Bandhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Kanha, Satpura or Tadoba…you’ll be spoilt for choice. Hunting for the big orange striped cat in the Tiger State of India is a unique adrenaline rush. Shrouded in danger and uncertainty, in an open-jeeped safari, looking for pugmarks, hours may pass before a sighting. One glimpse of rippling muscles, velvet fur, curved claws, soft paws and the inevitable catwalk…you forget to breathe.

Asia’s largest brackish lagoon, gets 100 species of flying visitors each year in winter season. Mangalajodi is the ecological hotspot to gun for, if you’re a birding enthusiast. White bellied sea eagles, graylag geese, purple moorhen, flamingo jacana, open billed storks, herons, black tailed godwits, anyone? Inspiration enough for the largest wintering ground for migratory birds in India.

Periyar Tiger Reserve is famous for another reason. Seek out a different brand of wildlife, on a tusker trail. What can be more enjoyable than watching wild elephants take baths by the river? Careful not to get too close or interfere with their natural ritual. Some privacy, please.

Swish of a furry tail and a preening pose. Can he see you staring silently from a distance through the telescope? Did you ever think you would be facing a snow leopard at the bottom of Ladakh’s Ulley valley? Its less than three hours from Leh. Make it a day trip or glamp it out in style. So why isn’t it on your list yet?

It has miles and miles of damp rain forests filled with unusual insects, reptiles and dangerous leeches. So be careful as you trek in search of secret waterfalls with your risk-ridden squad of buddies. You may even witness a cold-blooded Malabar pit viper sunning itself on river rocks, but stay at a safe distance, because it can sense your body heat. Are you game for new thrills in Agumbe, Karnataka?