Mini Vacation
Into the Wild
Chitvan Jungle Lodge
I Photos: Shakti Sharma, Sarita Santoshini & Chitvan Jungle Lodge
Lounge
Pool
72 Travel Secrets March-April 2014
alight from a local bus at a small village called Mocha in Madhya Pradesh, looking around for the driver who is supposed to take me to the resort from there. Moments later, he greets me with a grin, quickly launching into a charged-up narrative of his tigerspotting efforts. “There’s a tiger lurking close by,” he breathes. His excitement is contagious. We are more than 50 km away from the core zone of Kanha National Park, yet already seem to be quite close to it, with the concrete world left far behind. I take it as a sign from the wild, inviting me to hurry up and explore its territory. I reach Chitvan Jungle Lodge, a sprawling resort that lies nestled between the village of Samnapur and the buffer zone of Kanha, standing out from the wilderness that surrounds it. Spread across 14 acres, the jungle retreat has been thoughtfully conceptualised around the five elements of nature. Prithvi, Akash and Jal are the elements inspiring the design and décor of the 10 suites and 8 standard rooms, the Common Hall is inspired by Vayu, while the huge dining area and kitchen by the fifth element of Agni. I am ushered by the efficient and chirpy Manager, Ashwini Agarwal, into one of the four Prithvi suites, my abode for the next three days. Adorned in shades of green and beige, the walls are lined with framed photographs of predators staring back at me. Vintage mirrors reflect the golden sunbeams streaming in through a glass wall—a perfect space to catch up on both sleep and that half-read novel. I am informed that I can have lunch either in the high ceiling dining room or in the garden area outside it. I, of course, choose the outdoors. The head chef, Aashish Kumar, spreads out a scrumptious meal made from fresh vegetables that grow in the organic farm surrounding my make-shift dining area. As I quickly indulge in the homely food, Ashwini fills me in about life in Kanha. He set up the resort in 2007, and it was not an easy go—the remote location presented quite a challenge! Today, that is a USP. Guests enjoy the technology-free