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The View
Sunset
Lilly Lake
Tiger Spotting
The Team
The Tents
Food
The food in the camp is all freshly cooked using mainly home grown
vegetables. Even the milk is from the local farm where the cows are
fed organic feed. Guests will be provided a nice mix of Indian,
Western and Oriental Cuisine providing rich flavours to suite every
taste.
Camp Fire
Every night in winter there will be a campfire by the lake where visitors will be
enthralled by the stories that Goverdhan has to tell from his experience of over 35 years in the jungle. Usha will entertain the guests with her easy charm and excellent food.
Bar
The guests will have a choice of having a selection of alcoholic beverages and
cocktails either in air-conditioned comfort in the cosy bar or outside in the natural surroundings.
Plunge Pool
There is a small plunge pool filled with fresh water to cool of during the heat of the day.
Medical Facilities
As Goverdhan himself is a practicing Doctor and lives near the camp there is a Doctor on call at times should the need arise. This is backed up by the hospital located just 5 minutes away from the camp that can cater to all kinds of emergencies should the need arise.
Massage
Local masseurs can be provided to give a traditional massage in the courtyard of the cottages using traditional oils.
Camel Rides
Short one hour camel rides can be provided on request to take guests through the local terrain and villages.
Shopping
Guests can be taken to local markets for shopping of traditional handicrafts and traditional silver
jewellery.
Village Trips
As Goverdhan is deeply committed to the cause of the Tiger he has been working for nearly 20 year with the local people helping them find alternative means of
livelihood so that they can be less dependant on their natural resources like fuel wood and fodder the extraction of which forms a major threat to the future of the Tiger. He runs a state of the art hospital and a school. His NGO is involved in providing alternate energy using biogas which received the Green Oscar in London in 2004. His wood for wood project helps local people plant over 70,000 trees each year. The non formal education program reaches out to nearly 4000 children each year helping then learn about their environment through song, dance, drama and nature camps. The guests at Khem villas can
experience these projects first hand and understand the complicated nature of Tiger conservation and all the effort that is being put in to help save it in Ranthambhore.(www.prakratik.org)
Fort Trip
Ranthambhore is named after the Ranthambhore Fort built in 900 AD by the brave Rajput Rulers and latter invaded by Akbars army lead by Khilji. Trips to the fort provide an insight into the
enthralling history of the area and also provide panoramic views of the Jungle from the fort tops. Trips to the fort with qualified guides can be organised.
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The People
Goverdhan grew up living inside Ranthambhore learning about the Tiger and its natural life first hand under the guidance of his father. His love for the Park and its Tiger was so powerful that after he graduated from medical school he started a project around the park with the local people to help save the Tiger. As a result of this program today there is a comprehensive Tiger conservation program unlike any in India. It has won him the Green Oscar in 2004 given to him by Sir David Attenborough at the Royal Geographic Society in London for his work in the field of alternative energy using cow dung in biogas digesters. His other project have helped establish a school, hospital, wood for wood project, biogas, nonformal environment education, legal aid to combat poaching and an antipoaching sting operation along with another NGO Tiger Watch that helped nab some of the most prominent poachers in 2005 helping establish the fact that 20 Tigers had been killed in Ranthambhore, ultimately forcing the govt. to step up the protection of the Tiger.
Pritam runs Anokhi a company that helped revive the tradition of hand block printing in Rajasthan. The company employ’s over 3000 people mainly women all over Rajasthan as full time and part time workers. His commitment to Ranthambhore and Tiger conservation lead to the establishment of a state of the art tailoring unit in Ranthambhore in 2006 which will finally employ nearly 150 people in an effort to generate local employment and thus contribute towards making people less dependant on the park and its resources for a livelihood, ultimately helping the Tiger. Today it exports exquisitely hand crafted fashion clothing and furnishings all over the world. His shop in Ranthambhore donates 5% of turnover to the conservation projects around Ranthambhore. He grew up coming to Ranthambhore as a child as a result of his parents’ passion for the Tiger and conservation values.
Usha ran a successful tented camp in Ranthambhore called Sherbagh for six years and will be a natural hostess at the camp ensuring a truly amazing experience, which includes delightful food, made from home grown organic vegetables making your experience a memorable one.
The Camp
The camp is established on land that Goverdhan purchased in 1989 and converted into a wild area growing trees and creating open grasslands and small water bodies, Spread over an area of 10 acres it has become a habitat in itself. It is common to see jackals, jungle cats, hyenas, desert fox, hares etc. within the camp itself. As it is close to the park one can sometimes see pugmarks of leopards, tiger and bears that have passed by and sometimes if one is lucky one may even get to see them near the camp. Because of the different habitats in the property it has contributed to creating a bird watchers paradise. All kinks of Birds from the millions of White Throats among the grasslands to the Sparrow hawks hovering in the sky, the Black Winged Kites in the trees and the Moore Hen near the water can be seen on the property itself. The peace and tranquillity at the camp is unlike any other place in Ranthambhore.
Accommodation
The accommodation is divided into three categories and designed by Pritam, Rachel, Goverdhan and Usha keeping in mind that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; therefore everything has been sourced locally using local materials. The camp is designed to provide an authentic experience that is unfussy yet
functional.
Thatched Cottages
These are stand-alone cottage with a total private area of 40 X 40 feet. This includes a spacious and comfortable bedroom, large bathroom, an open to sky private plunge pool with an outdoor shower. Also included in this space is a large private courtyard and veranda. The bedroom is air-conditioned with a large glass doors overlooking beautiful undisturbed vistas that could be a water body or a dense jungle.
Tents
These are erected on a wooden platform on a steel frame with all the modern amenities. The bathroom are minimalist using simple natural materials like bamboo and wood to give a rustic charm without compromising on functionality that one expects.
Rooms
The main building provides four bedrooms that are self contained and can be used as individual rooms or can provide the option for a small group to hire the entire portion as a private space to be enjoyed together. All the rooms are air-conditioned spacious with en suite bathrooms. The upstairs rooms have large bay windows that can be used to sit in and over look onto the agricultural fields, which are a golden hue in winters due to the flowers of the mustard crop.
Nature
Guides
Hand picked Nature guides personally trained by Fateh and Goverdhan will provide the guests with a thrilling
experience of the Jungle.
Nature Walks
The camp is surounded by nearly 12 acres of forest having water bodies, grasslands and thick
forest cover all of which provide ideal walking grounds for the visitors with a track of nearly 3 kms. Nature guides will show them the various birds and even jackals, desert foxes and hares during their walks.
Jungle Trips
There are two jungle rides every day which can be organised. Although the Forest Department provides guides on a rotating basis every day Khem Villas can provide specialised guides on prior request to guests should they need one. These are hand picked guides
chosen by Goverdhan and Fateh to provide a more wholesome experience to the visitors.
Chambal River
Day trips with packed lunch can be made to the Chambal River which is one of the only perinial river in Rajasthan. Goverdhan and Pritam have nearly 50 Acres of
densely forested land on the Chambal RIver Band where the guests can spend their time relaxing by the river.
Gilai Sagar, Mansarovar and Soorval Lake tripsTrips to these lakes situated near the park can be taken by kean bird watchers to see water birds including migratory ducks and geese.
Black Buck
Just an hours drive away from Ranthambhore one can see herds of black buck the most
magnificent gazelle of the desert landscape so beautifully depicted in the miniature paintings of the region.
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