We depart early in the morning with packed breakfast, entering one of Bandhavgarh’s three zones. Mornings can be chilly here during this time of year. Our aim is to be among the first into the park, tracking tiger pug marks and hopefully catching our first sighting of the tour.

Each safari session grants us access to one of the park’s zones, with the morning safari lasting over 5 hours until 11am. After lunch and a brief rest, we embark on our evening safari, aiming to explore a mix of all three zones to experience the park fully. The evening safari in winter lasts approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Upon returning to the lodge, we freshen up and gather for a photography session before dinner. Our photography mentor, Amal, will either conduct a photography presentation or facilitate a question and answer session tailored to participants’ interests.

We are likely to explore a different zone than on day one, each offering its own unique charm and excellent photo opportunities in Bandhavgarh. While our primary focus will be on tigers, we will seize any chance to capture unique images enhanced by the winter light and mist.

Departing with packed breakfast for our morning safari, similar to the previous day, we’ll spend a fruitful 3 hours searching for tigers. After a break, we’ll continue our quest for tiger sightings before exiting the park around 11am to return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

In the afternoon, we’ll head out again for our shorter evening safari, focusing our efforts based on insights from guides and drivers who explored the zone earlier in the day, aiming for possible tiger encounters.

Back at the lodge, we will gather for a photography session led by Amal, our photography mentor. He will not only cover photography techniques but also delve into the park’s dynamics and the tiger families of Bandhavgarh.

By the third day, we will have become familiar with the movements of specific tigers in each zone. Unlike summer, tigers are more active during the day in winter, increasing our chances of encountering them walking along the safari tracks. Each zone is home to tigers with cubs, offering potential sightings of tiger families near water sources or moving within their territories.

The safari routine remains unchanged: packed breakfast, lunch at the lodge, followed by an evening safari. In the evening, we will gather for a photography session at the lodge as before.

We depart for our final safari of the tour, having hopefully already seen and photographed some tigers. Our focus will be on capturing images in good light, with the hope of encountering a tiger in favorable conditions. After returning from the park, we will depart for Jabalpur airport to catch our flight out.