THE CALL OF THE WILD

Come for the big cats, stay for the other species and stories the forest holds. Naturalists at India's leading wildlife lodges tell us what makes a safari wholesome.

- By Malavika Bhattacharya

THE OBEROI VANYAVILAS WILDLIFE RESORT, RANTHAMBORE

A forest that once served as a hunting ground for Jaipur's maharajas is now synonymous with the tiger, but when the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, restricted movement inside the forest, Ranthambore's historical monuments lay untouched for years. The 10th-century Ranthambore Fort, the Jogi Mahal hunting lodge, cenotaphs, and the Trinetra Ganesh temple dot the landscape.

"Over the course of time, tigers inherited these monuments and became the de facto royals of Ranthambore," says senior naturalist Aakash Sanjeev Upare. During downpours or in the scorching summers, these Royal Bengal tigers relax in the shade of these monuments—a mix of cultural heritage and wildlife that is unique to Ranthambore.

Doubles from ₹1,40,000; oberoihotels.com

SAMODE SAFARI LODGE, BANDHAVGARH

"When I started guiding 15 years ago, chasing tigers was the dream," says head naturalist Anshuman Shah, who now strives to showcase the little-known facets of central India's forests. Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh is excellent for birding, with nearly 300 avian species, but few know that it is also home to the Indian giant flying squirrel, a nocturnal species rarely seen and not widely documented due to the odd hours it keeps. "There's a bare sal tree near our property," he says. "Entirely leafless and somewhat eerie after sundown." At dusk, Shah drives guests to this spot where, in an open-top vehicle, they can observe these creatures emerge from their roosting spot on the tree, groom themselves, and then perform a magnificent 20-metre glide into the forest.

Doubles from ₹44,250; samode.com

EVOLVE BACK, KABINI