Whether you want to visit Chhattisgarh, Bastar district, Odisha or Madhya Pradesh, my travel agency partner in Bastar and I can help you organize your tour, from classic tours to totally tailor-made trips.
You’ll benefit from both of our expertise and contacts in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
You will find all the information you need below:
- Our most popular tour package.
- Our tailor-made tours.
- Why travel with us.
- Who our tours are for.
- Who our tours are not for.
- How it works.
- How to book a video appointment.
Bastar Dussehra’s special.
Meet the fascinating Bastar tribes and their Maharaja during the World’s longest festival, Bastar Dussehra. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a tribal festival that is over 400 years old, where each tribe and clan has a particular function. Discover colourful tribal markets. Learn to recognize the different tribes and enjoy the natural splendours of Bastar like Chitrakoot falls, the Indian Niagara Falls.
TOUR PACKAGES FROM RAIPUR – SAMPLE ITINERARY.
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN RAIPUR (1 NIGHT)
Welcome to Raipur, the capital of the state of Chhattisgarh. Settle into your hotel and explore on your own. At 6 pm, meet your guide and fellow travelers for a welcome briefing. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Simran on Station Road or equivalent.
DAY 2 – BASTAR TRIBAL ARTISANS (1 NIGHT)
Early departure for the tribal crafts village. You’ll visit a tribal market and see the traditional process of making local crafts. Dinner and overnight in the village.
DAY 3 – CHITRAKOTE – NARAYANPAL – BASTAR DUSSEHRA JAGDALPUR (5 NIGHTS)
Boat trip to the foot of the falls. Visit to the 1,000-year-old Narayanpal temple. Arrival and check-in at Hotel Devansh or equivalent. In the evening, discovery of the Bastar Dussehra rituals with a tour of the palace by a by chariot pulled by the tribes and a visit to the Danteshwari Goddess temple in the royal palace. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Devansh or equivalent.
DAY 4 – DANTEWADA BASTAR DUSSEHRA PROCESSION – JAGDALPUR BASTAR DUSSEHRA
Visit to the Dantewada temple and departure procession of the Goddess to Jagdalpur with the tribes. Return to Jagdalpur. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Devansh or equivalent. If you wish, you can attend the Nisha Jatra ritual at around 11 p.m., during which the Maharaja performs tantric rituals and sacrifices 12 goats (to be avoided if you are sensitive or opposed to this kind of practice).
DAY 5 – TRIBAL VILLAGES – BASTAR DUSSEHRA
Visit remote tribal villages (Dhurwas and Parajas) to discover their way of life and interact with villagers. In the evening, the Maharaja and hundreds of tribal deities meet the Danteshwari Goddess from Dantewada. The Maharaja, wearing a flowery wig, fetches the Goddess and brings her to the palace temple. This is one of the most beautiful ceremonies of the festival. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Devansh or equivalent.
DAY 6 – KANGER VALLEY – TIRATHGARH FALLS – BASTAR DUSSEHRA
Visit the Kanger Valley National Park, one of the densest forests in the country, Kotumsar Cave and Tirathgarh Falls. In the evening, you’ll witness the robbery of the great chariot by the tribes and, for the more courageous, you can follow the four-kilometer procession to Kumdakot at night. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Devansh or equivalent.
DAY 7 – TRIBAL MARKET AND COCKFIGHT IN NANGUR – BASTAR DUSSEHRA
The Nangur market is one of the most authentic in Bastar. You’ll also see cockfighting, one of the great attractions for the tribesmen. After a late lunch, you’ll head to Kumdakot for Bastar Dussehra’s most beautiful and colorful day. All the tribal clans, their deities and the Maharaja converge on this spot on the edge of the forest. After various rituals, the grand procession back to the palace begins, with dances by the bison-horn Marias and Dhurwas in the lead, the Maharaja in his finest finery and then the great chariot pulled by the tribes. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Devansh or equivalent.
DAY 8 – TRIBAL CULTURE – TRIBAL CAMP (2 NIGHTS)
After the visit of the anthropologic museum and the village of the Kumari, you’ll reach an unexplored village inside the dense forest. Further travelling to the village you will camp for the night, see the dense forest and sight some endemic and resident birds.
DAY 9 – DAY WITH THE GOND TRIBE – TRIBAL CAMP
You will spend the whole day with the Gonds of the village who will take you to discover a waterfall and will show you their traditional lifestyle. In the evening, music and dance with the Gonds around the campfire. Dinner and overnight in tribal camp. You will be able to taste one of the tribal specialities of Bastar Tribes and test the local alcohol.
DAY 10 – TRIBAL MARKET IN TOKAPAL – BARSUR – DHOLKAL (2 NIGHTS)
On the way, you will discover the “memory pillars”, steles in memory of the deceased erected by the tribes and the beautiful market of Tokapal, where most people like pictures a lot. Visit of the ancient city of Barsoor and its many remains like the twin Ganesh. Unfortunately, very little research has been undertaken although Barsur would have been larger than the former capital of Sirpur, in the north of the state. Installation and dinner in Dholkal village (tribal camp or mud house).
DAY 11- TREKKING – TRIBAL CAMP
Hiking in the forest towards the Ganesh of Dholkal. The elephant-headed God statue was erected atop a peak over 1,000 years ago and recently rediscovered. The hike will be an opportunity to see how the tribes live in communion with nature. Tribal dinner and tent camp at Dholkal base. Debriefing of the trip around the campfire.
DAY 12 – DHOLKAL – RAIPUR
Departure to Raipur where you’ll arrive around 6pm.
basTAR customized tOUR.
If you’d like a 100% customized program, that’s entirely possible… and it’s even our favorite thing to organize. So don’t hesitate to ask!
Why TRAVEL WITH US?
SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH THE TRIBES
Every day is an opportunity to interact with the local tribes, whether discovering their unique crafts, religious rituals, markets or during tribal camps, tasting their food and testing their alcohol.
A MULTI-CULTURAL GUIDE
Shakeel is originally from Kondagaon in Bastar. He has lived in a tribal village since 2008. He speaks English, Hindi and several local dialects.
A SPECIALIZED GUIDE
Shakeel has always lived in Bastar among the local tribes.
A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP SPECIALIST
Shakeel has its own guest house and guides travellers from all over the world since 2008.
A TRAVEL AGENCY WITH AN IMPACT
Enroute Bastar is involved in the wellness of the local population and the preservation of the local culture.
OUR TOURS ARE FOR YOU IF:
⊗ You are afraid to travel alone.
⊗ Or travelling alone in India for the first time makes you anxious.
⊗ Or you don’t have time to prepare your trip.
⊗ Or you want to visit a remote corner of India with the comfort of an air-conditioned car and a guide.
⊗ Or you don’t want to travel with a large group.
⊗ Or you are looking for a guide to explore Bastar but don’t find it.
⊗ Or you are looking for a small group cultural trip at an affordable price.
⊗ And you want to meet the tribes of Bastar and learn as much as you can about them and their way of life.
⊗ Respect for local beliefs and customs is fundamental for you.
⊗ You are ready to adapt your clothing to the country and the place visited.
⊗ You want to be sure to see the main rituals of the world’s longest festival and understand their meaning.
⊗ You prioritize contact with the local population.
⊗ You’re willing to sacrifice your comfort for a few nights spent with the tribes.
OUR TOURS ARE NOT FOR YOU IF:
⊗ You prefer organised trips by bus and with a large group.
⊗ Or you are only interested in tourist sites and cities.
⊗ Or you want to spend all your nights in a hotel room.
⊗ Or you are not interested in contact with the local population.
⊗ Or you do not understand that we may have beliefs and customs different from yours.
⊗ Or you don’t see the point in respecting local beliefs and customs.
⊗ Or you want to be able to walk around in shorts, miniskirt and neckline, transparent clothes.
⊗ Or you prefer to visit India in a more traditional way.
⊗ Or you want everyone to speak English.
⊗ Or you’re quickly annoyed by religious rituals.
⊗ Or you prefer to organize your trip yourself and without a guide.
ABOUT SHAKEEL.
Shakeel was born in Kondagaon and lives in a tribal mud house in the village of Kawali, 20 km south of Jagdalpur, bordering the forest of Kanger Valley National Park.
After studying sociology and working in an NGO, he realized that he needed more freedom and to be his own boss. For this purpose, he moved to the south of Bastar and began receiving and guiding travellers from all over the world in 2008. Shakeel owns the only guest house in a tribal village in Bastar!
Living among the tribal population, he is regularly called upon to help them resolve their differences, overcome their difficulties and find solutions to problems they do not know how to solve.
How does it work?
- You make an appointment with me for a video call, using the form at the bottom of the page.
- On the day of the appointment, we’ll discuss your project.
- If I can create your itinerary, I will ask you for an initial payment of 120€ for the creation of the itinerary. This 120€ will be deducted from the final invoice if you use our guiding services.
- Once the itinerary has been validated, I’ll send you an estimate detailing our guiding costs. Once the quote has been signed, you will be asked to pay a deposit of 30% to secure our availability.
- The balance must be paid by bank transfer or cash on the 1st day of the tour at the latest.
CHHATTISGARH TOURISM PACKAGES FAQ.
No. I have been a passionate travel blogger since 2002, becoming a professional blogger in 2017. As I fell in love with Bastar in 2012, I promote it since that time, sending travellers to Shakeel. In 2023, I associated with the travel agency Enroute Bastar, in order to propose the best tours to my readers.
Book YOUR call and let’s talk about your trip TO CHHATTISGARH.
Let’s talk about your project on a video call!