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The birds were returning to their nests. The rhythmic noise they created was blending seamlessly with the sound of water. The darkness had quietly fallen over. The breeze ruffled my hair as I sat back and relaxed in the back seat of the jeep. I closed my eyes and all of a sudden my mind drifted away to another world. This was probably the most intimate moment with nature that I truly lived in the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.

My earlier visits to Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Pench in Madhya Pradesh had given me some of the most compelling wilderness experiences. Even though I am familiar with the Satpura National Park’s terrain and landscape, the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary had me hooked in no time. Furthermore, this is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in India.

READ MORE: FIND OUT THE WORLD’S MOST OFFBEAT WILDLIFE PARKS

Moreover, the untapped territory, rustic beauty, and lesser-explored by the wildlife enthusiasts have made this emerging park quite an exciting forest.

WHERE IS BORI SAFARI LODGE?

Located in the rustic Dhapada village in Madhya Pradesh, the Bori Safari Lodge is a brand-new luxury safari lodge. It promises contemporary luxuries amidst nature. With 8 well-appointed ensuite rooms, a large balcony to enjoy the serenity of nature, an aesthetically designed library, and the plunge pool lets you appreciate every moment of your holiday in style.

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The green surroundings, the central courtyard, the spaced-out dining area, and the lush pathway made me fall for the lodge instantly.

What I loved the most about the Bori Safari Lodge is that they celebrate luxury with a great amount of simplicity. Nothing in and around is out loud there.

ENSUITE ROOMS OF BORI SAFARI LODGE

The simplest and yet elegant décor of the rooms of the Bori Safari Lodge is quite impressive. Whether it’s the cane lampshades, wooden study table, the center table, or the comfortable sofa, every single piece in the room is like a statement piece complementing each other.

ALSO READ: AN EXCEPTIONAL SAFARI EXPERIENCE IN KANHA NATIONAL PARK

The large transparent window is a tasteful addition that opens to the private deck of your room. It allows you to just admire the amazing views of the farmland for hours without any disturbance.

Another highlight of the luxury rooms of the Bori Safari lodge is that they don’t have a telephone in the room. Instead, they have placed a bugle for guests to use in case of emergency. This is quite a unique way of celebrating wilderness in a true sense.

DINING AT BORI SAFARI LODGE

They have an in-house multi-cuisine restaurant named Betul where guests can enjoy the cuisines of their choice. The best thing about the food is that they are not greasy and taste great. I had a fantastic gastronomic experience, relishing mouth-watering starters, lip-smacking desserts, and Italian and north-Indian cuisines at the lodge. 

More than anything, the food they serve during bonfire sessions is simply heavenly. The fantastic ambiance, great services, and scrumptious food contribute immensely to set the mood. Not just that, it lets you savor the food in the most captivating location as well.

Whether you are having food at the main restaurant, or by the poolside, the aura it offers is just beautiful to appreciate what’s on your plate.

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES OF BORI SAFARI LODGE

The Bori Safari lodges have a wide variety of activities for the guests. From cycling in the village, walking safari, night drive in the buffer zone, game drive, village tour, etc., depending on your interest, you can pick your choice of activities. I would strongly recommend experiencing walking safari and the sundowner while holidaying at Bori safari lodge.

GET MESMERISED IN THE FOREST DURING WALKING SAFARI

Only in the Satpura National Park, the walking safari in the core zone is allowed for guests in India. No other wildlife park has this permission and it makes this national park quite exclusive. To my surprise, the Bori Wildlife Sanctuary also allows you to take a walk in the park with forest guards.

I couldn’t even say no to such an opportunity to be in the wilderness. As scheduled, I was driven to the Bhimkund gate by the head naturalist and the manager of the lodge, Mr. Chinmay Deshpande. After initial formalities, we were allowed to enter the gate.

Half of the distance was covered by a jeep and later we stepped down to walk in the forest. As luck would have it, we encountered two sloth bears within 10 minutes of our safari. It was quite a sight to behold. The excitement was soaring high as we drove in those narrow jungle pathways.

After chasing them, we reached a point from where we had started our walking safari. It was quite a fascinating experience walking right in the middle of a dense jungle. While walking, the naturists enriched us with fun facts about the wild animals and also the flora around. It was quite a thrilling experience walking in the forest. I can’t deny the fact that it was also intimidating at times.

After walking around 3 km, we headed towards an exclusive location on the backwater. The Bori Safari Lodge had arranged our evening tea. It was a jaw-dropping location on the bank of the river Tawa, encircled by the layers of hills. Don’t miss the eye arresting sunset particularly.

The sound of water along with the retuning flock of birds in the orange-tinted sky just created the most stunning painting-like landscape that evening.

While returning from the walking safari, the night drive-through was the most enthralling part of the journey. The star-studded sky, absolute silence, and the drive through the dense forest was the most exciting adventure that we experienced.

Hoping to see a Leopard on the tree was the most ambitious plan in that night drive. But, to my surprise, we spotted an Indian Scops Owl, a few Nilgai and the finale was seeing two giant Sloth Bears. What an epic ending to our walking cum night safari with the Bori Safari Lodge.

ENJOY YOUR FAVOURITE DRINK AT SUNDOWNER

If you are someone who admires intimate moments with nature and wants to toast your exotic red wine in a private location, the sundowner experience is a must. Imagine sitting on the bank of the river, watching the sun painting the sky with its sharp strokes, locals fishing in the river, and you are sitting on a sandy beach with some of the mouth-watering snacks by your side, with your favorite drink in your hand.

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One of the top recommendations is to try their signature drink called Mahua Martini. I loved it. What I enjoyed the most during the sundowner is the silence it offered.

It just lets you get lost in the sea of thoughts while sipping your favorite drink. Sitting in that beautiful setup, far away from the hustle-bustle of your city life, the sundowner experience allows you to drift away swiftly.

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ABOUT JUNGLE SAFARI IN BORI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The jungle safaris in central India are also exciting. When it comes to an emerging wildlife park, it is even more thrilling. The Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Satpura Tiger Reserve which is spread over 2,200 square kilometers. The deciduous forest of Satpura is the largest Tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Since the Bori Wildlife sanctuary is fairly an emergent park and yet less explored, that makes it quite an exhilarating wildlife park to explore already. I was informed that more than 40 villages are relocated from this sanctuary which has paved the way for large spaces for the repopulation of wildlife in this sanctuary.

Most notable of these old village sites are Bori and Churna which, after village relocation have transformed into prime wildlife habitats. Churna is in the tourism zone and the best possibility of seeing wildlife including tigers is here.

We had a morning safari. As scheduled, we left the lodge around 5.30 am. It was pitch dark when we entered the park. The best thing about the morning safari is that it gives you enough time to explore the park as compared to the evening safari.

ALSO READ: PAATLIDUN SAFARI LODGE: THE PERFECT ABODE AMIDST THE FOREST

The golden sunlight through the branches of the trees, the sound of birds, alarm calls of Langurs and Deer make the forest alive. The meandering path deep in the core zone of the forest and the curious eyes of the spotted deer make it worth coming to the forest. In fact, this captivating forest is a heaven for nature lovers. In addition, the landscapes it offers are simply spectacular.

Even though we couldn’t spot any big cats during the safari, but it didn’t disappoint me. The birds like Indian Roller and Parrots, Sambar Deer, Gaur, Nilgai, Langur, Indian marsh crocodile, Sloth bear, scops owl, etc., were spotted during the morning safari. More than anything, I enjoyed the drive through the grassland, dense forest, and also dry patches in the wilderness.

To conclude, one safari is not enough to indulge in the rustic beauty of Bori Wildlife Sanctuary. You need a minimum of two safaris to get a real sense of the jungle there.

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