Spend another glorious day seeking Bengals in Bandhavgarh. Created in 1968, the park comprises 173 square miles in the vast central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This beautiful preserve is dominated by Bandhavgarh Fort, a massive plateau rising 1,000 feet from the Indian plains and former home of the Maharajah of Rewa. The alleged progenitor of all white tigers, Mohan, came from the forests of Rewa, only a short distance from Bandhavgarh National Park.

Repeat days 3 and 4, looking for tigers in the park while learning about their lives, habitats, and threats to their survival.

Early this morning, head out on a game drive from the resort through a dry and rocky forest in search of grey langurs, sambars, muntjac, wild boar, rhesus macaques, nilgai, chinkara, jackals, jungle cats, and mongoose. You also may spot leopards, gaurs, sloth bears, hares, and Indian foxes. After enjoying a full breakfast back at the resort, set out for a long drive to your comfortable, well-appointed hotel in Khajuraho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its elaborate Hindu and Jain temples from the 10th-century Chandela dynasty.

This morning, tour Khajuraho's famous Chandela dynasty temples, built during the 10th century and symbolic of the era's tolerance for religious differences. Only twenty of the original temples remain, primarily dedicated to Hindu and Jain gods. Enjoy this incredible site before boarding an afternoon flight back to Delhi. This evening, dine with Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, a nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring illegal wildlife poaching and illegal trade, and learn about the many challenges contributing to the Royal Bengal tigers' extinction.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, pack your bags and prepare for a scenic midday flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon landing, transfer to the Yak & Yeti, a five-star hotel in the city. This 100-year-old palace is situated centrally and boasts beautiful gardens, fine woodcarvings, and local textiles. Settle into the hotel, enjoy lunch on your own, and then gather this evening for a cocktail party and tiger talk hosted by Brian, who will explain the tiger conservation efforts going on in Bardia National Park.

Take a short but scenic 45-minute morning flight to Nepalgunj, the gateway to some of Nepal's best-preserved wilderness areas. Upon arrival, transfer by Land Rover to the serene Karnali Lodge, a luxury eco-lodge on the edge of Bardia National Park, your home for four nights. The lodge offers a truly unique experience with an organic vegetable garden, and with soothing, simply designed guest rooms. Tonight enjoy a sumptuous dinner made with produce from the garden and other locally sourced products.

While in Bardia National Park, take early-morning and late-afternoon game drives in 4WD vehicles, or nature walks to places where rhinos or tigers are likely to appear. Viewing tigers can be unpredictable: a blur of black and gold bolting through the forest or coming across one staring out at you from the tall grass. Nothing is more thrilling than spotting a tiger in the wild!

Spend another day exploring Bardia National Park and spotting the elusive tiger. Bardia National Park is Nepal's largest and best-preserved wilderness area. It is home to over 30 species of mammals and 250 species of birds, including a healthy and stable tiger population and Nepal's one-horned rhinoceros. Bardia and its surrounding forests and jungle are at the very heart of tiger habitat in Nepal, and are a critical focus for the funds raised by this trip.

Repeat Days 10 and 11, looking for tigers, rhinos, and other wildlife in Bardia National Park.

This morning, transfer to the airport in Nepalgunj for your flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, check into the hotel and then have some time to relax before Brian leads a late-afternoon stroll through the vibrant, ancient streets of old Kathmandu. Soak in the energy and atmosphere of monasteries converted to homes, merchants and artisans busy at work, and the bustling life of the city's residents.

After breakfast, visit the holy temple of Pashupatinath, along with one of Kathmandu's most famous landmarks, the ancient Buddhist stupa at Boudhnath - the center of Tibetan Buddhist culture in Kathmandu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and the largest chorten in the world. The afternoon is then yours for lunch and solo exploration. Visit the city's many interesting sights, shrines, and markets. Don't miss Durbar Square, Thamel, Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), the King's Palace, or fascinating Asan Tole bazaar. You might choose to hire a driver to take you to the nearby ancient city of Patan. Come together to enjoy a farewell dinner tonight. (MT Sobek can arrange an optional afternoon visit to Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home. If you'd like to extend your Asian adventure with quick trips to Tibet, India, Bhutan, or Southeast Asia, MT Sobek offers several interesting extensions—call us for details!