The Untamed Bandhavgarh

Situated in Madhya Pradesh, the famous Bandhavgarh National Park gets its name from bandhav meaning brother and garh meaning fort. Legend has it that Bandhavgarh was gifted by Lord Rama to his younger brother, Lakshman. Once, the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Reva, today it is a key tiger habitat with a broken terrain consisting of rocky hill ranges, grassy swamps and numerous forested valleys. The park has three ranges that form the core zone, namely Tala, Magadhi and Khitauli and 3 buffer zones. Tala is the richest zone in terms of biodiversity, mainly tigers.

TUTC’s offering in Bandhavgarh is the perfect base to explore the jungles of Central India. Located on 16 acres of verdant land opposite the reserved core zone, the site contains 10 luxurious tents and a gazebo tent with a 180º view of the wilderness around. Each tent is set on a deck and comes with the services of a butler. The tents have every conceivable luxury combined with a great location and facilities, making for a relaxing stay. The tents are equipped with customised amenities, attached spacious bathrooms and a verandah allowing guests to listen to early morning and evening birdsong.

 

Location

Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.

The nearest airports are Jabalpur and Khajuraho. There are daily trains to Katni (2-hour drive) and Umaria (half-hour drive) from most major Indian cities.
Jabalpur (4-hour drive)  and Khajuraho (5-hour drive) can be reached via road.

Things to know

  • The best time to visit is October to February (early mornings and evenings can get quite cold). March and April are moderately warm days and chilly evenings. May and June can be intensely hot and slightly humid.
  • The lodge is open from the 1st of October until the 15th of June.

Rooms & Suites

There are two categories of tents the Executive Suite Tent and the Luxury Suite Tent; both come with the services of a personal bulter. The tents house a bedroom with a king-sized four-poster wooden bed that is an absolute pleasure to sink into at the end of a long day in the bush. Each tent also has its mini-fridge, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities. Spacious wardrobes include a safe and also come with thoughtful amenities like bedroom slippers, eye masks, and ear plugs.  The rooms have en-suite bathrooms with large netted windows and are lavishly furnished with thick carpets, leather trunks, and fine furniture. The sturdy canvas tents are temperature-controlled with air-conditioners and heaters. Guests can also avail of laundry services.

Restaurants & Bars

All buffet meals, including tea/coffee and soft beverages, are served in the camp restaurant which serves multi-cuisine with al-fresco dining options. Menus are curated by the guests ‘dietary preferences and fixed accordingly for each course of meal daily

Spa & Wellness

Guests can unwind with relaxing massages and wellness therapies at Swadhya, a wellness hermitage. There is also a well-stocked library with a selection of handpicked books an in-house theatre and a billiards table for guest recreation.

 

Experiences

There is a whole range of activities on offer apart from the early morning and evening safaris to nature walks and cycle rides around the camp’s vicinity, bird watching, and campfires with sundowners every evening.

Sustainability

The tented camps are ‘semi-permanent’ and are dismantled and removed during the off-season, leaving a virgin site that has not disturbed the natural environment whatsoever. TUTC is strongly committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint and takes several measures and efforts at the various campsites.  The use of steel flasks instead of packaged drinking water, LED lights in the camps, zero plastic policy, usage of low flow faucets for water conservation, responsible waste management, and solar energy use are just some of the measures implemented at the various camps. TUTC also ensures environmental, social, and economic sustainability and development at all its camps.