Dear Traveller,

Everything is creeping upon us all at once—climate change, habitat loss, species extinctions, and more.

Yet consumption consumes us, and no one is exempt. What if every decision and action in our daily lives centered around the impact on nature?

What if we adjusted to her moods and melodies as a personal endeavor, rather than building gadgets and machines to conquer her? Just like children of Nature—what we call animals, yet forget that we belong to the same kingdom, 'Animalia.' On a ten-day camping trip in remote Australian outback, life was lived alongside nature–always sleeping under the magnificence of stars, cold to the bones most nights, but surrounded by the glorious symphony of the wild. Even waking to the ascending cackle of kookaburras or the raucous cawing of jungle crows.

Back home, I'm inspired by wildlife and wilderness tourism that has reimagined forest experiences, so you no longer have to base your programs on the availability of jeep safaris or sighting of a big cat!

What has been an endeavor of a few decades by a handful of lodges, many now part of RARE India, rethinking our wildlife experience in India and Nepal has become even more necessary now for many reasons. One being the sheer numbers heading towards the jungles. While our shrinking forests must be seen as inviolate spaces to protect wildlife, they should also adopt a sensitive and inclusive approach, ensuring that every visit encourages travelers to return with a renewed commitment to their protection and well-being. The RARE lodges, as we have promoted them, have built an inclusive and conservation-focused narrative, while promoting activities that engage with the forest beyond just 'safaris.'

With a big shout-out to the owners' vision and their personal commitment as naturalists, here's a summary of some wilderness-focused and community-based activities by RARE Lodges. Imagine carrying a piece of the forest back with you, returning home knowing more, in love with the wild, and with an unspoken commitment to support conservation.

Shoba Rudra

Story teller & Traveller

KAAV Safari Lodge, Kabini, Karnataka

Coracle expeditions on the Kabini backwaters examine aquatic bird colonies, crocodile basking patterns, and elephant movement along the shore. KAAV's guided nocturnal walks, evocatively called 'Tiny Safaris,' focus on amphibians and invertebrates under low light, teaching night-vision techniques and sound-based identification.

Snow Leopard Lodge, Ulley, Ladakh

Track snow leopards at high altitude with local spotters using scopes and telemetry. Scan ridgelines, identify prey species like ibex and bharal, and engage in community-based monitoring. Snow Leopard Lodge also incorporates local herder data into wider predator studies. Come summer, it is the only place to highlight wildflowers, supported by extensive research.

Khem Villas, Ranthambhore, Rajasthan

Guided natural-history walks across restored grasslands and wetlands on the property allow you to record mammal and bird species, observe small predators, and understand habitat regeneration on land once degraded. Over coffee at Khem Villas, meet Govardhan Rathore, who shares the family's vision—a conservation model integrating local employment, reforestation, and anti-poaching outreach.

Bera Safari Lodge, Jawai, Rajasthan

One of the signature experiences at Bera Safari Lodge, Walking with the Shepherds, is a fascinating look at leopard behaviour within a shared human landscape. As you walk through this protected area, you see how livestock movement, granite outcrops, and leopard dens overlap and begin to understand how people and predators have lived together here for generations.

The Sarai at Toria, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Set between the Ken River and Panna forests, The Sarai at Toria offers river safaris focused on aquatic ecology, with sightings of crocodiles, turtles, fish eagles, and sandbar-nesting birds. Night walks, often led by Raghu with UV torches, reveal glowing scorpions, while Joanna and Raghu link every experience to conservation themes like water use, community involvement, and landscape corridor connectivity.

Kipling Camp, Kanha, Madhya Pradesh

A favorite, especially with children, Tara, the camp’s elephant mascot, offers a chance to see this beautiful pachyderm lead an ‘ele’ life. A pre-booked Gond Art workshop at Kipling Camp engages all ages with the colors of the forest. If you're lucky enough to meet Belinda Wright, India’s celebrated conservationist and wildlife photographer, her conversations will stay with you for life.

Bagh Villas, Kanha, Madhya Pradesh

Cycle from Bagh Villas to a nearby lake, passing villagers grazing goats or casting nets along the shore. Watch for racket-tailed drongos, scarlet minivets, and kingfishers flitting through the trees as you pause by the water's edge. The on-site spa, run by women trained from nearby villages, offers deep relaxation in the middle of a thriving forest.

Jamtara Wilderness Camp, Pench, Madhya Pradesh

Community-linked Machaan Nights at Jamtara Camp, built around the celebrated Star Bed, lets you sleep on raised platforms on farmers’ land that support village livelihoods. Experience nocturnal soundscapes and stunning night-sky constellations, or give the 'safari' a miss one day and try slow cycling through picture-book remote villages.

Svasara Jungle Lodge, Tadoba, Maharashtra

Surprisingly popular is Svasara's in-house rewilded area, used for birding, bugs, beetles and butterfly transects. Led by naturalists, these easy trails focus on Tadoba’s lesser-known fauna, such as reptiles, insects, and pollinators. Post-dinner briefings often explore fire ecology and grassland management, subjects rarely discussed at most lodges.

Jim's Jungle Retreat, Corbett, Uttarakhand

Explore guided ecological walks through the buffer and riverine tracts around Jim's Jungle Retreat. One of our favorites is the Termite Walk, which introduces forest succession and soil-building life forms to children and adults alike. The 'Young Rangers' and 'Jungle Lore' sessions are designed to build field observation skills, essentially a course in forest literacy.

Sanctuary Resort, Chitwan, Nepal

Birding takes the lead at Sanctuary Resort, exploring Chitwan’s floodplain forests. Early morning walks along the Rapti river reveal hornbills, kingfishers, woodpeckers, and barbets. Canoe rides serve as floating hides, offering close encounters with waders and raptors.

Celebrating Wildlife Week : Oct 1-7, 2025