Tadoba in Maharashtra is home to beautiful, albiet threatened, jungles and to the masters of Indian forests—tigers. Here, located just 300m from the Kolara Gate of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve is Svasara, a safari lodge offering just 12 rooms in 10-acres of land.
Svasara, which means ‘nest’ in Sanskrit, is a conservation-focused lodge with a management that believes in living in harmony with nature. The lodge, hence, follows sustainable tourism practices and is committed to reforestation, conservation and working with the local community.
Tadoba boasts a rich biodiversity, and is best known today for its Tigers. But the Tigers of Tadoba are under severe pressure. The biggest threat is loss of habitat. Svasara’s owners had taken a land devastated by intensive farming, overgrazing and under constant pressure from mining industry, and have turned it into a sanctuary of indigenous jungle trees and plants. Over the last few years, Svasara’s team has planted over two thousand jungle trees and plants and are growing a nursery of thousands more.
Since Tadoba has a climate with seasonal extremes, with especially hot days, the rooms at Svasara are air-conditioned and luxuriously appointed so guests return from an exciting but hot jungle safari to a cool rejuvenating oasis. The rooms have chic aesthetics that celebrate local art and culture.
The dining experience at the lodge is also very special with a strong focus on the spicy local “Varadi/Vidharbha” cuisine. Each dinner is also a celebration of India’s diverse regional and heritage foods, from Malvani to Anglo-Indian cuisines. The staff is also encouraged to get their families involved by supplying regional savouries, ensuring additional income for them. The Lodge documents regional and tribal cuisines and serves these dishes to guests regularly.
There are numerous nature-focused activities that guests at Svasara can indulge in, like jungle safaris and naturalist-led walks with a focus on birding and butterfly observations. Tadoba is home to over 200 species of birds and many of them can be frequently sighted at the property too. Some of these are Indian Roller, Baya Weaver, Black Drongo, Asian Pied Starling and Common Kestrel. Besides birds, Svasara has become home to many reptiles and small mammals too like jungle cat and mongoose. The property also maintains a dedicated butterfly corner (habitat) to attract butterflies.
Price: Rs 17,000 per room per night; includes all meals and taxes.
Read more: https://svasararesorts.com/
Slow Travel
Svasara is a restored sanctuary of 10 acres where more than two thousand saplings of native forest trees have been planted over a period of seven years. The swimming pool features an advanced eco-friendly filtration system that helps the lodge conserve water. In addition, water harvesting methods are used to reuse and recycle water for secondary purposes such as gardening. The sewage treatment plant at Svasara is based on a natural method, called Phytorid, which uses constructed wetland. A 33 KW solar grid helps the property meet 50% of its energy needs through renewable sources. Every guest room is provided safe drinking RO water in steel reusable bottles. Plastic is actively discouraged throughout the Lodge. Svasara serves home-grown or local farm-sourced fresh/seasonal produce that is grown with organic compost. More than 80% of the team is local.