The
Rhino & The Red Panda
13 Days / 12 Nights
An epic traverse of the North-East frontiers. From the floodplains of Kaziranga, home to the One-Horned Rhino, to the deep, subtropical rainforests of Namdapha in search of the elusive Red Panda. This is a journey for the collector of rare sightings and prehistoric landscapes.
The Routing
Delhi — Guwahati — Kaziranga — Namdapha — Delhi
Transit Style
Private Expedition SUV & River Ferries
Architect
Jitender Sharma
Peak Window
November to April
The Day-by-Day Itinerary
The Lutyens Prelude
Arrival at New Delhi (DEL). Technical briefing on the North-East ecology. We calibrate our gear for high-humidity environments and the dense canopy light of the Eastern Himalayas.
The Morning Ritual
Orientation over hand-pressed Nilgiri coffee.
The Culinary Experience
Private manor welcome dinner.
The Long Rest Before the Northeast
A day held open in the capital before the flight to Assam, absorbing whatever hour an international arrival lands without costing a day of this long corridor. Visit the Lodhi Gardens, or simply recover from the journey. Tomorrow, the flight east toward Kaziranga.
The Morning Ritual
A slow start - coffee on the terrace, unhurried, with nowhere to be before mid-morning.
The Culinary Experience
An easy, low-key dinner near the hotel - the last multi-cuisine city menu before the itinerary's food turns regional and lodge-based.
The Brahmaputra Entry
Morning flight to Guwahati and transfer to the floodplains. We enter the tall elephant grass by afternoon, scanning for the first prehistoric silhouettes of the One-horned Rhino.
The Morning Ritual
Brahmaputra riverside tea-stop.
The Culinary Experience
Traditional Assamese "Khar" served at the lodge.
The Armor of the Plains
First light on elephant-back. We move within feet of the rhinos at their morning wallows. We focus on the "Armor Plate" morphology and the aquatic birdlife of the central beels.
The Morning Ritual
Elephant-back sunrise meditation.
The Culinary Experience
Local "Pitha" with wild forest honey.
The Big Five Vigil
Deep navigation in the Baguri range. We look for the Wild Water Buffalo and the elusive Swamp Deer. We utilize the high-angle roof hatch for 360-degree visibility.
The Morning Ritual
Binocular sweep of the Donga beel.
The Culinary Experience
Picnic lunch under giant Silk Cotton trees.
The Primate Canopy
A specialized day-trek into the Hollongapar forest. We track India’s only ape, the Hoolock Gibbon, by following their distinct morning vocalizations.
The Morning Ritual
Audio-tracking and vocal chorus identification.
The Culinary Experience
Assamese tea service in the jungle camp.
The Riverine Passage
A private boat safari along the northern banks. We scan for the Gangetic Dolphin and the riverine tiger, moving with the slow pulse of the delta.
The Morning Ritual
Riverside meditation at the confluence.
The Culinary Experience
Gourmet "Sandbar Picnic" on a private island.
The Long Reach East
Flight to Dibrugarh, then a long overland run through tea estates and river plains into the Namdapha buffer (approx. 5 hrs). This is the most remote park in the Corridor, tucked against the Myanmar border, and the distance shows: by the time the road turns to forest track, we are further from a city than almost anywhere else in India.
The Morning Ritual
Forest choir: spotting the Great Pied Hornbill.
The Culinary Experience
Steamed "Momo" dumplings in the deep forest.
The Lichen Layers
A high-intensity day of vertical scouting for the Red Panda. We focus on the mossy bamboo thickets at the higher elevations where the panda feeds.
The Morning Ritual
Quietude training: identifying Panda scat and sign.
The Culinary Experience
Riverside lunch at the Bulbulia hot springs.
The Cloud Forest Vigil
We push toward the higher ridges, scanning the lichen-draped trees for the elusive Clouded Leopard and the Red Panda.
The Morning Ritual
Morning mist meditation on the high ridge.
The Culinary Experience
Traditional bamboo-cooked Singpho chicken.
The Descent of the Giants
Descending from the high ridges, we scan the arboreal layers for the Hoolock Gibbon before our exit from the rainforest core.
The Morning Ritual
Final canopy sweep for the White-bellied Heron.
The Culinary Experience
Singpho tribal feast with the spotter team.
The Lutyens Return
A return flight to the capital. We return to our Delhi residency for a final cataloging session and a celebratory banquet.
The Morning Ritual
Post-expedition photography cataloging.
The Culinary Experience
Grand Finale banquet at a private manor.
The Gateway Departure
Final de-brief and private chauffeur transfer to New Delhi (DEL) for your international departure.
The Morning Ritual
Signature de-brief and gift-set.
The Culinary Experience
Grand farewell breakfast.
Expedition Essentials
Architect's Note
Jitender Sharma
The Rainforest Stealth Protocol
Rugged 4x4s for Kaziranga; however, Namdapha is primarily explored on foot with a dedicated team of local porters and spotters for deep-jungle tracking.
Expedition Breakdown
- Delhi 2 Nights
- Kaziranga National Park 3 Nights
- Guwahati 2 Nights
- Namdapha National Park 4 Nights
- Delhi 1 Night
Expedition Gear Checklist
Precision tools curated for the specific lighting and climate of this theater.
To handle the low light of the dense rainforest canopy.
For the incredible insect biodiversity of the East.
Crucial; the moisture levels here are constant.
Investment Tiers
Prices curated for the international traveler. Estimates based on party of two.
Commission Your Private Journey.
This expedition is fully customizable. We can adjust the pacing, the photography focus, and the lodge selection to suit your private group requirements.
Begin the Conversation