A 5-star hotel-like lodge comes up in the unexplored jungle of Satpura National Park

Opened nearly two years back, Bori Safari Lodge, a 5-star hotel-like lodge in the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is allowing tourists to access the unexplored landscapes of Satpura. Now that the third wave of the pandemic is coming to an end, tourist traffic in Satpura National Park and the adjacent Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is increasing.

A first of a kind lodge

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The new lodge has quickly gained a reputation for numerous mammal and wild cat sightings. This lesser-known, eight-roomed lodge is described to be both contemporary and rustic. Since it is new, the property is rarely crowded and offers enough peace for more interactions with wildlife.

Bori Safari Lodge’s more popular and established counterpart, Reni Pani Lodge in the Satpura National Park is known to be a pioneer in responsible tourism in the Satpura Tiger Reserve. The latter is also immensely luxurious and eco-friendly with no compromise on the wildlife experience. Additionally, the authorities also introduced non-motorised safari on both land and water, allowing tourists to move between Bori Safari Lodge and Reni Pani on a picturesque and serene 2-hour boat ride or a day-long safari.

Jehan Numa Wilderness CEO, Aly Rashid said, “opting for a safari transfer from Reni Pani to Bori Safari or vice versa means driving into Satpura Tiger Reserve through either of the gates for a morning safari, break for lunch and some rest at the Forest Rest House in Churna, and driving out of another gate onward to the lodge you are moving to. It can also be done on a two-hour boat ride making for a unique transfer experience for guests."

Bori Safar offers exclusivity

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The forest in this area is largely unexplored and raw. Sightings of tiger, leopard, wild dog and sloth bear are very frequent around the lodge. With all this, the calmness of the place makes it perfect for bird watching as well. Classic Central Indian birds like Sirkeer malkoha, Crested hawk eagle, Malabar pied hornbill and a number of owl species are frequently sighted here.

Tourists who like to stay up late at night can also get the chance to encounter nocturnal animals like small Indian civets, Indian palm civets, jungle cats and Indian crested porcupines. Tourists leave glowing reviews after their stay at Bori Safari Lodge.

Satpura Tiger Reserve home to 50+ butterfly species

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The tiger reserve has more than 50 species of butterflies that are major pollinating agents in the forest. In an effort to preserve and enhance this natural environment, Jehan Numa Wilderness and Bori Safari teams are actively trying to create a suitable ecosystem for butterflies in selected areas around the lodge.

So far they have planted numerous indigenous trees for the caterpillars to feed on. Similarly, nectar trees have also been planted for the adult and developed butterflies. However, the butterfly ecosystem has not been opened for the guests, the aforesaid development is expected to take place by October this year.

- With inputs from IANS