Meet Indrajit – Encounters Asia

Encounters Asia is a small, boutique operator with 30 years’ experience focused on tailor-made wildlife and cultural journeys throughout India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. Their FIT and small group customized journeys grant travelers an intimate view of some of Asia’s most incredible wonders. Their decades of experience sharing Asia with travelers has given them the chance to forge special relationships across their destinations, allowing them to create unique and unforgettable one-of-a-kind journeys. Their exceptional guides take guest experiences over the top. One of those guides is Indrajit Gangadhar.

Gangadhar Latey, a.k.a. Indrajit, has worked in the field of adventure sports and wildlife for the past 19 years. His passion for wildlife & nature was ignited in his childhood as he spent most of his summers in the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Northern Maharashtra. With an intense passion for photography, he has proficiency in ornithology, mammals and natural history. He started his outdoor career with Nature Trails – an environmental education campsite and went onto work with WWF Pune as a naturalist. Having spent over 5 years working in Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh), he has gained insight and expertise in central Indian forests. He has travelled extensively around the country and whether he is guiding wildlife groups, diving in coral reefs or skiing in the Himalayas, Indrajit is at home in all terrains. He believes that the urban man has lost touch with nature and strongly feels that educating and helping people – especially locals – reconnect with nature will go a long way in invoking the spirit of awareness and conservation. Indrajit believes that conservation of wildlife and natural landscapes is essential for the long term survival of the human race.

Indrajit has visited more than 80 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries within India. The parks range from Himalayas to Kaziranga in the east to South India parks all the way to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, to lion-dominated west India and lastly his specialty: Central India. Recently his dream of seeing the snow leopard was fulfilled in Ladakh region where he successfully led an expedition to photograph them.

Traveling to Africa was his childhood dream. Seeing the wildlife in the Masai Mara and Serengeti while leading a group of professional photographers was a treasured moment for him. Indrajit also worked with the Late Fateh Singh Rathore on anti-poaching in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Indrajit has written forewords for very well known wildlife photographers like Michel Zoghzoghi on India’s wildlife and he has also worked with the likes of Jonathan Scott and Todd Gustafson.

If this is not enough, he has excellent knowledge of India and its different cultural destinations, cementing his expertise as a guide for any place and has lead several groups to various cultural destinations, which are integral part of anyone’s itinerary while visiting India.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Guests spend a couple of weeks with me whilst traveling in India, but its the conversations and experiences we share that create lifelong memories. Meeting people from different parts of the world, learning and sharing with them various facets of wildlife, conservation and my culture is one of my favorite parts of my job.