Tiger Tourism

Recently I was at Kanha at the invitation of Mr. Roshan Mishra manager of Van Vilas Resort at Kanha. It was a wonderful dinner meet with sumptuous Indian cuisine served delicately..he!He!

I keep on meeting Roshan as he is a frequent visitor to Jabalpur. His is an affable fellow with deep interest in wildlife and a good perspective of tiger tourism at Kanha. Our discussion often moves around from wildlife to tiger as key stone species and tourism which so overwhelmingly looms large at Kanha come tiger safari time.

Though few months afore 1st October hectic activity starts. Management awakens after a nap at Kanha hotels to gear up for the coming tiger safari season. But generally there are days when the hotel top brass is relaxed whence all scheduled chores function well. The staff is well trained at Celebration Van Vilas Resort and hence work goes smooth.

Amidst Naturalists there is a constant debate going on regarding pro and cons of tiger safari in Central Indian National Parks. No doubt the Kanha Lodges define tiger tourism and how it should be conducted. The park authorities frame rules and manage, besides which they have very little role to play especially in tourism.

The crux of the discussion now a days is - the guest experience. Earlier and to some extent now tiger tourism at Kanha was limited to tiger chase. Once the tiger was sighted interest in Kanha dimmed and some tourist left earlier than planned.

But the lodges at Kanha began to give greater inputs employed naturalists, trained staff, increased amenities at the lodges to engage tourist to a greater extent. This began to deliver holistic perspective of Kanha to the tourists. The trained nature guides began to unfold Kanha and tourist began to see the real Kanha besides the tiger.

Kanha landscape got deserved attention so did the birds, small game, floral elements and reptiles and butterflies. This is an on going process arising out of investment not only in properties but expert man power as well.

The resort owners have realized that though the tiger sighting is the main attraction of Kanha a more holistic approach is required to increase tourism potential of the park.

Kanha has so much to offer apart from tigers - it is a biodiversity that overwhelms and amazes each and everyone only good extrapolation is required.

Booking Park Excursion Entry

To book a park excursion entry or entries to Kanha tiger reserve or Pench, Bandhavgarh and Panna national parks in Madhya Pradesh, an online booking should be made before hand in order to avoid running into a closed gate due to fixed carrying capacity as per new rules regarding number of vehicle entry allowed in the parks .

Park Entry Online Booking

The online booking page also leads to information on tariff and availability of excursions on given date in the national parks or tiger reserves.

Bookings at the portal above can be paid for by credit card. For cash payment one need to use service of authorized kiosks of the government. The kiosks are situated only in Madhya Pradesh at present. Find list of about three hundred kiosks on the portal.

Hotel owners will also be able to book excursions into the national parks using the online facility subject to conditions mentions on the portal.

MP Online Hotel Owners

In case of bookings made in advance the passengers in a vehicle have to give names, IDs for verification.

Park gate also provides advance booking. MP Online is ready to appoint more lodges as their kiosks.

Tiger Resorts

It is resting time for denizens of Kanha but the open season is nearing. After monsoons the parks in Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh open for tiger safari in India.

The establishment of the parks was from the point of view to conserve tigers and other wild animals. Most of the parks in India are declared as tiger reserves since they are being assisted by Project tiger that plays a key role in conservation of the species of Indian tiger. However they have also ended up as the most preferred destinations for wildlife safari to see the tiger in India.

Tiger enthusiasts, conservationists and wildlife photographers eagerly wait for the parks to open. Not only the above but the wildlife resort owners too await the opening of the park as their business depends upon tiger tourism.

The most popular parks in MP are Kanha National Park in Central India in Satpura range, Pench tiger reserve in Seoni Hills and Bandhavgarh National Park in Vindhya range. These are the most preferred destinations for Indian safaris and birding. There are lot of budget and luxury lodges a and resorts that cater to ever burgeoning tourism in these centers of wildlife attractions in India.

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.

Kanha Wildlife - Swamp Deer

It is a wonderful experience to be at Kanha National Park in Central India. This 2000 sq km park teems with wildlife and its biodiversity overwhelms. When I first visited Kanha in the year nineteen seventy one it was on the verge of recovery from past depredation and reckless hunting that took place earlier.

Most timely conservation effort was an endeavor to save the Hard Ground Barasingha or Swamp Deer (Cervus duavcelli branderi) by George Schaller and the park management. From just + - sixty six animals to a population of around 350 + now is indeed a remarkable recovery for this sensitive and fragile animal. Incidentally as the manager of "The Celebration Van Vilas Kanha" wildlife resort informed me that Kanha is famous for saving this rare species which is a unique endeavor - the tiger comes second to contribute to Kanha's fame.

The deer is indeed an epitome of magnificence and far surpasses all wild animals in terms of beauty and grace. It is a gentle creature as it's appearance suggests and a silent one as well except in the mating season in November and December. During the rut the male deers vocalize almost continuously to attract the females. Their multi-tined horns (Twelve horned deer)are bedecked with tufts of fresh grass picked up from the ground to impress the females. The territorial fights to take over the females are common but hardly any blood shed or mortality takes place.

For those tourists interested in photographing this animal the best time is of course the rut. Most favored spots of the deer at Kanha is Kanha meadow, Bisanpura, Sondhar and Sonf where they breed.

Swamp deers like Bison are susceptible to rinderpest and foot and mouth disease which is transmitted by the cattle around the park. This deer is also totally dependent upon grasslands as it survives mostly on some species of grass found at Kanha.

But with proactive conservation measures in place the population of this endangered species is expected to grow in near future.

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.