For Hotel Accommodation in Bandhavgarh National Park A Choice Awaits

 Accommodations in Bandhavgarh 

Being one of the most popular tiger reserves in India, Bandhavgarh excels in wildlife tourism infrastructure. As a National Park and reserve, the focus is on tiger conservation, and the consequent efforts have led to an amazing comeback made by the critically endangered big cat species.

I remember, in the seventies, on my first visit there were no private accommodations, and the only proper place to stay was the Forest Rest House at Tala Village. Tigers though scarce were visible after much tracking. Tourism was focused on Tala Range comprising dense forests, mountain River Charanga, marshy grasslands, and plenty of prey for the big cats. Another unique aspect of the Tala Range was ancient remains dating 2000 years back. On your first safari, you will not fail to notice the crumbling ramparts of an ancient fort at the great heights of Bandhavgarh Fort. A portion of the wall is intact but access to the fort is not possible anymore as it is out of the tourism zone. 

Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh is an esoteric paradise that epitomizes ancient mystical India. Well protected from the Mughal marauders, the park is home to many manmade caves, stables, courts, idols of Lord Vishnu in zoomorphic forms, and pools.  Now covered in moss, lichens, and fungi, the structures nevertheless, strike awe and hold you transfixed in a perpetual state of trance. I remember, Shesh Shaiyya still comes in my dreams, the Lord lying peacefully near a fairy pool. The place is open for tourism in Tala Zone and is a must-visit. 

Bandhavgarh

Tigers of Bandhavgarh

"BADDY OR DADDY" if my memory serves well was already popular with a few tourists who entered the park on old rickety diesel jeeps in the seventies.  He found a mention in a popular Indian newspaper and sired many cubs. Most of the tigers we encountered during that period had no names but were as charismatic as they appeared with names later on. 

From being an unknown entity the park was slowly emerging from being totally inconspicuous on the tourism map, it was slated to be the most visited in Central India. As the population increased, tigers began rolling in, and the legendary tigress SITA was the result of the conservation initiative. As far as I remember Badka, Charger, Bamera, B1, B2, Mahaman tigress, Blueeyed, and many others highlighted tourism in the park.

Tiger's Den Resort

We often visited the park as tourism was cheap, and the forest resthouse was readily available. But things were changing as resorts began to pop up in the nineties. Tiger tourism was coming of age in India! Unfortunately, tourism took its toll and the sentinels and mahouts who sat around us to cheer up the fireplace in the evenings began to evade us as the tips came rolling in. Overseas visitors began to arrive in hordes, and the mahouts and the guides were amply rewarded.  

Hotels in Bandhavgarh 

From a single public accommodation, the place was expected to grow as tiger sightings increased. In the tiger reserves, tourism is always interdependent upon the possibility of sightings of the big cat, and to some extent connectivity by air, road, and rail. The destination was difficult to approach from Jabalpur and elsewhere because of bad road conditions, and the 200 km drive from Jabalpur Airport was a pain in the bums. 

 The roads are in excellent shape now and a large number of hotels have profligated the buffer zone of the park. Bandhavgarh provides ample opportunities to stay as per the budget. From single-room house accommodations to guest houses, and homestays you can choose sophisticated high-end resorts during the safari holidays. 

With the tourist boom, the number of hotels has boomeranged as well and new ones keep coming. You have a choice if you wish to spend money to stay in high-end star-category accommodations. These are expensive but deliver or you can choose semi-luxury resorts that charge around 100 USD per night stay.   

There are many fancy accommodations that specialize in hosting overseas visitors and the quality of services is good. These properties are experienced in hosting overseas visitors and are preferred by inbound tour operators.   Luxury hosts what to expect:

• Excellent Food
• Fine Dining 
• Spacious Rooms or Cottages 
• Native Architecture
• Cozy Ambience
• Serenity & Peace
• Green Environment 
• Pool 
• Parking 
• Naturalist Service 
• Jungle Safari Trips 
• Safari Booking 
• Bar (Few)
• Sauna (Few) 
• Barbecue (Few)
• Bush Dinners
• Bird Watching 
• Village Visits 
• Continental Food 
• Wait Service, & Host Interaction 

Every luxury property has a unique way of dealing with its hosts. There is one Tal Property at Bandhavgarh called Mahua Kothi which is a five-star getaway, and available for a high-end budget.  But generally, those preferred by the tour operators tend to come up to the expectations. There is a lot of information on the hotel websites of Bandhavgarh. You can authenticate by contacting the resort manager or a local tour operator or rely on referrals if you have any. A better option is to seek reviews on Tripadvisor. Many mid-range resorts are on the verge of closure or barely surviving post-covid-19 hence be careful. 

Some of the Good properties in Bandhavgarh as per TripAdvisor are: 

• Tiger Den Resorts
• MPTDC White Tiger Lodge
• Nature Heritage Resort
• Lemon Tree Resort
• Samode Safari Lodge
• Tree House Hideaway 
• Bundela Tiger Resorts 
• Infinity Resort

My stay at Tiger Den Resort has been most rewarding. It is a mid-price resort at Tala and takes good care of overseas guests and the domestic crowd. But you can choose from the list of luxury hotels in Bandhavgarh National Park. Make a wise decision, and your wild safari holiday would be a memorable experience. Most of the accommodations are situated around the Tala Village which is the main artery that connects the park with Jabalpur Airport. But the properties are spread out at a distance, especially the high-end ones. Take your time choosing the right property and settle for the best price. Avoid the festival rush and weekends.    

Remember to book safari permits in advance, before the limited entry is full. For online booking use MPOnline Portal. You can also request the hotel manager where you plan to stay to book safari permits for you.

Bandhavgarh Personified

The jungles of India intrigue and fascinate humans. They exude an aura of mystery and mystical charm and unparalleled natural beauty. The animal kingdoms in India for thousands of years have bedazzled humans and attracted them to admire, explore study, and record aspects of nature's masterpiece. Throughout annals of history animals and birds and forests find mentioned by kings, court historians, writers, poets, ascetics, and local communities.
Photos By. Mr.Kamaljeet Hora

Bandhavgarh jungle was once contiguous with Central India Highlands and Vindhyan Ranges. It is now more or less fragmented and isolated, connected perhaps with Kanha and Achanakmar with nonviable badly deforested corridors.

Small and confined, the jungles of Bandhavgarh are the epitome of exceptional beauty and exude an aura of mystique. The spectacular esoteric, fairy tale settings and element of mystery remain. The terrain is unique in steep rocky hills, marshy grasslands, and a dense canopy of tropical moist forests. In between the forested slopes and marshy glens traverse small rivers - lifelines of the ecosystem. The enigmatic landscape heightens the perception of depth, stirs imagination, and peppers mind and body.

The thrill of exploring mysterious jungle life is heightened by equally mysterious elusive animals that exude charisma, fear, and awe. The tiger rules supreme, King personified and embellished in myths, arts, literature, and cultures all over the World.

Bandhavgarh in its niche habitats, unfathomable caves amidst rocky crevices, towering hillocks,  and sun-baked plateaus nourishes remains of ancient kingdoms. Of Kings and Queens who ruled in glorious times and were eventually vanquished by conquerors. The ruins lie scattered unfolding saga of human civilizations that sought shelter in the unreachable and secure womb of these dense forests.

Bandhavgarh is a fascinating blend of ancient history and equally fascinating jungle life. The pristine forests, prehistoric petrographic and man-made caves, zoomorphic idols, ancient temples, stables, reservoirs, and a magnificent fort stand testimony to ancient civilizations that coexisted with nature.

The park is the best place to watch tigers in the wild. In a small area of 400 plus sq. km, a large population of Bengal tigers survives. The tigers of Bandhavgarh have been epitomized and made eternal by filmmakers, wildlife photographers, and storytellers alike. Be it the legendary Badka, Sita, or awesome Charger all have been objects of sustained documentation and study. The stars of this wildlife resort have propelled it to International fame and mention. Visited by a large number of inbound and Indian tourists the park invites more and more visitors every year. One can see a large cross-section of the park on safaris and enjoy big games and birding. The resort offers all king of hotel accommodations from super luxurious to budget.

The core focus in Bandhavgarh National Park in MP has always been on tigers due to high visibility and fecundity. On safari besides tigers and leopards, one can see many deer species, lesser carnivores, and small often nocturnal mammals. Bird life at Bandhavgarh is interesting and invites many birdwatchers to the preserve. The impressive biodiversity is best experienced during a long stay and repeated visits.

The park is accessible from Jabalpur by road (4 hrs +) which is connected by flight service with New Delhi. Utkal Express makes a short stop at Umaria rail head about 32 km from the tiger preserve. From Khajuraho, BTR is a 6 to 7 hours drive.

Kanha Resort - Van Vilas

These are the images of famous "Van Vilas Kanha Resort" venture of Celebration group of hotels at Raipur City where the HQ is based.

Van Vilas Eden at Kanha

Kanha is epitome of natures bounty. It defines inviolate, untouched and intact nature as God made it. In more technical lingo it is an intact ecosystem with perfect food chain. At Kanha the food pyramid is filled to brim with the tiger sitting at the top. Kanha celebrates life and augurs hope for the future of the earth and humanity.

Van Vilas

Situated in the depth of Mocha village at the periphery of Kanha National Park, Van Vilas hotel at Kanha offers peace and tranquility. Like Kanha it exemplifies nature and compliments the surrounding tropical greenery and rustic charm.

The owners are a group with three star hotels in Raipur in Chhattisarh, Barnawapara and Bandhavgarh tiger reserve. At Van Vilas no stone has been left unturned in order to create a wildlife resort as a wildlife resort should be. The architecture is an amalgamation of forest scape with traditional structures of India. The cool comfort and luxurious ambiance that the luxury resort offers sends squeals of delight on first sight.

Yes! Van Vilas is what every nature loving tourist would have imagined about a wildlife resort before stepping in here. It gels well with concepts of responsible eco-tourism.

Apart from the luxury and comfort Van Vilas generates a feeling of elation especially being a part of the nature which a city set up would never deliver.

Like erstwhile hunting loges Van Vilas is a modern concept that goes hand in hand with tiger safaris and birding. Like a hunting lodge it keeps you confined to the core elements of nature and wildlife. You do not slide back to chaotic urbanity -from which you have just escaped- you are kept united with the jungle and its denizens.

At Van Vilas you experience serenity, seclusion, elation and total conformity with nature. You can sleep in air conditioned comfort, dine on gastronomic delights churned by expert chefs and laze around the pool amidst gentle drafts of cool clean air.

You are miles away from chaotic urbanity - amidst nature and wildlife - birds, butterflies and wild animals that enchant you to no end. At Van Vilas in Kanha it is time to celebrate life and relish nature's offerings.

I am eagerly waiting for the season's start when tiger safari begins in October after the monsoon. That's when I will enjoy the hospitality of Van Vilas at Kanha again.

Welcome to Wildlife Resorts Blog

Welcome to Indian Wildlife Resorts and Lodges Blog

This blog is about top wildlife resorts, hotels and lodges in India. The accommodation at wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks is an interesting feature which is very much a part of eco-tourism and wildlife safaris in Central India.

I will blog mainly on hotel accommodation at Chhattisgarh state, Raipur town, Barnawapara sanctuary and Jabalpur, Kanha, Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh state. These places are very popular for wildlife travels in Central India. The main aspects that this blog covers is to highlight various accommodations that the author finds worthy to write about. Indian wildlife resorts are an exciting safari experience which every traveler all over the World should experience.

The luxury resorts and jungle camps are specially designed to cater to the taste of all tourists, wildlife lovers, naturalists and nature photographers who travel a long distance in their quest to see the tiger and Indian wildlife. The wildlife photographers visit these wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks to photograph tigers and other rare and endangered wild animals and birds. The lodges offer unique cuisine which is influenced by the local tribal food habits. The hotel surroundings is a lush green tropical greenery unique to Indian forests. The staff is expert at service and wildlife savvy according a stay at these places ---A feeling of well being at its best!


This blog is also for interesting accounts of Indian wildlife and environment. The enchanting Indian wildlife attracts tourists from all over the World and of course India. The journey to the wilderness is a unique experience and accommodation is as well a matter of great interest. The hotel owners give a unique exclusive touch to their properties and create an environment that adds to the holistic experience of tiger safari at Indian tiger reserves.