Lakeside Tented Suite
Contact RARE Team for Rates
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Bagh Villas, Kanha TR
12Madhya Pradesh, India
Where sustainable luxury meets the unfiltered beauty of Central India’s villages and forests.
Founded by three friends influenced by the legacy of renowned conservationist Fateh Singh Rathore, the lodge blends classic Jodhpuri shikar aesthetics with rewilded landscapes, restored water bodies, and eco-sensitive design. Luxury tents and cottages sit amidst forests, lakes, and native flora, creating a seamless connection between guests and the surrounding wilderness. Thoughtfully designed for both wildlife enthusiasts and those seeking rest and rejuvenation, Bagh Villas offers an immersive experience within one of India’s most celebrated tiger landscapes.
Operational Period
Oct 1 to May 31
Contact RARE Team for Rates
Contact RARE Team for Rates
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What you would love
For wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers, Bagh Villas offers a rare retreat where forest and water come together in quiet harmony. Set along an extension of the Kanha landscape, the lodge is ideal for safaris in the park, nature walks and exploring nearby villages. On other days Bagh Villas is perfect for a true pause from routine. It is equally suited to wellness and mindful retreats within a forest, with the spa as a natural complement.
Your Stay at Bagh Villas, Kanha TR, Madhya Pradesh
Inspired by the Maharajas’ hunting expeditions, accommodation at Bagh Villas combines classic Jodhpuri shikar aesthetics with the openness of a contemporary safari camp. Crafted from recycled wood, metal, and bamboo, each structure reflects the lodge’s eco-sensitive approach to luxury. Guests may choose between Lakeside Tented Suites, and the exclusive Lakeside Cottage. All accommodations are spacious yet private, with en-suite bathrooms, double vanities, and lakeside decks that open directly into the landscape - a rewilded haven with Three large lakes around which the lodge is planned.
Lakeside Cottage
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Perfectly RARE
Make time for a curated walking trail with a guide from the lodge through Kanha’s tribal village clusters, it is as if time has paused - unchanged, enchanting, and straight out of the Jungle Book.
Destination
Immortalised by Kipling’s "Jungle Book," Kanha’s forests are among the richest tiger habitats in the world. The Sal and bamboo jungles, valleys, and long plateaus cover the Maikal Hills. If you place a finger on the map of India where the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh meet, you will find Kanha.
Shaped delicately like a bird in flight, Kanha is currently home to about 120 majestic tigers. This park also boasts the presence of more than 50 species of mammals, approximately 300 species of birds, about 120 species of butterflies, and around 600 species of plants and trees. The allure of Kanha’s mystical forests draws travellers and wildlife photographers from across the world to experience its beauty firsthand. Bagh Villas is located near the Mukki gate of Kanha National Park, close enough for a quick drive to the park and set away to allow you the joy of remote villages and slow tribal life around you. A crucial link in a wider wildlife circuit, Kanha link Panna, Bandhavgarh and Pench or even Tadoba, Pench and Satpura. Almost equidistant from Raipur and Nagpur, Kanha is also well connected by flights, trains and a good highway.
Design & Concept
Bagh Villas was founded by three close friends inspired by the life and legacy of India’s legendary ‘Tiger Man,’ Fateh Singh Rathore. Rooted in the elegant functional design of royal hunting camps, the luxury tents follow classic Jodhpuri shikar design—spacious yet intimate, set on elevated platforms crafted largely from recycled wood.
Each tent features an en-suite bath with a rain shower, twin vanities, and a private lakeside verandah. Surrounded by untouched forest, flowering shrubs, and meandering water, the lodge feels like a living extension of the jungle. Thoughtful soundproofing ensures quiet nights needed due to proximity of the villages, while mornings arrive with birdsong just outside, sit out on your spacious deck with your binoculars and watch out for birds, you would often spot 30–40 species in one sitting.
For longer stays with family or family, the Lakeside Cottage offers a private jungalow-style retreat with two en-suite bedrooms and a verandah overlooking its own pond—secluded, serene, and spacious. With abundant tree cover and man-made water bodies, Bagh Villas is high on 'chi or prana' that serves as a sanctuary for yoga, meditation, and deep restoration in the forest.
Know Your Host
Bagh Villas is rooted in the vision of its founders, Isky, Jawaid and Goverdhan, all of whom are determined to carry forward Fateh Singh's conservation philosophy by creating lodges that function as living habitats, through rewilded landscapes and restored water bodies.
Akhilesh Nair and his wife, Lia, are the hosts at the lodge. Akhilesh, whose career spans the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Tiger Tops, and boutique luxury hospitality, also served as a research assistant to Dr Ullas Karanth, one of India’s foremost tiger biologists — bringing rare scientific depth to the lodge’s conservation ethos. Lia leads the wellness and culinary program at Bagh Villas. An internationally certified health and nutrition expert with global spa experience, she blends nutritional science with intuitive flavour to shape spa and culinary experiences that feel both indulgent and restorative.
Dining
At Bagh Villas, dining is a curated journey across regional Indian and global flavours – from Italian, Thai, and Malaysian to continental classics. Menus are tailored to individual preferences, allergies, and spice levels, with private dining experiences set by the pool, in the forest, or under open skies. There is one main dining area, and special lunch, dinner, and breakfast setups are regularly arranged for guests either by the pool, at bush meals, or in several other tucked-away corners of the camp (weather permitting), offering guests an intimate experience surrounded by nature. The fixed menu is a carefully selected blend under Lia’s skilful curation, using her health and nutrition expertise for the international dishes while head chef Sandeep recreates exciting local dishes.
Experiences
While wildlife as safaris, birding and nature walks and remains at the heart of the Bagh Villas experience, there is much to explore for moments when guests choose to slow down or stay closer to camp. Village walks reveal the quiet rhythm of life along the fringes of Kanha, where time seems gently suspended. Traditional mud homes, age-old farming practices, and open countryside create a landscape untouched by urgency.
Bagh Villas sits beside the rustic village of Baherakhar, home to diverse tribal communities living in quiet harmony. A short, scenic walk from the lodge leads to Banda Tola, a serene Baiga settlement that offers a rare glimpse into indigenous life.
The Bagh Villas Spa offers treatments delivered by highly trained therapists under Lia’s guidance, drawing on her two decades of global spa experience across Indonesia, Singapore, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. Treatments include aromatherapy, Indian herbal therapies, warm stone massage, Thai herbal bolus, organic body polishes, facials, and foot rituals, all using natural, herbal, and organic oils.
For quieter hours, the in-house library offers books, board games, and a serene space to read, work, or watch birdlife unfold around you. Evenings here are best enjoyed with tea or wine, taking in sweeping forest views. The infinity pool, overlooking the lake and filtered through an eco-friendly ultraviolet system, becomes especially atmospheric on winter nights, when poolside dinners, campfires, and stargazing are arranged under clear skies.
Explore Around
Jungle Safari
Kanha ranks among the world’s richest tiger habitats, home to nearly 120 tigers alongside over 50 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 120 species of butterflies, and close to 600 species of plants and trees. Venture into the reserve on a guided safari in a custom vehicle, limited to six guests per jeep, led by expert naturalists who bring the full living theatre of the jungle to life – far beyond the drama of predators alone.
Biking Trails
The biking trails at Bagh Villas offer an immersive way to explore the untouched beauty of Kanha’s forests and the surrounding villages. Carefully surveyed and curated by the team, these routes range from beginner-friendly rides of 6.5 km (30–40 minutes) to longer, more challenging trails of 17–22 km (up to two hours). The trails weave through a mix of on-road and off-road terrain, passing rural hamlets, open landscapes, and pristine forest edges. The Jamunia River trail combines road and forest with a thrilling river crossing for adventure seekers, while the Bhimlat trail is ideal for relaxed, first-time cyclists. Naturalists may accompany guests on request for a deeper understanding of the landscape.
Birdwatching
Birdwatching at Bagh Villas is a gentle way to connect with the forest's living rhythms. With a rich mix of resident species and seasonal visitors across winter and summer, sightings unfold effortlessly from tent verandas, by the pool, or along quiet property trails. For dedicated birders, guided walks to forest fringes and nearby lakes reveal deeper wonders, with naturalists on hand to help spot and identify species. Binoculars are always available at reception, along with field guides in the lounge, while every safari drive offers its own unfolding theatre of birdlife.
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