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Travel: How to make the most of Tadoba’s Tiger Reserve and eco-friendly retreats

Being in the wild is all about soaking in the pristine sights of nature and learning a lesson or two in sustainability

My introduction to the jungles of Tadoba in Maharashtra, India happened many moons ago when a cousin who visited shared some stunning images of the jungle and told me he had spotted several tigers there. It was almost after a decade that I finally visited the spot last month and it felt almost as if life had come full circle.

Wild Encounters

And when in Tadoba, the first thing to do is to experience the majestic Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, which also happens to be one of the 47 ‘Project Tiger’ reserves in India and is spread over 1,727 sqkm. With its tropical dry deciduous vegetation, the forest has a high density of tigers, which makes it an extremely popular park. What this means is that tiger sightings are usually great and the reserve also has leopards, sloth bears, bison, wild dogs, and other species. The park is also rich in bird life and there are two safaris that happen in the morning and late afternoon, each lasting roughly for four hours. Note that all safaris must be booked online and in advance and will need you to carry an ID that is checked at the gate before the start of the safari. While I did not spot the tiger because of the rain, I was thrilled to spot a variety of birds like the Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher and more; I also saw the sloth bear, sambhar, and spotted deer.

The jungle experience however is what gives me pure joy; it is amazing how nature maintains a balance, from the food chain to the flora and fauna — all of which work in tandem to create an experience that warms the heart.

Ode to the Tiger

To experience the sights of this jungle, it is best to book yourself into one of the many retreats. I decided to check into the Waghoba Eco Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris who are known for their sustainable ethos. In fact, it was here that I found out that tigers are revered in the Gond tribal lands and are called Waghoba.

Incidentally, there are many temples dedicated to Waghoba around Tadoba National Park with stone figurines of the wild cats. The name is derived from two Marathi words: ‘wagh’ meaning tiger and ‘ba’, a suffix used to show respect. The property is designed to save energy considering Chandrapur is one of the hottest places in India. The construction on the ceiling uses Guna vault roof tiles, which look like bottomless clay terracotta cups and work as an insulator. The handmade Adobe bricks are sun dried and made locally. “We have used steel minimally and made use of local stone and broken ceramics in the design. Another aspect is the sunrise to sunset design, so wherever the windows are exposed we keep the veranda low so the walls are not directly exposed to sunlight. All the bathrooms are on the left so the maximum heat is on the bathroom walls and the bedrooms are much cooler. We have solar systems that generate 50KW, which saves electricity and is a renewable source. We use a sewage treatment plant that uses phytorid technology; it uses gravity to work its magic and we get back 95 percent of the water which is used for the landscape and gardens. We are working consciously to make the property carbon neutral,” says Ghanshyam Singh, Lodge Manager, Waghoba Eco Lodge.

Do More

With the ethos of blending with the surroundings firmly in place, there is much more to do when you are here. If you are an avid birder like me, you will be glad to know that there is a bird hide here that overlooks a small man-made water body that is frequented by several species like the common kingfisher and bulbuls. If you are lucky, you can also spot snakes — I saw the chequered keelback.

Another activity that you must do is take a guided nature walk with the inhouse naturalist who will teach you much about the local flora and fauna. There are cycling tours, night safaris (where civets, nightjars and owls can be sighted) and boat rides on the backwaters of Irai Lake that can also be done.

Local Flavours

If you are someone who likes to sample local food, this is the place for it.

All meals are served in the in-house restaurant ably helmed by Ippili Thota Rao, Executive Food & Beverage Supervisor.

The kitchen serves authentic thalis for lunch with a menu that changes every day. “We focus on the food of the region as well as close-by locations. We have the Varadhi thali from the Vidarbha region, which has the Saoji curries, Maharashtrian Thali, and Hyderabadi Thali.

“We serve the thalis in traditional hand-made Kansa metal plates with the beverage of the day while dinner is served in handmade pottery crafted exclusively for Waghoba.

“The menu is inspired by locally grown items including millets,” says Rao.

You can also learn how to make easy recipes from the chef.

In all, a visit here is not just about wildlife but also a lesson in sustainable living, which will remain with you much after you have returned home.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com