Bagh Van

Bagh Van is located minutes from the main gate into the Pench National Park, said to be the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and one of the three great tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh. In many ways, it is less visited than Bandhavgarh or Kanha and as such you see fewer other vehicles. The other added bonus about Pench is that it is just two hours from Nagpur Airport, which has a wide range of connections within India and even internationally.

The cottages are a delight, a little enclave of loveliness where you can retreat to at night. You enter into what seems like a private courtyard with two buildings, one with your bathroom and a delightful ‘machan’ above (for use as either a day bed, or for the brave among you, a night under the stars) and the other building is your bedroom with a sit-out in front of that.

Moving to the guest areas and you will find a lovely swimming pool that is a delightful for a dip post-game drive. The main bungalow has something of a 50s feel about it, with inviting sitting areas where guests share safari stories over a drink or two.  The food is superb, and often set up in al fresco locations around the grounds. The naturalists are second to none and visits to the park will showcase its diversity and not just trying to see tiger. Pench also has a thriving population of leopard as well as wild dog, wolf, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, countless deer, boar and monkey. There are over 300 species of birdlife, and overall this ensures game drives  are always diverse and interesting.