Singinawa Jungle Lodge
Kanha National Park, India
Singinawa Jungle Lodge offers all the comforts of a world-class resort within the wild environs of India's tiger heartland. The lodge name reflects its practice of the Sherpa philosophy of singinawa—protection of the sacred forest—while working closely with local communities on conservation. Set on a private forested 100-acre tract of reclaimed jungle adjoining Kanha Tiger Reserve, the luxury lodge is a model for ecologically sustainable tourism. Accommodations are in 12 stone cottages and two family bungalows, all with private verandas for your own secluded view on nature. The cottages have large bedrooms with hand-carved dark wood furnishings and traditional fabrics, beds with memory foam mattresses and fine quality linens, a fireplace, en suite bathrooms with double basins and rain showers, mini bar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and air conditioning.
Dining is a highlight at Singinawa, with sumptuous meals served both indoors and in a variety of romantic outdoor settings. The focus is on locally produced ingredients for gourmet Indian and continental dishes. An organic farm across the road from the lodge provides homegrown wheat and rice, and sustainably raised cattle, chickens and goats are nearby. The lounge and well-stocked natural history library invite relaxing and further learning. A large free-form swimming pool offers refreshment, while the Meadow Spa serves up a variety of relaxing treatments from well-trained local practitioners. Also located on the estate is the Kanha Museum of Life and Art, a 1,000-square-foot museum showcasing the work of local Gond and Baiga Indigenous artists.
The lodge is surrounded by wild terrain including sal stretches, grasslands and waterholes, all of which serve as a rendezvous for the wild denizens of Kanha forest. Keep an eye out for large herds of chital, wild pigs, northern plains langurs, Indian muntjacs and jungle cats. An occasional visit by a leopard or a tiger is also not unheard of. Birdwatching is also fantastic, as the wooded habitat around Singinawa attracts more than a hundred different recorded species.