. The superb
wildlife and scenery, the charming bungalow at Tiger's Den Resort, the hospitality
of the staff, our lovely driver, Tee, who made sure each jeep safari was different
and full of interest, and 3 sightings of tigresses and cubs, made it a truly
memorable experience - we are so looking forward to our next visit!
The entire holiday was so well organised and we are happy to give Nature Safari
our full recommendation.
With kind regards to you all,
Andrew and Pam Flanagan
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----- Original Message -----
From: Katie
To: Nature Safari India
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 2:22 PM
Subject: THANK YOU - Yogesh & Mangreet
Hello !
We would like to thank you for the excellent service that you provided us with
before and during our recent trip to India.From the point of booking Yogesh
was extremely efficient and dealt with all of my holiday queries quickly and
accurately. This excellent level of service continued when we arrived in India.
Mangeet who met us at the airport and stayed with us until we boarded the train
was very helpful and made us feel very welcome to India. I could continue to
list all the aspects of what was arranged for us because it was all of a first
class standard. Thank you.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in India and at the Tiger Den resort where the
standard was good and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We would certainly
recommend your company to other people wishing to travel to India. In addition
we had many wonderful sightings of tigers during our stay !
Having really enjoyed our trip and visiting Tala I would be interested in trying
to develop a link with the local village school. Do you have any ideas as to
how I could do this ? If not I can always write to Tiger Den directly and ask
for their help - am I right in thinking that they do not have an email connection
but do they have a fax line perhaps?. It is not a problem if not because I can
always write a letter to them . What I was hoping to do was to get to know a
member of staff at the school by writing to him/her and asking if there are
items of stationery or other resources that the school needs and to help them
out by sending these out from the UK. I would be interested in knowing whether
you think that this would work. Having enjoyed our trip so much and having been
made to feel so welcome by the people I would like to show our thanks on a practical
level if at all possible.
Thank you and kind regards,
Katie
London
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----- Original Message -----
From: Tim & Sharon Matthews
To: info@naturesafariindia.com
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 10:43 PM
Subject: Re: Trip to India
Dear Sharad,
We have now returned from our two week trip to India and thought we would drop
you a line to say thank you for the amazing trip you organised for us. It went
smoothly from start to finish, and everyone was so friendly and helpful.It was
particularly lovely to see friednly faces again on our return to Delhi!
We had a wonderful time, and enjoyed seeing the tigers very much. The two weeks
went so quickly, and we didn't want to come home!
We would certainly recommend your services to anyone else wishing to travel
to India, and believe that you offer great value for money. Hope to see you
again on our next trip to India.
Thanks again and kind regards,
Sharon & Tim Matthews
Guernsey, UK
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Our
Guest's Blogs & Websites
http://markandsueindia.blogspot.com/2006/02/nature-safari-tours.html
http://www.pieterverheij.com
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