Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at the Lodge preferably before 1pm. Assemble for Hi-tea and orientation. Later, you will set out, first for a short drive to the Satpura National park entry point and then on a short boat ride across the Denwa river to a drop-off point for your walking safari in the national park area. Satpura national park is among a very few parks where one is allowed to walk inside the park area and gives a really unique opportunity to see the pristine forest and its inhabitants really up close without any sound of the motor vehicle. It is completely safe as most of the animals are shy creatures and will evade human confrontation. But nonetheless it is an opportunity to see animals and big cats. This region also has a lot of Sloth bears and they are the ones who sometimes are curious enough to come closer but worry-not are experienced forest guides carry pepper spray and a blow horn to scare them away. The walk is also a great opportunity to see different small birds, raptors, owls, insects and butterflies which one misses in a jeep drive. The walk will be approximately for 2 hours and will give you a feeling of truly one with nature. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Day 2

This early morning, set out once again exploring the forests from Madhai entrance after a short jeep drive and boat ride to take the forest Gypsy to traverse the rugged terrain of the park equipped with 4x4 towards Jhin jhini Mahal. You will be driving through thick teak forests, grasslands and driving through nallas which change in to fast gushing streams in the monsoons. Keep attentive to hear any alarm calls from Spotted deer or Langur monkeys high up on trees, because that could mean a predator is on the prowl. Satpura presents an opportunity to see Gaurs, even some albino specimens, Four horned antelope, Blue bull and sloth bears that you might have come across in your last walk here. You can also see numerous bird species from the list of over 360, which have been seen in this region. So keep silent and get your cameras out because you don’t know what you will encounter on the next bend. You will stop for a bush breakfast in between the safari at a scenic location and then continue your drive back towards the park entrance, but the drive isn’t over yet so be on the lookout. Return to the lodge for a quick freshen-up before brunch. After a short rest you will assemble for Hi-tea and orientation. Later, you will set out for a dusk safari in the buffer forest. Late evenings are the best time to look out for nocturnal wildlife which you cannot sight during daylight. No other national park in India allows you to explore the forest at this time of the day. Great opportunity to look for owls, wild cats, bears, civets, etc. If you are lucky, you may see the world’s smallest wild cat- the Rusty-spotted Cat. It’ll be an approximately 2 hours’ excursion. The dusk drive ends with at the Lodge where hot/cold towels and a welcome drink await you to refresh you get you ready for a dinner in some part of the property. Always a surprise created by the staff we can't really tell you where. Dinner is served on a community table for people to mingle with other guests and share their stories of the wilderness. After a relaxed dinner, you turn in for the day, only to wake up to your next adventure at the crack of dawn.

Day 3

Really early in the morning you will be woken up by a knock on the door and your choice of beverage. Hopefully this will wake you up fully to get dressed and ready for the morning briefing for your next jeep drive, to a different part of the park today. You might go to the highest point in the park to soak in the vistas while you encounter the other denizens of Satpura or you might head to an old ruin called Jhinjhini Mahal. No matter what you see, the packed breakfast will only be enough to get you hungry for the brunch under the Mahua tree waiting for you at the Lodge, a traditional 'Dal Batti' meal will be just about ready when you arrive. Later in the evening, you will set out for a dusk safari in the buffer forest in a completely different landscape called Parsapani, an area which has been reclaimed into a natural forest after moving out villages from this area and stopping illegal timber trade. You will return to the lodge for a farewell dinner.

Day 4

You will start your day with a canoe safari across the calm, azure waters of Denwa. A great opportunity to see crocodiles and birds nesting on the banks and also occasional wildlife that might be coming to the forest edges for a drink. You arrive at a half-way point for a packed breakfast and then return to the lodge. Departure from Lodge.