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Safari on the Chambal River with Kunal was a highlight of my trip to India. Before the trip, we were going back and forth about booking it as it's an off-the-beaten-track, niche experience and we weren't sure what to expect. But we were convinced by all the amazing reviews. And it didn't disappoint! Kunal is an exceptional guide. On the way to the river, he explained the history of the region and facts about the species we might see. It was all really interesting and added to the understanding of the Sanctuary and its wildlife. On the river, it was such a serene, fun time. We saw some critically endangered Gharials, Marsh Crocodiles, different types of turtles, Monitor Lizards, and a huge variety of birds including kingfishers, herons, and ibises. Kunal is absolutely amazing at spotting animals from far away, and they do camouflage a lot! Kunal brought a camera and took photos throughout, so I was able to just relax and observe the animals. His photos are so much better than anything I could have taken with my iPhone, so I got a beautiful souvenir from the trip too! The experience is an absolute hidden gem.🐊

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Hi all, in February we did some great tours organised by Kunal. He arranged a Chambal river safari for friends (combined with a visit to Agra/Taj Mahal) and also a visit to Corbett National Park for all of us. For both, we were actually pretty last minute, but he still managed to get us god safari zones, a private jeep (in Cornett), and some really top notch naturalists to guide us. I found having a good guide is really important to see more species, as sone are right next to you but without trained eyes they can be hard to spot! And of course a good guide and driver are helpful to increase the chance of seeing a tiger in Jim Corbett. Kunal has a handy newsletter you can follow to see what cool safaris are out there and get reminders when it is time to book, as good zones and private jeeps can fill up pretty quickly.

We’ve just returned from a truly magical day on the Chambal River with Kunal, and cannot recommend his river safari highly enough. Exploring the once-legendary badlands of the Chambal is a completely unique experience — in fact, in the 25 years I’ve lived in India, I have never been anywhere quite like it. The Chambal’s former reputation as a bandit stronghold kept tourism at bay for decades. Ironically, this isolation helped preserve one of India’s most remarkable and unspoilt wildlife habitats. Today, the river teems with life: we saw the extraordinary and endangered gharial, basking marsh crocodiles, multiple species of turtle, and an abundance of birds. The landscape itself is breathtaking and almost timeless — the river winds gently through dramatic sandy ravines and wide open skies. Kunal is an exceptional guide and a delight to spend the day with. He shares his immense knowledge of the river and its ecosystem with genuine warmth and enthusiasm - his passion is truly a joy to behold and experience. His team and river crew are equally friendly, professional, and knowledgeable, ensuring the whole experience feels relaxed, safe and well organised from start to finish. If you’re visiting Agra or anywhere in the surrounding region, this river safari is an absolute must-do. It offers a rare chance to experience a quieter, wilder, and profoundly beautiful side of India.

When I decided to include gharials in my trip to India, internet research kept sending me to Kunal Jain. The internet was right. The trip was fantastic. Gharials and mugger crocodiles are virtually guaranteed and we saw plenty of both. There were also multiple types of turtles and loads of birds including a few Indian skimmers. We also lucked out and saw a jackal, a mongoose and a fox on the banks. Kunal is great to work with. He's extremely responsive to questions and handled my several annoying itinerary changes seamlessly. On the boat, he has a great eye and knows every species you will possibly see. For people into photography, he makes sure to have the driver get in the perfect position. It's also worth noting that the price is for the boat and the boat holds up to 5 people. I was a solo traveler who agreed to take the whole boat but when two other people reached out to Kunal about the same day, he asked if it would be okay and lowered my price accordingly. All this is to say, don't go to Agra for just a day trip from Delhi. Go for two days and add this trip to the Chunbal and a visit to Fatehpur Sikri.

We found this place by chance and word of mouth..we hadn't booked and after a conversation from out driver to the boatman, we went on a 2 hour boat trip up the Chambal. We saw Crocs, Gators a vast array of birds. On our return we were met by an official government ranger. We had to show ID, he was very nice and bought us Chai, and spicy snacks from a local vendor. We travelled through a nice market village, don't think they'd seen a white person for. long time. great experience

We tóok the chambal river safari trip today organised by Mr Sudhir Sharma of Cultural safari tours.We were picked up in time and dropped back to our hotel by Mr Somveer. Our guide for the trip was Mr Tomar and what an excellent experience it was! Two hours on the pristine Chambal river was an experience in itself. We saw many ghariyals , turtles and marsh crocodiles lazing on the rocks& riverbank in the sun.Mr Tomar also identified various birds for us and helped us take numerous pictures.Icing on cake was seeing the male gharial and skimmer bird skimming the river surface. Amazing experience to see crocodiles and various birds co-existing.Thankyou Mr Sudhir for organising a wonderful day trip to chambal river safari for us.

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My Son and I did the chambal river safari some days ago. Now back home i'm happy to write this review! What an amazing experience we had with Kunal! First of all he arranged a carefree drive from and to Agra for us, and we picked him up on the way to Dhaulpur/ Chambal river. Once in the car the adventure started with a brilliant conversation on everything India. Kunal has a well informed view and broad scope on this fascinating country, so he became the seemingly inexhaustable source of answers to all my questions. Not only on its natural wonders and environmental protection but also India's history, politics, geography and so on... During the boat safari Kunal was able to spot countless animals, and provide background information on all of them. He took many beautiful pictures with his professional camera and sent them over to us within a day! Besides many beautiful birds, turtles and crocs we saw the Gharials chilling on a sandbank. Very impressive and beautiful creatures. Unfortunately another boat came too close to the somewhat skiddish animals so we weren't able to see them a bit closer. nevertheless we spent two amazing hours on the river! It's heartwarming to see someone care so much about the environment! All in all a fantastic day out! A quiet peacefull adventure as a welcome intermezzo on an otherwise very noisy and stimulating trip to India!

We began chatting with Kunal via WhatsApp several months before our trip. What started as an interest in the Chambal River Cruise became Kunal organising our entire trip! We enjoyed excellent guiding in Delhi and Old Delhi, journeyed to Agra for the Chambal River Cruise and Taj Mahal & then flew down to Khajuraho and took part in several tiger safaris in Panna Tiger Reserve, finishing with a temple tour. Kunal organised all the transfers and guides and accommodation in Agra and Khajuraho and every element was of the highest standard. We saw so many animals and birds (and tigers!) and learnt so much from all the expert guides. Delhi is incredible, I fell in love with India from the moment I arrived. Kunal checked in every day to ensure that everything was ok and/or that we had arrived safely - it felt so good to be in such capable hands and meant that we could sit back and relax and simply free our minds to focus on India’s many treasures - what a place! If you are considering a trip get in touch with Kunal. He will give you all the advice you need prior to your trip and will ensure that every detail is thought of, he really does care.

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If you are looking to get out of the crowds and connect with local nature, I highly recommend taking the Chambal Safari. My family of four adults enjoyed every minute of seeing the Marsh crocodiles and the endangered Gharail crocks. Mix in an assortment of birds and Kunal's engaging history of the region and it will be an afternoon you don't forget.

Kunal was a great resource and support during our trip to India. He worked with me on an itinerary and arranged for some great accommodations. The interior travel was seamless and we (two females) felt safe at all times. He reached out during every pick up and drop off to make sure that we were safely in the vehicle and arriving safely at our destination. I would highly recommend Kunal for your trip to India. He’s especially knowledgable about wildlife and was a very passionate guide on our Chambal river trip. Kunal is a very nice guy and a true professional. He cares about his clients but also about wildlife conservation in India. We stayed with his good friends in Agra: Awtar Mansion. What a great family! I 100% recommend Kunal for your trip to India.

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