Pench National Park

With its miles of teak and bamboo forests, and open meadows of tall, bleached grass, the landscape of Pench National Park is straight off the pages of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. The reserve flanks the southern border of Madhya Pradesh and the northern border of Maharashtra, encompassing a wild, uninhabited zone of over 700 Square kilometers of prime Tiger habitat bisected by the Pench River.

The tiger population is stable and sightings occur daily here – although not for everyone. Touring the park’s pot-holed roads in Jeeps, you’re more likely to come across packs of wild dogs and striped hyena, and herds of deer and antelope as well as the odd gaur (bison) or two lumbering through the forest. The extensive birdlife of the park is a sheer joy and never fails to impress even the ardent ornithologists.

The ideal time to visit Pench is post monsoon from October to March when the forest is in full bloom and able to provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Visitors the park are offered a wide array of accommodation to choose from ranging from the luxurious lodges to the more modest and eco-friendly camps, often with swimming with excellent choice food and wine.

Here's a selection of lodges and camps we're delighted to recommend:

• Pench Jungle Camp

• Jamtara Wilderness Camp

• Baghvan

• Reni Pani

• Tuli Tiger Corridor