Thoughts of Travelers

Insights into the Wild Heart of India from an Australian Perspective

When you spend enough time moving between the red dust of the Australian Outback and the golden grasslands of Central India, the lines begin to blur. I live in Australia now, but my heart still beats to the rhythm of the Indian jungle.

As someone who has spent years escorting fellow Australians through India’s wilderness, I’ve come to realize that a safari isn’t just about ticking off the animals on a list. It’s about the thoughts of a traveler as they sit in an open-top Jeep, waiting for the world to wake up. It’s about those quiet insights that only come when you’re thousands of miles from home, face-to-face with something ancient.

The Moment the World Shrank

I remember being out in Bandhavgarh last season with David, a photographer from Melbourne. We had been tracking a tiger for three hours—nothing but silence and the occasional alarm call of a spotted deer.

In those long hours of waiting, the thoughts of a traveler usually drift. David leaned over and whispered, “In the Kimberley, I feel small because of the space. Here, I feel small because of life. Every bush, every tree feels like it’s watching you back.”

Then, it happened. A massive male tiger stepped out from the tall grass, not ten meters from our vehicle. He didn’t look at us with aggression; he looked through us with a bone-chillingly beautiful indifference. David didn’t even pick up his camera at first. He just sat there. His insight later that night was simple: “I didn’t come here to take a photo. I came here to remember what it feels like to be part of the food chain.”

What We Think About When We Think of India

When I chat with Australians planning their first wildlife safaris tour to India from Australia, their thoughts are often a mix of excitement and “the unknown.”

Sarah and Greg from Perth shared their insights with me after their trip to the Sundarbans. They told me that their initial thoughts were about the “chaos” of India they’d seen on TV. But their reality was the opposite. Sarah said, “My main thought was how incredibly peaceful the jungle is. We expected noise, but we found a deep, rhythmic quiet. It felt like the land was breathing.”

That is the insight we strive for at RAPSafaris. We know that for an Aussie traveler, luxury isn’t about the thread count of the sheets—it’s about the exclusivity of the silence. It’s about having a guide who knows you need that 5:00 AM coffee just as much as you need to find that Snow Leopard in the Ladakhi peaks.

Bridging Two Worlds: My Personal Insight

As your host with an Indian heart and an Australian home, my own thoughts of a traveler always return to one thing: Connection. We aren’t just taking you on a tour. We are bridging the gap between the rugged, “no-worries” attitude of Australia and the soulful, vibrant intensity of India.

• The Insight of Ethics: We know Australians care about the land. That’s why we choose lodges that protect the tigers as much as they protect the local villages.
• The Insight of Expertise: We understand that a photographer needs the sun at their back, not in their eyes. We position you for the story, not just the sight.

Rakesh Arora Photography Safaris

If you’ve been sitting in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, dreaming of the wild, your thoughts of a traveler are already halfway there. You’re wondering if the tiger is as big as they say (it is), if the air is as electric as they describe (it’s more), and if India will change you.

It will.

I’ve walked these paths for years, and the most rewarding part of my job isn’t seeing the tiger—it’s seeing the look on a fellow Australian’s face when they realize they’ve found a second home in the Indian wild.

Are you ready to turn these thoughts into a reality? Let’s plan your 2026 journey together. From the rhinos of Kaziranga to the “Grey Ghost” of the Himalayas, the wild is calling.

Explore our Signature 2026 Wildlife Tours