India: The Adventure That Keeps Bringing Me Back

A Safari Journal from India

Written by Bobby-Jo Vial

My first trip to India was in 2009, and I remember thinking, “This is travel and I am an adventurer.”

I loved the chaos from the moment I arrived. It was something I had never experienced before and, rather than finding it overwhelming, I found it exciting. The people were incredibly welcoming and curious about me, and that curiosity went both ways. I was fascinated by them and they were fascinated by me.

As a photographer, India was a dream. Everywhere I looked there were colours, interesting people, animals, historical monuments and little moments happening around me. There seemed to be a photograph waiting to be taken in every direction.

Of course, the wildlife was a huge part of the attraction. I had grown up with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and had always been fascinated by the idea of seeing animals such as Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and sloth bears in the wild.

My first wild tiger encounter is something I will never forget. I was actually on elephant back at the time, which is no longer how we experience tigers in India, and we came across a large tiger resting. We were incredibly close and I was completely overwhelmed, I cried, and the photograph I took was absolute rubbish, but I didn’t care in the slightest. I had just seen my first wild tiger.

More than 15 years later, that excitement hasn’t really changed.

What has changed is my knowledge and confidence. I have spent more than 20 years working with wildlife as a zookeeper, including working with many of the species we encounter in India.I have worked with elephants, big cats, primates, blackbuck and dhole. That experience has given me a different perspective when I see these animals in the wild. I understand their behaviour in a way that comes from years of working closely with them, but there is still so much to learn when you watch them living completely wild.

India has also taught me a few things that have nothing to do with wildlife. It has taught me patience and, probably more importantly, how to go with the flow. Things don’t always happen the way you expect them to in India, and I’ve learnt to embrace that rather than fight it.

I have also developed strong relationships with my Indian team and the lodge owners we work with, and I now feel very comfortable travelling through the country. It feels familiar to me, but it still manages to surprise me every time I return.

This year’s trip was a perfect example.

I had a little side quest planned before joining my Honey Badgers for the main safari. In late 2025, I had been given responsibility for caring for a group of blackbuck at the zoo during their five week quarantine period. I had worked with blackbuck before, but this was the first time I had cared for them so closely and I became quite taken with them.

One dusty morning while I was raking, I found myself thinking that I really wanted to see large herds of blackbuck in the wild, particularly the dark breeding males. I had seen small groups in Kanha, but I wanted to see them properly.

So I went to Velavadar National Park in Gujarat with my good friend and Honey Badger, Maxine.

I wasn’t disappointed.

On our first morning drive we came across a herd of more than 200 blackbuck, made up of different ages and both sexes. After having cared for a small group of these animals at the zoo, it was incredibly rewarding to see them behaving naturally as part of such a large herd. I learnt a lot about the species in just two days of watching them in the wild.

Velavadar also gave us my first sightings of grey wolves and two wonderful encounters with a striped hyena and her cub.

From Velavadar, I travelled to Gir National Park, another long held wildlife goal of mine, to finally see Asiatic lions in the wild. It was a wonderful addition to the trip and another species to add to my growing list of firsts in India.

It was another reminder of why I keep coming back to India. There is always another species, another behaviour or another experience waiting for you.

One of the most memorable experiences of the trip came at Kanha, where I had my first opportunity to visit a dhole den.

I had pictured something quite different. Having spent many hours observing African wild dogs in the wild, I had imagined a den surrounded by termite mounds and large burrows in the dirt. African wild dogs commonly use excavated termite and aardvark holes for their dens. Instead, the dhole den was tucked into a hidden rocky outcrop not far from the river.

We were able to sit quietly about 15 metres away and watch the activity around the den. At first the adults were on sentry duty, watching us very carefully. Eventually they relaxed and the puppies started appearing, popping their heads out of the den to investigate us.

Before long they were completely relaxed, playing together and trying to catch flies.

It was fascinating to watch, particularly because it was my first time seeing a dhole den. Two of my Honey Badgers, Amie and Caren, enjoyed the experience so much that they gave up another safari in the park the following morning to come back and spend more time at the den with me.

For them, it wasn’t just about seeing another animal. They had discovered a new species and wanted to learn more about it. Those are the experiences I love sharing with people.

Tadoba gave us our first tiger sighting of the trip. We heard a young tigress bellowing somewhere in the forest before she eventually stepped out through the dense vegetation and began walking towards us. I remember looking at the faces of my Honey Badgers as she appeared. They were completely captivated.

Kanha gave us some beautiful tiger sightings, but the photographic highlight for me came at Ranthambore. We found a family of three tigers resting beside a picturesque waterhole at the bottom of a rocky cliff. The mother and her two subadult offspring were relaxed and perfectly positioned for reflections in the water.

It was one of those sightings where you could simply sit and watch.

Our final morning was very different. We encountered the famous tigress Riddhi as she successfully hunted a chital deer. She came bounding alongside the vehicle, completely stretched out as she chased the deer, and my Honey Badgers managed to capture some fantastic photographs of the action.

I was incredibly happy for them. Seeing your guests get the photograph they’ve been hoping for is one of the best parts of leading these safaris.

Although tigers are an important part of the experience, India is certainly not just about tigers. This is one of the reasons I choose the parks we visit. I want each one to offer something different in terms of habitat, ecosystems and species.

Kaziranga gives us the opportunity to see greater one horned rhinos and Asian elephants, along with an extraordinary diversity of birdlife.Tadoba, Kanha and Ranthambore all have their own character and landscapes, and each offers different wildlife experiences.

The birdlife is particularly enjoyable. From Great Indian hornbills and Indian hoopoes to flamboyant peacocks displaying, there is colour everywhere. It feels very fitting for a country that is itself so colourful.

From 2027, I will also be adding Pench National Park to the itinerary. The park is strongly associated with the landscapes and wildlife that inspired the world of The Jungle Book, so it feels like a very fitting addition to an India safari that began, for me, with that childhood fascination.

But the wildlife is only part of what I want my Honey Badgers to experience.

I want them to experience India’s culture, hear the stories of the people, try the food and experience the country rather than simply moving between hotels and national parks. India forces you to step outside your usual comfort zone. It can be chaotic, unpredictable and sometimes challenging, but that is part of what makes it such an adventure.

After all these years, India still gives me that same feeling I had when I first arrived in 2009.

It makes me feel alive.

And I think that is probably what I want my Honey Badgers to take home with them too.

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