FRANCIS BRENNAN’S GRAND INDIAN TOUR
PROGRAMME 5 – RANTHAMBORE – SYNPOSIS
This summer Francis Brennan is putting his 5 star day job on hold as he takes 12 paying guests on a surprise trip of a lifetime to India’s Golden Triangle.
It’s a 6 am start in Jaipur for the tourists as Francis has planned a Laughing Yoga session in Jaipur’s Central Park. This group laughter session is designed to enhance wellbeing and despite the early hour goes down well with Francis and his guests.
Financial advisor Sean O’Mahony from Co Cork believes he could benefit from Laughing Yoga when back home in Ireland; “I just don’t think we smile enough. I think if you could do that for a couple of minutes every day I think it would just give you so much energy and a positive outlook on life”.
Later, being a man of many and varied talents, Francis gives an impromptu demonstration of Laughing Yoga to while away the group’s 4 hour transfer to the Ranthambore National Park. Ranthambore is one of the best known of India’s 49 tiger reserves and Francis arranged 2 safaris to give the best hope of sighting the elusive big cats.
On the first safari the group encountered a tiger, which had made a kill earlier in the day and was lying in long grass to devour its prey. But this tiger proved rather shy. Hairdresser Andrew Mc Kenna from Co Wicklow was disappointed: “We did get to see a tiger but it was very well hidden. You really had to strain your eyes to see it”.
After the first underwhelming day of tiger spotting, only 5 members of the group were minded to get out of bed at 5 am for the second safari. But this proved to be a very different experience and a life-changing moment for some. Painter Decorator Eddie Mc Daid from Donegal couldn’t quite believe his luck, “After yesterday I thought maybe that would be as close as we’d see a tiger – but I just couldn’t believe it when we came straight up to it”.
Sean O’Mahony describes the moment; “It was just walking so slowly, to see it in such a natural environment – Definitely the highlight of the trip to see a tiger that close and in full movement – wow! My heart is pounding. I have goose bumps – it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.”