The first Shaji bombshell came as I was exclaiming over the view. We’d just met. A tiger had killed a deer right in front of the lodge 2 days before and dragged its kill downstream. “We’ll take a walk that way tomorrow,” he said, “and see if we can find it.” And with that, he…
The Art Of Bespoke Travel
“If you havent seen it, you can’t sell it.” This was the philosophy that was told to me when I first started in the travel industry. To see it is not just to know it, but it’s also to experience it, to feel it. Product knowledge is vital, particularly when you really want to feature…
Cheetahs are reintroduced to India but what about the indigenous people of Kuno Palpur?
There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple of years amongst a niche section of society, this is a section however, that whilst relatively small, crosses all boundaries of age and sex, it is a broad cross section of people bound by a common passion, and that passion is the wildlife of India….
Three hotels in Gujarat which aren’t quite what you’d expect.
Think of Gujarat and what comes to mind? The first thing every inbound agent will say is that you can’t drink, not strictly true but yes, it can be off-putting to those who enjoy a drink or two with dinner. But once that hurdle has been overcome, what are the words that spring to mind…
India’s Natural Wonders….. Wildlife parks beyond the tiger
My passion for wildlife had an accidental start. A failed relationship and a grumpy boss led me to take a sabbatical for six months running the fabulous and still my favourite lodge, Shergarh in Kanha National Park (Yes, the inspiration behind by book, Escape to India). This initially, this wasn’t for the wildlife, but because…
The Murder and the Lion – Wildlife Tales from Gujarat
We had heard there was a murder and were invited to investigate. Anyone who has watched any crime drama wants to get involved right? In this instance a murder could mean a double murder because for there to be a murder chances are that there had been a death that could have been a murder…
My Top Five Books Tiger Centric Books – A great and diverse small collection for International Tiger Day 2020
It’s International Tiger Day, social media will be flooded with images of this truly magnificent animal, hopefully also praise for the forest guards who spend their lives protecting them, the conservation groups who also do their utmost to raise awareness to protect this endangered species, and the lodge owners who provide wonderful accommodation for you…
People of India Project – Varun Narain Mathur
I first met Varun many years ago when he, way ahead of the game, had set up a company to promote extraordinary guides of India, true experts who believed in showcasing the real India along side their speciaist fields. Then, by some quirk of fate, I ended up working along side him for a large…
Sri Lanka & A Truly Extraordiary Wildlife Experience
They said the meeting place was by the Buddha statue just on the edge of the town. A short while later they called to see if I’d reached. ‘I don’t think so,” was my response, “Is it obvious, could I have missed it?” I credit them for not being sarcastic in their response, being, as…
Snapshots – A Visit to Vann Vihar, India’s Smallest National Park
It looks glamorous and I can’t deny it is fabulous, but being on the road on a recci trip is tough. The things you don’t see, although I agree that I am my own worst enemy as I hate to miss out on anything vaguely different or potentially interesting. This results in daily 0530 starts…
Discovering Goa Differently
Discovering Goa Differently I’ve never been a beach person, truth is, I was once voted worse than a man to take shopping and worse than a child to take to the beach, that was 25 years ago, nothing has changed. It came as quite a surprise therefore that Goa was my choice of destination for…
Top Ten Reasons to Visit Sri Lanka
Serendipity – the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. That’s the definition, but have you ever wondered where the word Serendipty came from? Probably not, but let me tell you anyway. It was inspired by one of the former names of Sri Lanka, Serendib, and that to me, is what Sri…
Kaziranga, Assam, National Park and UNESCO Site
OK, I am certainly not in the top many thousands of people who have visited and after just 4 nights/5 days, I can hardly call myself an expert but, having being totally immersed in India as my specialist subject for the last 20 years, and having just visited Assam, I realised just how little I…
Beyond the Tiger – A comprehensive guide to India’s wildlife
India’s Wildlife Beyond the Tiger India is often overlooked by wildlife enthusiasts, many of whom seem to prefer heading off to Africa to see the Big 5, those who do venture to the sub-continent some in search of tiger, in a single minded obsession, and yet, India has so much more than our stiped king…
The Women of India – Bhavna Menon
Bhavna Menon graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Delhi and later, moved to Mumbai to pursue her post-graduate studies in Journalism. She is currently employed with Last Wilderness Foundation, an NGO working towards wildlife conservation, as a Programme Manager and has a particular affinity for leopards. Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF) an organisation that…
People of India – The Young Naturalists – Sunny Shah
I only met Sunny relatively recently, in September to be precise. I’d asked my mentor if he knew of any good naturalists in Gujarat and he recommended Sunny. As it turned out, he was wrong, Sunny isn’t a good naturalist, he is incredible. He has foresight & insight, knowledge & passion, intelligence & vision. I…
Hotel Review – Woods at Sasan, Gir, Gujarat
For once I had no expectations. I was traveling around Gujarat, making it up as I went, when the invite came to stay at Woods at Sasan. I readily accepted, had no wifi to see where I was going and simply turned up. If anything, given that this was Sasan Gir, home of the Asiatic…
The People of India Project – Kartick Satyanarayan
Kartick Satyanarayan is a well-known wildlife conservationist, who has been tirelessly involved in wildlife conservation, animal welfare and nature protection for over twenty five years. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS and heads the Wildlife SOS anti- poaching unit, Forest Watch. Kartick manages Wildlife SOS as CEO and oversees 10 wildlife rescue…
The Women of India: Anu Dhillon Singh.
Conservationist, environment scientist, amateur historian and safari lodge owner (Mela Kothi Chambal Safari Lodge to be specific) , Anu has been on gap-year mode for over two decades, it’s probably why we get on so well! Happiest when clambering through undergrowth & discovering crumbling ruins, she quite fancies herself Indiana Jones, and why not? Who…
Desperately seeking satisfaction, could Gujarat deliver?
A few months ago I developed a mild obsession, I don’t know where it came from, it was certainly out of the blue, but it wouldn’t go away, it just kept niggling away at me. Then, one day, I received an invite. Do you believe in synchronicity? The bestower of the invite, without me prompting,…
People of India Project: Mickey Desai
I’d been in touch with Mickey for years and kept promising to visit his lodge in Gujarat but something always seemed to get in the way of my plans. However, it was time to make a concerted effort, he promised me wolves, it was my achiles heel. The opportunity to stay at a wonderful lodge…
MP & UP tourism going head to head?
In a destination competition between MP and UP for me, without even having to think, the outright winner would be MP. And yet, I am one for giving the underdog a chance. Let’s face it where UP lacks in numbers of monuments, it more than makes up for in fame and fortune. It has THE…
Now Available – Escape to India by Philippa J Kaye.
Its been a 6 year slog but finally, here it is, my first novel. Naturally it’s based in India, how could it not be? About the book: When Jo Johnson discovers that her latest beau is in fact married to someone else, it’s not surprising that an offer to manage a lodge in an Indian…
Snapshot – Beyond Corbett, Getting off the Grid.
Corbett National Park for Diwali brought about a series of firsts: First safari of the season First elephants of the season (6) First snake of the season (1, rat) First barking deer of the season (1) First tigers of the season (2) My first stay at the nearby Vanghat (Hopefully the first of many)…
Snapshot The Sunderbans
Scenes from the Sunderbans whose misty early mornings lend an ethereal quality to the start of your day’s safari. One knows this is a vast area of mangrove swamp lands but knowing that doesn’t prepare one for the sheer scale of the region, the tranquility, silence and sense of peace interspersed with moments of excitement…
Lost in the jungle
Anyone who knows me will know that I have no sense of direction what-so-ever, and as I work in the travel industry, the irony is not lost on me. At a push, I could get lost in my own house, I certainly never turn the right way first time around on coming out of a…
People of India – The Young Naturalists – Surya Ramachandran
Who you are (naturally!) Difficult one with many answers but i’d say…Naturally..i’d say i’m a storyteller, a sports lover and most importantly, a proud south Indian who seems to want to spend 10 months of the year exploring the wild corners of north, north-east and central India. 2. What inspired you to become a…
People of India – Young Naturalists – Avijit Dutta
Avijit completed his formal education with an honors degree in History from hometown Calcutta followed by a post graduate degree in Tourism Management. But it was his early years in school up in the Darjeeling hills where he developed a close affiliation to nature, the reason for which he chose the job of a Naturalist…
Kabini where Evolve Back is the way forward
Kabini where Evolve Back is the way forward. October 5, 2018 But what does it mean? I just don’t get it… I’ve heard this several times since Orange County Resorts changed their name to Evolve Back. Not wanting to blow my own trumpet but I got it immediately, to me it made perfect sense. This…
Landour, The Land That Time Forgot
Impossibly tight U-bends, an impossibly, narrow, steep road, up and up and round and round, reverse a bit, try that corner again, and again, up and off, out of the overcrowded mayhem of Mussoorie, to the tranquillity of Landour, a mere 5kms away in distance but a world away, in time and temperament. Landour, is…
Vanghat – An Adventure, An Eco Lodge and almost the end of a friendship
When a lodge owner calls to tells you that something you are planning isn’t a very good idea, it would probably be a good idea to listen. But you see, two things were at play here, the first is what is known as cobbler’s shoes and the second, well, I am nothing if not stubborn….
Dudhwa: One Lodge, Two Nights, Three Parks.
‘Why would we fly? We can drive it.’ ‘Well how long will that take?’ ‘Around 8 hours or so.’ I shrugged and half-heartedly nodded as my Indian (resigned) persona kind of, sort of agreed. In England, if I was to set off and drive from my house, for eight hours in any direction, I am…
An Excerpt from my first novel, Girl India.
‘AAG! Memsahib, Aag lagi hai! Aag, aag, aag!’ My peace was shattered. I was sitting on the balcony of the lodge with my afternoon cake and chai and the first Sunday Times I had seen in months, two weeks out of date but, never the less, it was a treat. It was a rare day…
When the cows come home, an alternative safari, Kanha National Park, India.
I do appreciate that when people come on a safari to India, they want to see tiger and yes, to see a tiger in the wild is a magnificent experience and one to be cherished. I used to have a few issues with this. A few years ago, in 2007 to be precise, I ran…
Top Five Safari Lodges in India
My list of top five lodges focuses on lodges which are either owner managed or managed by people who are not only keen wildlifers but also serious conservationists, follow eco tourism practices and have a passion for preserving India’s wildlife. They also, not coincidentally happen to be in my favourite parks. 1. Reni Pani Jungle Lodge,…