Satpura National Park, North & Central India, India

Forsyth’s Satpura is a small resort with only twelve cottages, painstakingly eco-friendly and run by genuine experts. Safaris are offered in conventional Jeeps, but also on foot – an experience unique to the Satpura reserve – and you can go for shorter forays on elephant back. A sprawling reservoir nearby may also be explored in three-man canoes, guided by resident naturalists from the lodge, which offers a great way to watch wild dogs, sloth bears, deer and other wildlife from the water.

The accommodation is no less enticing: the villas are spacious and cool, with plenty of outside sitting space and décor inspired by the arts and crafts of local villages. Smothered in a coating of traditional adobe with earthy red-tile roofs, they also blend seamlessly with the setting. The grounds are filled with trees and are a haven for birdlife.