Essential India Vs Tigers, Temples and Wildlife adventure

[mike433]

Hiya,

I'm looking at doing India and due to the dates ive got and work shifts etc it means ive got the choice of Essential India and Tigers, Temples and Wildlife adventure. So im looking for a bit of feedback on what both trips are like so I can make the best choice.

A bit about me and what i want from India so you guys can help tell men if these trips are for me. Im basically looking for:-
Culture
City hustle and bustle
Being in rural areas
seeing a bit of wildlife
seeing some scenery (nature, forests, landscapes that kind of thing)
old ruins
British imperial history (it could be ruins, palaces etc)

Ok i know that sounds like a long list, so heres where im at with my thinking:

Essential india- on the face of it i'll get some city time and some village time, with plenty of temples and a bit of the imperial stuff, probably loads of culture. But it seems a bit thin on the nature, natural scenery (forests, rivers etc) and landscapes..... so what does this trip have regards to the bits i think it might be a bit thin on?

Tigers- well it seems like nature and wildlife are covered plenty in this one with a bit of city time thrown in. But i get the impression with so much wildlife on offer it might skim over the culture, temples, ruins and the other bits and bobs i might be into. Oh yeah and someone did mention there is a current ban on going to see tigers in india too which i need to look into lol. Has anyone done this trip and want to share?

I know i wont find a trip that has everything i want to do, and im also restricted by dates and my work so im quite realistic. Im sure i'll enjoy both, but any experiences or opinions to help me make a better descision would be a real help

Thanks for reading
Mike

[nytim]

I went on the Essential India tour last year and it was amazing. Everything you wish for, except for tigers, you will probably encounter on this trip.

[whatcher]

Hello,

I think Essential India is a great combination of culture, wildlife, and history. It is a good introduction to India. Imo, this is the way to go.

[powley]

you know that the indian high court have stopped widlife tours?

[Juscz]

Hi Everyone,

As of October, 2012, the India Supreme Court reopened all of the 41 tiger reserves in India. The new regulations stipulate that the amount of designated core area that can be visited by the public must be maintained at 20%. In addition, the amount of people allowed into a tiger park per day has been reduced by 50%.

The Supreme Court maintains that the reason for these new regulations is rooted in a need to protect the animals from too much contact with the visiting public.

Critics (including many conservationists) have challenged this Supreme Court contention, noting especially that it is the visiting public that, in essence, functions to police the parks by observing tigers and all other wildlife and hence preventing would-be poachers from killing the big cats (as well as other wildlife species).

Hope that this helps.

Sincerely, John M. Uscian