Central India Holidays
A Central India holiday with Scott Dunn offers untouched villages where traditional culture thrives, access to the best tiger safaris and lodges in India and gorgeous gastronomy tours of Mumbai.
- Tailor-made itineraries that tick all your boxes
- Tours and trips from award-winning travel experts
- 24/7 support from us before and during your holiday
- Unique experiences with local private guides
The state of Madhya Pradesh is the lost jewel of India – often left off many itineraries for being tricky to access – but if a safari in India is high on your bucket list, you can’t afford to miss it. With the countries best national parks and conservation efforts, wildlife thrives here with the Bengal tiger being especially prominent, as well as, elephants, sloth bears, and even a few elusive leopards.
Want to pair the jungle for a slice of India's cosmopolitan side? The home of Bollywood, Mumbai offers dramatic cityscapes intertwined with relics of the country's colonial past.
Our friendly and knowledgeable travel specialists have extensive experience in creating memorable Central India holidays. Let us know what your idea of luxury looks like today.
Where to Visit on Central India Holidays
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Bandhavgarh National Park
The smallest of Central India’s National Parks, Bandhavgarh is located in Madhya Pradesh and is open from October to June. With 105sq km of undulating forest, meadows and swamplands, its varied topography is home to a good population of Royal Bengal tigers, elephants, sloth bears and leopards, as well as deer, wild boar and antelope.
Morning and afternoon game drives take you into the grasslands and forests in search of the park’s inhabitants, tracking the tiger’s pugmarks and looking for telltale signs. The mighty Bandhavgarh Fort looks down imperiously, its impressive ruins forming a dramatic backdrop to the park’s natural beauty.
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Kanha National Park
It’s said that Rudyard Kipling was inspired to write The Jungle Book by tales of Kanha, and it’s not hard to imagine Mowgli running through the open meadows and swinging through the dense forests. Tigers, leopards and the rare hard-ground Barasingha (swamp deer) roam the park, along with pythons, cobras and 300 species of bird.
Driving through the early morning mists on a Kanha safari you may catch sight of a tiger ambling through the undergrowth, or a leopard stretched out on a branch. More common sightings include chital, gaur, common langur, wild pig, black buck, striped hyena, jackal, chinkara, and ant-eating pangolin.
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Mumbai
Mumbai is a city of extremes. Crumbling Victorian buildings stand proudly against the shimmering glass of the city’s high-rises while sprawling slums conceal a maze of resourceful livelihoods. The ‘Gateway to India’ is a worthy introduction to the rich tapestry of cultures, cuisines and heritage found throughout the country.
Whether you party all night in the home of Bollywood, dine at its world-class restaurants or shop till you drop in its stylish boutiques, this frenetic and fast-paced city will astound you with its energy. While it can be chaotic at times, Mumbai offers a snapshot of India’s future, while proudly embracing its past.
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Pench National Park
Just two hours from Nagpur in Madhya Pradesh, Pench National Park is one of the more accessible parks in Central India, though also one of the least visited. Named after the famed river that runs through it, Pench National Park is another location said to have inspired The Jungle Book, with tropical forests and grasslands that are home to tigers, sloth bears, leopards, jackals, chital and around 200 species of bird.
Explore the park in the crisp morning air with a jeep safari. Being a smaller park, tiger sightings may seem less common although they have around 50 tigers here. Pench safaris also offer lush teak forests and languid watering holes that are home to the endangered Indian wild dog, spotted deer, langur and wild boar for those wanting a more unique experience away from the tiger crowds.
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Satpura National Park
Taking its name from the Satpura Range in Madhya Pradesh, Satpura National Park is a rugged landscape of sandstone peaks, deep ravines and dense forest. This diverse terrain provides a home for an equally varied wildlife population, including nilgai, chinkara, four-horned antelope, porcupine and Indian giant squirrel.
One of the least visited of Central India’s parks, Satpura may not have the tiger populations of other destinations, but the low visitor numbers make it an excellent choice for exploring the extensive wildlife without the throng of jeeps. Your safari here can be done on foot, by boat or by jeep.
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Kanha National Park
- Mumbai
- Pench National Park
- Satpura National Park
Hotels in Mumbai, Kanha and Beyond
Whether you're looking for hotels in the Kanha tiger reserve or a Bandhavgarh National Park resort, we can help.
Make the Treehouse Hideaway your base for a Bandhavgarh National Park trip. Camouflaged amid the branches, many of the area's natural wonders may simply come to you. When the city beckons, visit Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace. Here you'll find 10 grand restaurants and a yacht service if you want to explore by the water.
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Central India Holiday FAQs
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The best time to visit Central India is during its winter season from October to March. During these months, the weather remains warm by British standards and is ideal for sightseeing, wildlife safaris and exploring historical sites. Temperatures will climb significantly from April to June, which can make for stifling days and difficult conditions for safari. June-September is the monsoon season and can make tiger sightings difficult as vegetation grows higher and provides them with extra cover.
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Our Wild India tour takes in the four major national parks of Central India over 14 nights. Of course, this itinerary is purely our suggestion, and you can amend your trip as you see fit. Discuss what you'd like to see and do with our travel specialists.
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Naturally, the search for tigers and other exotic wildlife is a staple of any holiday in Central India. But there is so much more on offer in this fascinating region:
- Discover waterfalls and spiritual sites in Pachmarhi
- Take a tour of the home of Bollywood, Mumbai, and see how these legendary films are made
- Trek to Gwalior Fort, a Tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site that has stood in various forms since the Stone Age
- Visit the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, a collection of temples and famed erotic structures
There is no limit to what you can discover and explore in this magical region. With several areas that are far less travelled than other regions, a holiday in Central India truly offers a unique outlook on the nation.
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Why Scott Dunn for Central India Holidays?
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