A Tryst With Tigers — Full Day Safaris
Twelve nights in Bandhavgarh and Kanha, six full-day permits.
Join Lala — naturalist, photographer and storyteller — on an expedition into the wild.
Bandhavgarh National Park
The departures
Choose between full day safaris or regular safaris in some of Lala's favourite destinations across India and South America.
Twelve nights in Bandhavgarh and Kanha, six full-day permits.
Eleven nights, the same two parks, fifteen regular safaris.
Sixteen nights across Tadoba, Kanha and Bandhavgarh, nine full-day permits.
The same three parks, twenty-three regular safaris.
The most elusive cat to find, in some of the highest country in the world. Dates and routes on enquiry.
What to Expect on a Safari with Lala
These limited-capacity trips are crafted for those who want to go deeper, learn more, and return with not just sightings, but stories.
Most safari companies are travel companies. The itinerary is assembled by somebody in an office, and the person in the vehicle with you meets you on day one. This is the other way round: Lala plans it, and Lala is the one deciding at 6:40 in the morning whether the alarm call to the east is worth abandoning the plan for.
That matters most for the thing photographers actually care about, which is not the sighting — it is the angle. Guests consistently describe the same experience: the vehicle positioned so the light is behind them and no other jeep is behind the subject, arrived at before the animal does.
In guests' words
We saw thirty tigers in six days — but what really stood out was the care, warmth, and attention we received from Lala. From start to finish, he delivered. He helped with everything — from planning and flight routes to visa logistics — and had an answer for every question we threw his way. Once we hit the parks, Lala's deep knowledge of the land, the wildlife, and their patterns turned every drive into something extraordinary. This wasn't just a safari. It was the trip of a lifetime — and somewhere along the way, we stopped feeling like clients and started feeling like friends. We even swap recipes now.
Bill Masure, USAA Tryst With Tigers
Truly magical. After 64 years around the sun this was my first ever safari. I honestly did not know what to expect. Lala helped us navigate through the magical forests of Kanha. He lucidly explained the various zones and what is exclusive to the region. The adrenaline started pumping as we sighted a gorgeous leopard. The most amazing moment: when we heard a few alarm calls, Lala explained the calls and triangulated the exact location where this absolutely stunning tiger would appear. It was fascinating to see how all the other guides and jeeps were following our jeep. Just as Lala predicted, there emerged the gorgeous Sunaiyna. Thank you for showing me a world that I have missed out on for such a long time.
Peter Isaac, USAKanha National Park
Lala was an excellent guide and trip organiser. We were so taken care of at every moment, whether during wildlife sightings or in the lodge. His wildlife tracking is exceptional — those ears don't miss an alarm call in the jungle. His positioning of the game viewers for photography is specific, thoughtful and perfect to make sure we were constantly in the best positions — no jeeps behind the subject, and anticipating animal behaviour and movement. I learned so much about wildlife from him, as well as conservation issues in India. One of the best trips of my life.
Guest, South AfricaTiger Thali Tour
From our very first virtual contact, to our final tearful goodbye and beyond, Lala has been an intuitive, gracious and ever-so detail-oriented host for our travel in India. We arrived and spent our initial night in Delhi, where our driver and hotel were on point and in close contact with Lala. From there we travelled by plane to Jabalpur, then by car to our accommodation at Bandhavgarh. The next morning we embarked on our first three utterly captivating full-day safaris — and we were treated to an immersive experience, and time spent quietly sitting with tigers in their domain. We could not have guessed that our second three full days, this time in Kanha, could have topped it. Finally, our journey was made complete by a visit to Earth Focus, an NGO whose work focuses on building the ecological and socio-economic resilience of the forest-dwelling communities of Kanha's buffer zone. We left with our knowledge and our hearts vastly expanded.
Nicole Gryler, USAA Tryst With Tigers
Lala is an incredible tour guide, one of the best that I have ever had. He is so kind, caring, patient, respectful, enthusiastic and goes above and beyond to give his guests the absolute best experience. He is an ethical tour guide and photographer as he truly cares about the welfare and safety of the wildlife. He was willing to find lodges that were within our budget, comfortable, and had amazing staff and meals.
Carly Voight, USAA Tryst With Tigers
A once in a lifetime trip I can't wait to do again. Lala is an incredible host and ambassador of India. We had excellent sightings of tigers and a leopard. The guides and drivers on his team were incredibly passionate about their jobs and so friendly and welcoming. They respect the wildlife and used many years of experience in tracking to always seem to be in the right position to make lasting memories. I enjoyed it so much I stayed in India for another two weeks.
Justin Smith, USAA Tryst With Tigers
The safari at Kanha was one of the best ones I've experienced. Not only because of the magnificent sightings but also the way Lala explained everything and went above and beyond to make sure we document everything in a safe and sustainable way — keeping the wildlife at the centre of everything while also making it fun.
Sejal SKanha National Park
Great family time enjoying the parallel world that is the jungle. The sightings were insane and it was interesting for me to observe the differences between my earlier safari in Bandipur (also with Lala) and this one in Kanha. It was a real education in not just the variation in fauna but flora as well.
Maalavika ManojKanha National Park
Incredible rewarding experience. Every aspect of the tour was planned for — the hotel, transportation and guides in the reserve. Lala took care of each individual on the trip. I highly recommend this adventure. I want to go back.
Steve Howa, USAA Tryst With Tigers
I couldn't recommend a safari with Lala higher, who in my opinion rises above all others as he gives you a lot of context to your adventure. Nature doesn't always guarantee you a sighting, but with Lala you know you'll get a refreshing insight into the lives of these wonderful animals as you enter their world.
Rhys D’SouzaKanha National Park
Wonderful trip. It exceeded my expectations in so many ways. The wildlife was incredible, the accommodations were fantastic, and Lala was so kind, helpful, patient and knowledgeable. Can't wait until the next visit.
Lydia Ripplinger, USAA Tryst With Tigers