Glamping on a Taj Property with Tiger Sightings - A Hidden Treasure 2021 | Madhya Pradesh India
- 1lifeinabucketlist@gmail.com
- Jan 13, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2021
Do you reminisce reading The Jungle Book and wanting to live the jungle life, be raised by wolves and have Bagheera and Baloo as God parents? If this gets your emotions all riled up, then Kanha National Park is your calling! The Jungle Book takes inspiration from these forests. MP has the maximum tiger population (526 tigers) in India and Kanha National Park is a proud home to 80 of these wild cats. We have 4 reasons why you may consider this place for your next vacayy! Brace yourself because #lifeinabucketlist is too excited to share their experience meeting the cast and crew of The Jungle Book ;)
“Look for the bare necessities .. The simple bare necessities .. Forget about your worries and your strife .. I mean the bare necessities .. Are Mother Nature's recipes .. That bring the bare necessities of life."
~ Baloo
“Taj Banjaar Tola consists of 2 intimate camps of 9 tents each, that are built on the banks of the still Banjaar river running by the Kanha National Park. The architecture is such that the property seamlessly blends into the forest. The balconies of each of the tents extend into the forest. It's surreal!
Reason 1: Glamping
We are so excited to finally have a glamorous camping aka 'glamping' experience in India! It's an attraction for people who work hard through the week, have hectic lives and do not want to toil away again on a trip :P. The sit-out steals the show, as it offers views of the Banjaar river with all modern comforts. A close second is the bath area, which is as big as the bedroom and allows you to make yourself a luxurious Spa bath after a long safari!
Reason 2: The Wildlife
As soon as we arrived, we were too excited to spot at least one of the 80 tigers that reside in this national park. The learned naturalists from Taj Safaris easily awakened the environmentalist in us. We played Sherlock, and tracked down pug marks and the direction in which they were headed. Adrenaline rush! Taj's exemplary hospitality made this one of India's finest safari experiences.
Did you know!! Tigers are solitary animals. The tigress chucks her cubs out of her territory as soon as they turn two years old. After that the cubs are on their own to fight for and mark their own territory.
Some exciting flora and fauna you will spot here. Consider the ghost tree for instance. Given its pale trunk, it seems quite spooky on a full moon night. We wouldn't want to be strutting anywhere near it at night! Boo.. It is also the only place in the world to find a particular species of barasingha (swamp deer - twelve horned). This delicate balance and the ways of the forest left us awestruck.
*Fun(ny) fact - Did you know during the mating season, male barasingha puts grass on top of it's horns like a crown and dances in order to lure the female. It is quite an interesting sight. If you land up here, keep a look out for it.
Reason 3: Intimate Getaway with Star Gazing
@TajSafaris organized a quaint, private dinner for us in the middle of the jungle! Kudos to our special chef Nim who made us lick our fingers off. And guess who came to surprise us? It was Pumba from Timon & Pumba :D. The wild boar (who was playfully named Ranga by the staff) could smell all our yummy food and came to check on us. It was cray cray! We have a video and can share on demand ;)
The night sky was perfect for star gazing. It reminded us of dark sky reserves of Chile / NZ. We were able to capture Orion from our phone camera. In all, it was a phenomenal night with our tummies full, the milky way as our night light and the sounds of the jungle as our lullaby.
Reason 4: Mystical & Pristine Place
Everything about this place, from the perfect temperature (in Dec- Jan-Feb), the clear waters of the Banjaar river, to the forest aura, is magical. For those of you who don't know, this forest (along with the other National Parks in India), is still intact only because of Indira Gandhi enacting the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Forest Conservation Act, 1980 during her tenure. She was a true naturalist!
We were delighted to be able to compare these waters, which had hues of green and blue, to the colour of the water found in the National Parks of New Zealand. Within 2 mins of reaching our tents, the view from the balcony drew us to it and it was almost as if the Banjaar River welcomed us with it's still water and untouched banks! The staff tells us that there have been tiger sightings at the banks as well a few times, which only goes to show that Taj has done a great job keeping the environment fairly untouched.
If you're already booked, here are some the deets that will help you plan this trip -
Best way to reach - The ideal would be to fly down to Jabalpur and drive down from there. You may ask Taj helpdesk to help you book a car or can look at options like Savaari car rentals.
Ideal number of days - Minimum 3 nights are required to do justice to the place. You would have a small trek, 2 safaris, dinner in the jungle and some informative sessions. If you are looking for some alone time to read or meditate, voilà, you've knocked the right door.
Minimum number of safaris to choose - Would recommend minimum 2 safaris - one morning and one evening. This pattern would surely increase your chances of sighting.
Clothing to pack - Although it's very pleasant through out, would recommend keeping thick jackets, woollen pants, gloves if you have a cold bug like Nizzi. Although, Taj Safaris would give you hot water bags and blankets - someone's going to get cozy! Early morning and late evening safaris would surely welcome you with a cold fresh blast of air on your face.
Food - Do not carry your own food. The tents are in the forest if you remember. It's quite possible that the food you keep in the room would get a friendly visit from rodents, and other small animals.
Photography - Get the best camera with zoom lens that you have. You are in for a treat!
T-106 in her full glory, saying b-bye to us!
Hope we always remember that we are in their homes and not the other way round! You travel safely and respectfully.
Until next time!
XoXo
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