"The simple and stark looking Bagh Tola, which literally means 'The Tiger's Village is almost uninviting at first sight. But as you inch closer to Bagh Tola you are likely to get curious with the sight of a Chapel with its Bell within the premises and start thinking that there is indeed something very interesting to this 8-room property, spread over 44 acres of wooded forest in Kanha National Park in Central India. And yes indeed. “My host Eric D'Cunha at Bagh Tola who has spent close to 30 years in Kanha, tells me that the property with antique furniture gleaned from old houses around India is designed around a courtyard reminiscent of the railway colonies that central India was famous for during the British Raj", says Kuntil Baruwa from our Destination Knowledge Centre, who recently stayed at Bagh Tola for 4 nights. The Railways during colonial India were instrumental in opening up this part of Central India, which till then had remained shrouded in mystery for thousands of years. "The eight spacious bedrooms of Bagh Tola, two in each corner of the courtyard are wonderfully comfortable with ensuite bathrooms and elegant, complete with white and pink bougainvillea vines taking you back in time to colonial India," says Kuntil.

Evenings are spent in the open courtyard, from where one can enjoy a stunning sunset, around the bonfire. While relaxing under the star-lit sky your clients are free to help themselves to spirits of their choice, whilst chatting with their host Eric D'Cunha about Kanha, the on-going conservation efforts as well as the day's sightings in the park. Eric has been closely working with Kanha National Park since 1986 and has under his belt a list of publications covering birds of Kanha and several other notes on the wildlife of Kanha in Journals of Bombay Natural History Society. "They ring the Bell of the Chapel which is actually the restaurant to remind guests that food is getting cold and they can continue the conversation over dinner. Conversations with Eric tends to get very interesting and you have no idea how time flies," says Kuntil. Bagh Tola's food is simple, home-style and delicious. "What makes Bagh Tola a winner is Eric and his wife Joylet, running it like their own home. Joylet is personally involved in the kitchen and your clients must definitely try her Mutton Green Masala which lulls you to a peaceful afternoon siesta; the ingredients procured fresh by Eric himself from the local market," says Kuntil. Bagh Tola also has a short nature trail within the property with very interesting birdlife which is best done early morning. There are also special venues where they do meals and where your clients can relax on a charpoy; particularly on an Wednesday afternoon when the park is closed, with a book from the library of Bagh Tola. It has an impressive collection of books on the natural history of the Indian subcontinent; birds, butterflies, reptiles, mammals et al. " I would personally recommend the Waterhouse Albums : Central Indian Provinces from Bagh Tola's library. An outstanding coffee table book that traces the life of remarkable photographer James Waterhouse and his journey in 1862 where he spent almost an entire year photographing and documenting the people of Central India. Not just princely rulers and nobility, but people from different social and ethnic groups. From indigenous tribes to merchants, to holy men to slaves to farmers. All photographs are accompanied by detailed notes from the legendary photographer himself. Waterhouse Albums : Central Indian Provinces contains 120 photographs, out of which is perhaps the first photographs of the now UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Buddhist site at Sanchi and a series of rare extraordinary portraits of the Begums of Bhopal; its women rulers, who ruled with an iron hand for over 150 years of Bhopal's 240 year old history," adds Kuntil.

Forests, Tigers, Tribes and Ancient Landscapes – Click here for the itinerary

Check out our Kanha National Park video from the series, National Parks of India.

All our videos are shot and edited in-house.

TCI was present at Fitur in Madrid from 20 -24 January, 2017 at the India Tourism Pavilion.

Fitur is a global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound Ibero American markets.

The company was represented by Prakash Kumar and Manish Gandhi.

It was an interesting show for TCI.