Total forest immersion at Pench Jungle Camp

We have these African-style safari tents completely immersed in the wild, constructed with the aim not to disturb the surrounding nature. When you wake up in the morning you see beautiful sunrises, hear birds chirping and feel a nice breeze brushing over the canvas. We also have cottages and suites all with forest views and at night when you step outside, you get unobstructed views of the milky way. The highlight is being able to relish the beauty of nature and find a form of solace rarely found nowadays.

The main activity of course is to explore Pench National Park on tiger-spotting game drives but aside from the safaris, what sets us apart from other lodges is that we have 38 acres of private ecological park where you can enjoy nature trails with a naturalist guide, early morning birding and bicycle rides among the lush vegetation. We also offer outings to the local pottery community where guests can learn how to make ceramics from clay. Ninety percent of our staff are local, so it feels very authentic.

In the evening, we like to take guests across Lake Khoka in a boat where at the other end we have a sundowner set-up surrounded by lanterns and the sound of bird calls at twilight. We have many dining experiences on offer but a bush dinner is a must in the open air and lit by bonfire. It’s a memorable night with Indian barbecue fare. We even use mahua trees – the same trees that cover the park and shade our swimming pool – to make delicious puddings and liquor. Sometimes members of the local Gond tribe come to perform their custom dances. It’s a wonderful occasion seeing them in traditional dress while they sing their cultural songs. It adds to that magical ambience. I don’t think there’s another property quite like ours around here– it’s hard to put into words.