Madhya Pradesh with Tiger Safaris

This ten-day journey through Madhya Pradesh reveals a side of India that many travellers rarely see, combining quiet rural roads, forested national parks and villages where traditional cultures remain strong. From Nagpur, riders transfer to Pench Tree Lodge, set within 40 acres of rewilded jungle, for a first evening walk and two full game drives in Pench National Park in search of tigers, leopards and sloth bears.

The cycling begins with a ride to the Pench River and a weekly tribal market, followed by an evening learning to cook traditional dishes over an open fire. Riders then explore the Rukhad Wildlife Sanctuary, lunching at a 1904 colonial forest rest house, before following a forest wildlife corridor past Gond tribal hamlets to a boutique tented camp on the edge of the Kanha Tiger Reserve.

The route continues through tall Sal forests to meet Baiga elders and visit the Tribal Museum, then follows forest tracks and villager trails around Kisli, with stops at a tribal market and a local school. The final days switch from bikes to jeeps, with four game drives across the Kanha, Kisli, Sarhi and Mukki zones searching for the "Big Three," plus a last early drive before the return to Nagpur. Nights are spent in luxury treehouses, lakeside glamping tents and Gond-inspired eco cottages, with bilingual guides (roughly one for every six guests) and a support van throughout.

Highlights:

• Game drives in Pench and Kanha National Parks in search of tiger, leopard and sloth bear
• Gond and Baiga tribal villages, weekly tribal markets and the Tribal Museum
• Cycling a forest wildlife corridor and tall Sal forests
• Rukhad Wildlife Sanctuary and lunch at a 1904 colonial forest rest house
• Cooking traditional dishes over an open fire with garden-picked vegetables
• Treehouse, glamping tent and eco cottage stays on the edge of the tiger reserves

Surface and terrain: Quiet country roads linking farming villages, plus forest tracks and some off-road villager trails. Terrain is flat with small hills, and traffic is light away from towns, where support shuttles are used. Daily distances 40-64 km across 5 riding days.

Weather:
Scheduled during the South Asian winter, from October to February, with mostly sunny days in the mid-20s C and crisp evenings dropping toward 10 C.

Suitable for:
Riders comfortable with moderate daily distances on flat to gently rolling roads and occasional forest tracks, keen on tiger safaris, tribal village culture and rural central India away from the usual tourist routes.