Banjaar Tola, India, is part luxury safari resort, part jungle paradise. Wake up in one of the river-side suites, then hop aboard an elephant for an early morning tiger safari.
You may feel like an 17th century explorer when you first arrive at Banjaar Tola. Exotic birds holler and sing in the jungle canopy overhead, while the green ribbon of the Banjaar River slips silently by the luxury camp. Like the remnants of a lost civilization, flowing walls and roofs peek out from behind trees and hilltops. But if history serves, explorers were rarely woken up each morning with fresh fruit juice and coffee delivered to their suite.
Banjaa Rola features just 18 tented suites scattered along the riverbank. Large glass doors let in the Indian sun, while the soaker tub and plush bed compete for most unlikely, and welcome, jungle comfort.
Kanha National Park is best known for its tigers, but you'll likely get up close and personal with a whole variety of other species. On your twice-daily game drives, you could see leopards, sloth bears, barasingha (Indian deer), and wild dogs. For early risers, tiger viewing from the back of an elephant is a special treat.