Kanha National Park & Tiger Reserve | Banjaar Tola - A Taj Safari | Tigers of Kanha | The High Roads

We have been fascinated by Madhya Pradesh and on our third visit to MP we visited Kanha National Park. This was special also because I and Ashwin celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary during the trip.

We travelled by air to Nagpur and then drove to Kanha National Park. When in Nagpur do not forget to stop at Ramji Shyamji Pohewale for their famous tari poha. What is it do you ask? It’s the good old poha ladled with a generous helping of black chickpea curry. Oh yes, if you fancy a garnish of some onions, please help yourself. This is the breakfast for you if you do not mind loads of oil and carbs early in the morning.

Banjaar Tola, A Taj Safari is a 90 acre property situated on the banks of the beautiful and still looking Banjaar river. Across the river is the Kanha National Park. The resort is made up of 18 luxury tents and as you walk into the rooms the only possible expression that would come out is “Wow”. Our room overlooked the river Banjaar which named after the tribe that lives in this part.

Banjaar Tola is an eco-conscious property and everything that you find in the room is made up of sustainable material. What’s also interesting is the use of Gond art everywhere in the room, whether it’s the door knobs or the wall décor. The tented rooms are made up of 3 parts, the deck overlooking the forest and river, the bedroom and the bath which is just as tastefully decorated as the room.

The forest feel of Kanha is unique and nothing like other forests that we have visited so far. The sunrise and sunset would bring out different hues and shades of the forest evoking a sense of elation and calm at the same time. When you are in a Tiger Reserve waiting to sight the big game, it is easy to miss out on the little delights the forest has to offer.

And wait.. there was yet another surprise waiting for us at the resort for our anniversary. Our very attentive and gentle mannered butlers took care of us throughout the dinner and of course our armed guard was always there to ensure that we did not have any surprise wild visitors to crash the party.

On our next morning safari we got to witness something really amazing. The pre courtship rituals among the swamp deer which is really endearing. The male barasinghas during the mating season adorn their antlers with turfs of grass. They also walk in an attractive and proud gait with their necks puffed up to impress the female barasinghas. Isn’t that really cute? Did you now Kanha National Park has over the years managed to bring back the swamp deer from the brink of extinction due to their dedicated and sustained conservation efforts. The highpoint in any tiger safari is when you finally sight the tiger after days of waiting. For us it was a tigress who decided to casually walk past our Jeep before disappearing into the thickets.

Most parts of Banjaar Tola property is not disabled friendly and does not seem to have ramps for people with mobility challenges. Also safari jeeps did not seem to be equipped for people with special needs.

Pictures and videos shot using –
Google Pixel 4a, iPhone 11, Nikon Coolpix P950 (bridge camera with 83x optical zoom


Things we carried:
Reusable water bottles
Dry snacks
Comfortable and warm footwear suitable for jungle
Winter wear as the temperatures in the morning and evening tends to be low during winters
Sun hats / caps
Sunblock lotion
Binoculars

Always, LEAVE THE PLACE CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT.

Google Locations:
Banjaar Tola, A Taj Safari - https://goo.gl/maps/9xEwKjVchjxTW43K8
Mukki Gate - https://goo.gl/maps/GUxjAo8PfTjYFuHb6
Ramji Shyamji Pohewale - https://goo.gl/maps/HTQzLq6nCaNPoPmp6

Music credits:
YouTube Audio Library