Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh

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Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 1/22 by currylines

A Pench’ant for the wild.

About Pugdundee Safaris –

A little over a decade old, Pugdundee Safaris is one of India’s leading safari brands. An initiative of 2 friends Manav Khanduja and Shyamendra Singh, this was created purely out of a passion for wildlife and to help in environmental conservation and social development of rural areas. Today they are a 350 personnel strong team, with six eco lodges that are spread across the national parks of Madhya Pradesh namely Satpura, Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna and the 7th upcoming one at Tadoba in Maharashtra..

With their responsible environmental policies and practices, their lodges are the popular choice of discerning visitors from the world over, who seek out their stays and return time and again to delight in the warm hospitality and enthralling experiences that encompass wildlife safaris, birding, photography opportunities and a taste of village life.

About Pench Tree Lodge –

Sprawling over a generous 45 acres of land, Pench Tree House is one of the 6 eco lodges from the Pugdundee Safaris bouquet. Established in 2017, this lodge lies in the ambit of the nearby village of Sarrahiri (pronounced with the rasping ‘r’ and all :-D)

This is the first resort that has come up in this region and their presence has helped in the social and economic development of the surrounding habitation.

Features of the resort –

The reception lobby is also the general assembly point where most of the activities take off from.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 2/22 by currylines

The lobby is also flanked by the map of the Pench National Park and the Pench Tree Lodge, with the aid of which the briefings are conducted for guests who are eager to learn what lies in store.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 3/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 4/22 by currylines

The resort is built on only on 10% of the entire space and the rest of it is left as nature intended it to be. In fact better than that, for they have afforested the grasslands and turned the place into a small but impactful island of trees. Mahua, Tendu, Jamun, Teak and so many other trees that are indigenous to the environment, are labelled for easy identification. They are also homes to the nearly 100 species of resident avian life. The patches of tall grasses also attract smaller mammals like civets, boas, hares etc but then one has to be very lucky and/or very quiet to spot any.

They also have their own organic farm.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 5/22 by currylines

6 tree houses and 6 cottages are the rustically luxurious stay options at the lodge.

All of them provide features like air conditioning (cooler cum heater), tea and coffee maker, hairdryer, torches, hawai (rubber) slippers, organic toiletries and bathroom essentials, curated local wildlife art framed on the walls etc.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 6/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 7/22 by currylines

Dining Options –

Food is not permitted in the rooms and hence there is no In-Room Dining service either. The meals are had at the dining area which is a cheerily bright and beautiful space adjacent to the swimming pool.

The cuisine is well crafted to suit a range of palates and many ingredients come from their farm.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 8/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 9/22 by currylines

Other features -

A swimming pool, a library, presentation room and souvenir store are a part of their property.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 10/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 11/22 by currylines

Experiences and Safaris –

One mostly visits a jungle lodge for the wildlife and related rural and adventure activities. Pugdundee specializes in curating every possible permutation and combination of programs that will be of interest to visitors with a range of interests. Village walks, photography tours, walking safaris and jeep safaris are some of the main activities that they provide. Their trained naturalists make the experiences very enlightening.

Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 12/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 13/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 14/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 15/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 16/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 17/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 18/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 19/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 20/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 21/22 by currylines
Photo of Pench Tree Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris, Madhya Pradesh 22/22 by currylines

Special programs –

Heeding the need of the hour for trained professionals in the lodges and forests, Pugdundee Safaris have come up with interesting programs at their Satpura location.

Begun in 2018, their highly successful conservation oriented career courses have now resulted in training several aspiring naturalists of whom many have even been employed in their own lodges.

Visitor profile –

The lodge is opened to all visitors. It is suitable for a range of guests right from families, to solo travellers, to photographers, to wildlife enthusiasts and so on.

Best time to visit –

The park and lodge are open for only 9 months a year. July 1st to Sep 30th is the monsoon and breeding season during which the animals are left undisturbed and the park remains closed.

However do check on the official website for exact opening and closing dates.

Winters are a good time weather wise and summers though harsh, are a good time for sightings.

Getting there –

Pench National Park is accessed quite easily via Nagpur which is an important city 80 km to its south. This is well connected by air, rail and road to many major parts of India. The airport also has direct flights to some middle eastern countries.

Jabalpur which is around 200 km to the North, is also another option. It is also connected by air, rail and road but not as well as Nagpur.

From Nagpur and Jabalpur, the most convenient way to get to Pench is by cab or private vehicle.

This post was originally published on Currylines

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