Text & Images: Marlon du Toit
India, what a destination! It is a journey of the senses, all fully engaged as you travel through this diverse, beautiful country.
In this article I’ll do things a little differently. I plan to update this piece on a daily basis, sharing our experiences, the sightings, the encounters, the beautiful photos. I want you to come along with me, experience India’s Bandhavgarh National Park through my lens.
Come check in every day for more updates, as I will try update every 24 hours! Exciting, right?
Here we go with the first update,. from the field!
Day 1 in Bandhavgarh
We arrived in Bandhavgarh after a nearly 5 hour drive from a city called Jabalpur. To get to Jabalpur, we took a short flight from New Delhi, where we spent a few days exploring the city and its riches.
The drive in from Jabalpur to the park was really good, offering real and raw views into culture and community, farms. villages, street markets and much more. It was truly immersive, and highly enjoyable!
After a check-in and dinner, we were all ready to go to bed, to wake afresh for the day ahead. And that, we did!
We were out on safari at 05:15am, nice and early. The park opens for us at 05:30. We book special full day permits that allows us not only earlier access, but also full days in the field across all viewing zones, and also allows us to exit the park after everyone. This means more time with the wildlife, exactly what we were after!
Today, we got to see 3 tigers! Incredible! The first two sightings were in the morning, and at a distance, admittedly. I never took any photos, instead admiring her through my binoculars and sharing the experience with my guests. It was amazing, most of their first tiger sightings in the wild!
After a lovely morning out we returned to camp for lunch, and a short break. It was short indeed as we were out again shortly after 2pm. Most cars can only enter the park again from 4pm, but we have the permit which means special access. It paid off!
We found a beautiful tigress not long into game drive. She was well hidden, tough to see. We decided to wait her out, and we did not have to wait long at all! She started moving around and got real close to us. This gave my guests and I an epic view of her, and a chance to take some special photographs! She was a stunner! We also noticed that she was lactating, confirming rumors about a tigress in the area seen the day before with very, very young cubs. You bet we are planning to return, in hope of seeing her with her small cubs. Now that would be a special treat!
What a first day for Tigers, with 3 sightings, one being truly photogenic!
There’s an abundance of wildlife to be seen, including a diverse array of birds. I’ll share more images soon, but include some shots of monkeys we’ve seen thus far.
I could not have asked for a better start to this safari in Bandhavgarh, and can’t wait to see what the week will have in store for us.
Thanks for reading. Leave a comment, and let me know what you thought of the pictures.
See you tomorrow 🙂
Day 2 & 3 in Bandhavgarh
Imagine this: the air shimmers with heat as the morning sun climbs quickly in the sky, casting long shadows across the parched landscape of Bandhavgarh National Park, in central India. It’s summer and the forest is dry, dusty, and golden. The temperature already feels like it’s brushing 40°C before noon. But this is prime tiger-tracking season.
You climb into an open-top gypsy (a 4×4 safari vehicle), the canvas seats warm to the touch, your hat pulled low and a water bottle in hand. The forest around you is quieter this time of year—leaves have dropped from many trees, creating an almost skeletal backdrop. Visibility is at its best, making it easier to spot wildlife that would otherwise be hidden in denser foliage.
Every crunch of dry twigs beneath the tires, every call of a langur monkey, and every alarm cry of a spotted deer sends a ripple of anticipation through the group. The park is alive with tension. The dryness means animals gather at watering holes, and so do the predators.
Your guide signals to the driver to slow down. A fresh pugmark—broad and round—imprinted in the dusty trail. Tiger. You hold your breath, scanning the tall grass near a watering hole. The heat radiates in waves, cicadas buzzing loudly in the background, and suddenly, a rustle.
Then, like a ghost, she appears—orange and black stripes blending into the golden brush. A tigress, regal and unfazed, walks slowly to the water’s edge. She crouches, drinks, and lifts her head, eyes locking with yours just for a second. The heat, the dust, the long wait—it’s all worth it for this one moment.
That’s a summer safari in Bandhavgarh: raw, intense, and unforgettable.
We’ve enjoyed a tremendous time in Bandhavgarh thus far, with a number of exciting encounters at all hours of the day. Crucially, we have full-day permits which allows us to get into the park ahead of normal visitors, with the ability to stay the whole day, and also leave the park last. It’s paid off on every day thus far!
We found a tigress in the heat of the day, cooling down in a shallow waterhole. These waterholes are of the most importance to tigers as the temperatures soar during the heat of the day. Tigers love water and it’s around waterholes where we currently focus most of our attention. She lay there for some time, drinking every now and again, giving us a great view and lovely photographs at the same time.
The forests come alive once the heat starts to settle in the late afternoon, giving way to some beautiful sightings. The scenery unlike any other park in India, truly beautiful!
To photograph a tiger in Bandhavgarh is to chase a dream wrapped in shadow and sunlight. Each frame tells a story of patience, of early mornings cloaked in mist, of quiet anticipation and pounding hearts. When the shutter clicks and you capture that perfect moment — a yawn, a stare, a graceful stride — it feels like the forest has granted you a rare gift. The image becomes more than just a photograph; it’s a memory seared into your soul, proof that you stood witness to something truly untamed.
Just to see one, that’s lucky enough. To have an opportunity to aim your lens at one, and to have it look back at you, now that’s truly something that you’ll simply never forget.
Our safari in India got off to a flying start, and as we reach the halfway mark, I can’t help but be excited to see what else is in store.
The last few days, coming to an end...
All good things must eventually come to an end. It feels like I’ve been in India for weeks, yet we’ve only reached day 6 on safari here in Bandhavgarh, and what an incredible time it has been.
Every morning has brought about a sky filled with colour, an orange sun rising over a dry landscape. The heat urges everyone to hurry their business before any activity is no longer possible. Summer in Bandhavgarh is not for the faint of heart. Yet, amidst the scorching heat life is abundant, with beauty on display for those who care to look.
The peacocks of India, particularly the Indian Peafowl, are iconic not only as the country’s national bird but also as one of the most visually stunning creatures you’ll encounter in the wild. In Bandhavgarh National Park, located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, these birds add a splash of vivid color and drama to the dense sal forests and sprawling meadows.
Their bodies shimmer with hues of deep blue and green, almost jewel-like. The neck and chest are a vibrant, glossy sapphire blue, while the back feathers show a metallic green that can appear bronze or even gold depending on the light.
What truly steals the show is the long “train” of tail feathers that can reach over 5 feet in length. Each feather is adorned with striking “eye spots” — vivid circles of blue, green, and gold — which the male fans out in a graceful arc during mating season. When fully displayed, it looks like a living, breathing tapestry.
Their calls are loud and piercing — a harsh “pia-ow” — often heard echoing through the forest at dawn and dusk.
In addition to the fabulous and bold peacock, there’s an abundance of bird life here in Bandhavgarh. Although our focus is squarely on the magnificent tigers we always make time for our feathered friends. Some of the birds here are so striking that they simply can’t be overlooked.
We enjoyed one particular good sighting of a female tiger. She’d been found feeding on the remains of a young Sambar Deer. Unfortunately we did not get to play witness to the feeding, but we knew where she’d go once she finished her meal – the water!
We positioned our vehicle by the nearest waterhole and sure enough, within the hour she appeared. We got so close to her, we could hear her giant paws touch down on the ground as she took long strides towards the water for a drink.
The photos were simply stunning. We watched in absolute awe. They capture your attention unlike any other big cat on the planet. I’ve spent time with almost all of them, and the Tiger, it’s just something in a class of its own.
She enjoyed a drink and soon after walked off into the distance, leaving us with smiles from side to side!
It was still dark when we rolled through the jungle trail, the forest shrouded in the blue hush of pre-dawn. The air was cool and alive with sound—birdsong rang out like a secret being whispered through the trees, and somewhere far off, a langur gave a sharp, urgent call.
Then—we found him.
Not in the golden glow of sunrise. No. We found him before the light had even touched the forest floor.
There he was: a massive male tiger, the kind that commands silence without asking. His name is Bajranga, the King of the park! His stripes melted into the shadowy undergrowth, but his presence was undeniable—raw power made flesh, crouched low over the lifeless body of a sambar deer. The forest around him felt still, almost reverent, as if nature itself paused to honor the drama of the kill.
His amber eyes flicked up for a moment—just a heartbeat—and met ours.
The forest seemed louder then. The birds sang brighter, bolder, as though announcing his dominion. A peacock called sharply from a tree above—its cry cutting through the dense air like a fanfare.
There was no other Jeep in sight —only the tiger, his kill, and the haunting moment of witnessing life and death tangled together under the shadowed canopy.
It’s a time with the King one will remember!
Bandhavgarh, what a place of emotion. You’re energised by the near tangible presence this place exudes. As our jungle journey draws to a close, I can’t help but feel sad. But, in the world of safari, it’s never goodbye but simply, see you later.
One more day to go! Can’t wait to see what’s in store!
