2024 Tigers Safari Workshop Information Packet

 Contents:

I.              General Information

II.            To Do Checklist

III.         Daily Itinerary

IV.        FAQ’s

2024 Tigers Safari
General  Information

Tigers Safari Dates:                        Mar 29–Apr 5, 2024          

Taj Mahal Extension (optional):    April 5-7, 2024                               

Welcome!

Thanks again for joining our 2024 Tigers Safari. I’m sure you’re as excited as I am for our photography adventure! But first, a bit of planning is needed to make sure everything goes smoothly. This document contains important information to help you prepare for our journey. Please take the time to read it carefully.

Workshop Overview

The Tigers Safari  - workshop begins when we pick you up from Indira Gandhi International Airport (airport code: DEL) in New Delhi, India on March 29, 2024, and ends upon our arrival at the same airport on April 5, 2024.

Taj Mahal Extension - For those who wish to visit the Taj Mahal, we will pick you up from the airport and transport you to Agra, where you will spend the night. Starting very early the following day, you will visit the Taj and other attractions in Agra as time allows before returning to Delhi airport, in time for your homeward flight.

During the Tigers Safari portion, we will visit two of India’s most famous tiger reserves, Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, in pursuit of wall-worthy images of tigers and other Indian wildlife. We’ll embark on a total of 9 early morning and late afternoon ‘game drives’ in open-air 4-wheel-drive vehicles piloted by professional drivers. A naturalist/guide will also accompany each vehicle.

We are also very fortunate to have my dear friend, Harsh Agarwal, an India native, professional photographer, and guide accompany us on our journey as a second instructor/leader.

Take a look at the Daily Itinerary in this packet or on the workshop page of our website for more details about the locations we will visit and the things we can expect to see and photograph throughout our journey.

Balance of Fees

The balance of your workshop fees are due by Nov 15, 2023. The exact amount depends on the options selected such as single lodging, extra hotel nights, or the optional Taj Mahal extension. You will receive an invoice by email approximately 30 days before. Payments can be made online by credit card. Please contact us if you wish to use another form of payment. Your on-time payment is much appreciated.

Health/Medical

Immunizations – there are no specific immunization requirements to enter India, but you should consult with your doctor or travel clinic about any recommended vaccinations. Malaria prophylaxis may be recommended. The U.S. CDC website also contains general information which may be useful.

Prescription Medications – pack an adequate supply of any prescription medications (and supplements) you take, as they may not be available in India. I also carry a course of antibiotics when traveling, just in case. You can request a prescription for ‘traveler’s diarrhea’ from your health provider or travel clinic. 

Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.

Covid- specific requirements

Both India and the US no longer require Covid vaccination or testing for entry. 

Travel Logistics & Documents

International Flights –

Inbound – Book your flights to arrive in Delhi (DEL) by 2pm on Mar 29.

Outbound – Book your homeward flight from DEL for after 6pm on April 5 (or after 6pm on  April 6 if participating in the Taj Mahal extension). Most US bound flights depart in the evening.

Extra hotel nights -  if you are arriving early or wish to overnight in Delhi before beginning your homeward travels, just let us know your itinerary specifics and we can book the additional hotel nights for you ($185/night including breakfast).  

Passport – now is the time to double-check the expiration date of your passport. India requires your passport to be valid for at least six months past the date you intend to depart the country.

Visas 

American Citizens – a tourist visa is required to enter India. The easiest way to obtain your visa is to apply for an online

Other Nationalities– Please check here to determine if a visa is required      

Address in India: enter the following info on your visa application for your address in India:

Pride Plaza Aerocity Hotel

Asset 5A Hospitality, District, Aerocity, Delhi, 110037, India

Travel Insurance – is mandatory for workshop participants. Please forward us a copy of your travel insurance policy (summary page is fine). The primary purpose of this requirement is in case of medical emergency – cost should not be a consideration in getting you quality medical care. Policies that cover medical evacuation as well as other things like trip cancellation, travel delays, lost luggage, theft/loss, etc. are widely available and reasonably priced.

Notify Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while traveling.

Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from your carrier.

WhatsApp – is a free communications app that is used widely in Asia. We will be using this for inter group communications. Please download & install WhatsApp and create an account before arriving in India. You may want to also want to have your loved ones at home install this app also.  

What to Pack

Weather Note – it’s going to be hot, that’s unavoidable but we’ll spend most of the midday hours inside our lodge to air-conditioned van. Below are the historical high & low temps in Bandhavgarh national park for March & April

March: 94/64 Fahrenheit

April: 104/72  Fahrenheit

Clothing & Personal Items – thin, cool and quick-drying are the order of the day for this trip. Long sleeves and pants are recommended for protection from the sun and insects. In addition, you should also bring:

•       Brimmed hat

•       Sunglasses

•       Spare eyeglasses/reading  glasses or contacts

•       Bandanna, buff or face mask – for dust protection

•       Sports Bra – the roads can be quite bumpy (a top suggestion from past female participants).

•       Swimsuit

•       Sneakers - there is no hiking on this trip, but you want comfortable shoes with good traction.

•       Flip flops/sandals for around the lodge

•       Sunscreen & Bug Spray

•       Lip balm

Don’t overpack, laundry is available both lodges for a reasonable fee and there are no ‘dress up’ occasions on this trip.

Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works against you. If you decide to bring the kitchen sink, I strongly recommend bringing a smaller camera bag/backpack that you are comfortable carrying all day as well. You will be able to safely leave extra items in our vehicle while we are out walking around.  I’m happy to give more specific brand/model recommendations for specific items. Just ask.

• Camera Body – 1 or 2 camera bodies. Mirrorless cameras, especially models that have animal eye tracking  are truly game changes for wildlife photography – highly recommended. Bring a paper or electronic copy of your camera’s operating manual. Your smartphone is also a great camera – don’t forget it.

• Lenses:

  • your longest telephoto will be the workhorse of this trip. We recommend a lens that reaches 400mm minimum (300mm for crop sensor cameras) before adding teleconverters.

  • A medium telephoto like a 70-200mm zoom will also be useful

  • A wide-angle is optional (or your phone) is handy when you want to show the environment  

• Filters – a polarizer can be nice to have but completely optional

• Extra Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of gigabytes (possibly >1TB) total. Bring PLENTY of memory cards and batteries. You should NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.

• Battery Charger – do not forget! As a backup, you might consider purchasing USB powered camera battery charger. They are inexpensive and let you charge your camera batteries without a wall outlet. Google “(your camera model) USB charger”

• Monopod (optional) – can provide extra stability. Also useful for low angle shots in combination with a remote release.

Other Gear

• Laptop or tablet –highly recommended. Your photography will improve if you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home. We will also have several sessions on post processing and image management in Adobe Lightroom.

• Portable hard drive - ideal for image storage/backup. If you are purchasing one, look for a solid-state (SSD) type that is   “bus powered” – a drive that gets its power from the computer and does not require a separate power cord (most SSD’s are bus powered).  1TB capacity minimum, 2TB is better.

• Power adapters – India runs on 230-volt electricity with Type C, D or M outlets. A ‘universal’ adapter like one of these will cover your needs in India.

• A small power strip is also handy for charging multiple devices simultaneously but make sure it is specifically designed for travel or rated for 230+ volts. Here’s  the one I use.

• Chargers for phones/tablets, laptops, camera batteries  and other electronics have built in voltage transformers and work just fine with a simple adapter.

• Check higher power devices like hair dryers and shavers to make sure they are compatible with 230-volt power.  Here is a link to a good article on travel adapters if you need more info.

• Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics

• Power bank – extremely handy when traveling. You can even use it to charge a camera battery in a pinch (USB battery charger required)

• Phone Leash  - to prevent dropping your phone into a literal lion’s den.

MISC

A Word About Gratuities – Like many service businesses, our guides and drivers rely on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. I think you will find our local guide & drivers in India to be outstanding at what they do. If you feel you’ve received good service, a gratuity is greatly appreciated. People always ask me for guidance so below are the the typical ranges I see:

Driver & Naturalist Guides:  $4­–$6/day

2nd Instructor (Harsh) : $15–$25/day

Tipping at hotels and restaurants is not expected, but small gratuities are appreciated.

If there’s anything we’ve missed or you have questions, please contact me.

I look forward to meeting you in Delhi,

Ken Lee

+1 949-282-9660 mobile/WhatsApp

ken@artofseeing.com

Tigers Safari 2024

To Do Checklist

___     Send us a copy/photo of your Passport picture page (a cell phone snap is all we need)

___     Book Inbound/Outbound flights and forward a copy of your flight itinerary to us.

___     Let us know if you need any extra hotel nights

___     Apply for India eTourist Visa

___     Purchase Travel Insurance and forward a copy of your policy

___     Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans

___     Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and plans

___     Make a personal packing checklist (click here for a downloadable Photo Trip Packing List template you can customize to your own needs)

Daily Itinerary

Note: this itinerary is our general plan but is subject to change without notice for logistical, weather and other reasons.

Q: How is this workshop different than other tiger safaris?

A:

1) 100% photography focused - everything from our itinerary, choice of lodging and daily schedule is designed around maximizing opportunities to produce portfolio-worthy images of tigers and other wildlfie.

2) Individualized instruction – a maximum 3:1 instructor to student ratio ensures plenty of personal attention to help you raise your wildlife photography skills to the next level.

3) Top notch logistics & support – we partner with top notch lodges and safari outfitters to ensure the safest and glitch-free experience for our guests.

Q: How should I book my travel?

A: Book your international flights to arrive and depart from Indira Gandhi International Airport (airport code: DEL) in (New) Delhi, India . Additional information to help you plan your travels will be provided to registered participants

Q: Do I need a visa to enter India?

A: Yes, Americans need a visa which is easily obtained online. Details of how to apply will be provided to registered participants. If your passport was issued by another country, check online or with the Indian embassy/consulate in your country.

Q: What will the weather be like?

A: Cool mornings & evenings , hot midday with medium humidity. Average high temps in March are low 90's. Rain is not likely.

Q: Do you guarantee tiger sightings?

A: No. We have high confidence that we will experience multiple quality tiger sightings, but Mother Nature makes no guarantees and neither do we.

Something we missed? Send us an email or schedule a phone call. We’re happy to address any questions