1. How are Indian tiger safaris different from safaris in Africa?
Although I haven’t been on an African safari yet, everything I’ve learned highlights how uniquely rewarding Indian safaris are - from the style of vehicles to the character of the wildlife. In India, safaris typically use smaller open-top jeeps (gypsies), which are highly maneuverable and perfectly suited to the country’s beautiful, dense forests and narrow jungle trails. These agile 4x4 vehicles offer excellent visibility and can seat six guests, though I prefer a maximum of four photographers per gypsy to ensure everyone enjoys a comfortable corner seat and ample space for gear.
The wildlife experience is equally unique. Tiger behavior contrasts significantly with that of lions: whereas lions are social animals typically observed in prides, tigers are solitary, territorial, and exceptionally stealthy. Encountering a tiger in India’s wild landscapes feels extraordinarily special - an unforgettable moment that showcases the magic of the jungle.
2. What camera gear is recommended for the trip?
Because we are constrained by airline baggage limitations as well as the practical limits of what one can comfortably carry we need to prioritize essential equipment. For the birding segment of the trip, longer focal lengths (500 mm and above) are ideal, as is standard practice in bird photography globally. A zoom lens is preferable to a prime lens, as it offers greater flexibility for framing, especially in hides or when birds approach unexpectedly. A tripod or monopod is strongly recommended, as birding often requires extended periods of waiting in a fixed position.
For the tiger safaris, if you bring only one lens, it should be a telephoto zoom such as a 180–600 mm or 200–600 mm. Tiger sightings can occur at any distance - from several hundred meters to just a few meters from the vehicle so the versatility of a zoom lens is invaluable. Professional photographers commonly carry two camera bodies: one paired with a 400 mm f/2.8 prime and another with a 70–200 mm f/2.8. However, given cabin baggage restrictions, bringing multiple bodies may not be feasible unless you opt to pay for additional carry-on allowance. On location lens rentals are also available (details below).
Binoculars are optional but you are welcome to bring them if you wish.
3. What kind of weather can we expect during the trip? Can there be disruptions to the plan due to weather?
For the first part with birding in the Himalayas the weather will be between 10-22 C. The homestays have no fans, air conditioning or heating so you will have to use some sweater/jacket to bear the cold in the early mornings and evenings. There will be blankets in the rooms but you may want to bring thermal underwear and socks to help. Daytime should be pleasant with just a shirt or light jacket that you can take off and keep in the taxi that will accompany us through the whole day while birding. Rain is not typical during this time; it is generally sunny with little to no rain but its best if you have a raincoat with you always - both for yourself and for your camera.
The skipper can change the itinerary according to the weather or activity. Which means that you should be open to have changes to the itinerary if the skipper receives news of sightings of rare birds from another location or if rain spoils our plans for a particular location on a particular day.
For the tiger safari part it should be warm with temperatures between 15-35 C with no rain.
4. Is it possible to rent gear on location during the trip?
Yes. Camera bodies and lenses can be rented during the tiger safari segment, subject to availability. Options include 180–600 mm and 200–600 mm zooms, as well as 400 mm f/2.8 primes (including the Nikon 400 mm f/2.8 TC). These rentals are offered at an additional daily cost. Please inform me as early as possible if you wish to reserve any equipment.
5. What about food and drinks during the trip?
Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner is included. There would be non-vegetarian food for almost every meal except breakfasts. And approximately 2-3 lunches during the birding part of the trip will be 'ready-to-eat' meal packs due to logistical reasons. Example here. Bottled mineral water and bananas are included. Soda can be arranged at an extra cost at most places.
If you have any food allergies you should let me know immediately.
6. How much walking can we expect during the birding in the Himalayas?
Not much walking is involved as most of the transport throughout the day is done by taxi from one hotspot to another. Most of the birding is done from the side of the road itself so you will only have to get out of the taxi, walk 50-100m, setup your tripod and shoot. Only on one day it could be that we go down a small hilly trail of about 200m for a rare bird.
7. What is the luggage allowance for the flights?
Domestic flights in India usually have a 7 kg cabin luggage limit (dimensions - 115 cms (L+W+H)) but I will try to book tickets with 10 kg cabin luggage limit. I will confirm this once I have booked the flight tickets for you. Over and above this 7 or 10 kg cabin baggage limit you can also bring a laptop in its bag with a weight of max 3 kg. Checkin luggage allowance is 15 kg for all flights so it would be good if you left Denmark with 15 kg checkin luggage only and not 23 kg as is normal on International flights.
Extra checkin luggage comes at a cost of about 50-60 DKK per extra kg at the airport.
Do not carry a tool of any kind in your hand luggage, you will be asked to dump it at Indian airport security checks. Not even a hex wrench will go through, they are very thorough! I lost my Peak Design hex wrench like this.
8. Do guides use playback during birding?
It is not used for every species but guides do make use of playback only if its a special bird that isnt showing up.
9. How can we get internet connection on our phones in India?
The easiest way is for you to get a cheap data only eSim like Saily that you can use throughout the trip. You can activate it before boarding your flight to India. We can look at getting you a physical SIM card at BOM airport after we arrive if we have enough time.
10. How is the voltage and wall plugs in India?
All your chargers and electronics will work in India as they use the same voltage as in Denmark. The only issue could be that Danish plug pins are thinner and can be loose in the wall sockets so you should get a universal travel adapter for these reasons. And bring an extension cable with multiple ports so you are not stuck with a single wall plug if you're unlucky.
11. What about the flight to and from India?
You are welcome to join me on my direct flight (about 8 hours) to BOM on February 28 (Saturday) at around 13:35 from CPH. I will be taking the train from Aarhus to CPH that morning. You are also free to choose your own flights as long as you are able to be ready at BOM airport by March 1 at 06:00 IST.
For the return we will land at New Delhi airport by 16:00 IST on March 13. You are then free to choose whichever return flight you want, maybe even to BLL if you like. I will not be returning to Denmark with you as I will go home to visit my family and return to Denmark after 1 week.
If your name in your passport has special characters in it then you should use the name printed in English in your passport to make your flight bookings. We can discuss this later when we get to flight bookings.
12. Is laundry facility available on the trip?
Yes laundry facility is available at an extra cost but I would suggest to only use it on the tiger safari part of the trip when we stay at the hotel. My recommendation would be to bring enough clothing to last you at least the birding part of the trip, if not the whole trip.
13. Should we bring any special medicines for the trip?
Bring painkillers and meditation for cold, fever, bad stomach etc. Bring mosquito repellent. Bring medication like Lactaid to help with digestion. Please do some research on these medicines.
Bring sunscreen. The taxi driving in the Himalayan roads can induce nausea if you are prone to it so you should bring medication to prevent that.
Bring elektrolytter that you can use during the full trip. I usually put 1 tablet in the bottle as soon as I open a new mineral water bottle during the whole trip.
14. Are there any special clothing recommendations?
Yes. Bring clothing to cover every inch of your body except your eyes during safaris to protect from dust, including your head and hair. Scarf, beanies, full sleeve shirts and jackets, safari hats etc. Bring a big thin towel like thingy to wrap your camera + lens when its not being used in the open gypsy on the safaris to protect it from dust. I usually borrow an extra towel from the hotel I'm staying at but thats not always possible. It can sometimes be cold from the plane's air conditioning, so you may want to bring a sweater or windbreaker in your cabin luggage.
15. Any other recommendations?
Bring good earplugs for everyday use. Bring eye masks for sleeping as a precaution. Remember that the noise isolation of homestays wont be that great.
Keep soft copies of all your documents online at all times. Passport, visa, travel insurance, health card, drivers license, passport size photographs etc.
Bring a knife and fork in your checkin luggage. Although you might not have to use it at all but it doesnt hurt to have them with you.
16. What vaccinations do we need for the trip?
This is somethig between you and your GP. But after we confirm the list of people coming on the trip I will create a Facebook group chat where you can talk with others about what is the best course of vaccinations as suggested by your GPs.
17. How do we get a Visa?
You should apply online for e-Tourist Visa with 1 year validity. It can be applied 120 days in advance of the trip start date. Passport should have at least six months validity at the time of making application for grant of e-Tourist Visa. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
18. Can we see some videos to get a feeling of the birding part of the trip?
Yes. Here are some videos to help you get a feel of Himalayan birding and the varied species - Latpanchar 1, Latpanchar 2, Lava & Rishyap, Rongtong