Pugdundee Safaris - Kanha Earth Lodge

This is only the second review I have written online. The first one was for another Pugdundee property, King's Lodge in Bandhavgarh. I went to India with a friend for three weeks and our original goal was to see tigers. Tigers were a fun aspect of our trip, but the experience was so much more than that. When we talk about our trip, tigers aren't the first thing we talk about. We really enjoyed all the people we met and interacted with the most. The Earth Lodge is an amazing place. The facility is eco-luxury, comfortable, good beds, good pillows (one of the most important factors because bad sleep ruins a vacation), excellent food and overall great service. They also work with local communities to get them involved in the lodges and tourism around the parks. It's a really nice touch. Laundry comes back in a bag that looks more like a large envelope made from recycled newspapers. The lodge ***ager, Happy, is engaging and clearly loves his job and is committed to their eco-mission but also to their guests. He enthusiastically showed us a small snake that had found its way into a room in the main lodge. I am not a fan of snakes, but this was another fun experience. Ashu, our naturalist, led us on a fun search for tigers and other animals in the park. It was harder to spot tigers than I thought, but it turned out to be part of the experience. We were fully engaged with the naturalist, guide and others in the jeep, listening for warning calls from the other animals and looking for clues. On our last day, Ashu thought we might see a tiger in a particular spot and he was right. We finally got to see one for just over an hour. We will be going back and staying at the Pugdundee Lodges. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Probably the best of four lodges we visited on our recent trip to central India. The chef was so attentive, and conjured up some amazing meals. Everything was a good as possible, and the tiger game drives were exceptional. Our primary aim was birding, and we were not disappointed. We were fortunate to have Ashu Khan as our guide on game drives, and we saw tigers and ***y bird species really well.

If there is a better way to prepare for, experience and enjoy Kanha tiger reserve, then good luck searching. Otherwise, Pugdundee's Safaris and Kanha Earth Lodge - a committed eco-focused venue - could not be bettered. From a genuine welcome on arrival - attentive staff, cool drinks and towels and a thorough briefing - to meeting "our" passionate naturalist, Yashojeet (who drove and accompanied us every morning and afternoon on six safaris), the patient and attentive staff, incredible dining and wonderful accommodation, our stay was superb. We cannot recommend KEL highly enough. Thank you all for our lifelong, incredible experiences and memories ... and, of course, for the wild creatures, from tigers to golden jackals, wild dogs and deer, to the incredible birds - rollers and kingfishers, serpent eagles and hornbills - and the cool, delightful sal trees. Steve Butcher and daughter Grace Butcher.

This beautiful chalet style lodge was very nicely set up. The dining room and main areas were large and spacious with large glass and wood doors to maintain the temperature and keep the mosquitos out. There was a room for viewing documentaries where you can eat delicious appetizers before dinner. There were also a few games to play. The dining room had two large rectangular tables but each group of guests were sitting at each end of the table for privacy. The cottages were connected two by two. They were simple from the outside but the inside was beautiful and complete with all the amenities. The bedroom was divided from the main entrance and the bathroom area. The main entrance also had a table for coffee and tea. The bathroom area had three sections: a toilet room, two sinks, and shower room. There was room for luggage and closet spaces and a safe in the main part where the sinks were. The main item missing was a mini fridge. This was the only hotel we stayed in India that did not have a fridge. Considering how hot it was, I definitely felt it missing. The food was outstanding. There was plenty at lunch and dinner and breakfast was served in the bush while on safari. They were always ready to feed us and give us drinks. The staff was polite and friendly but I felt an air of trying to be an upscale lodge. It lost the family feeling we had at the other lodge. The safaris were good but I’ll review the park separately. The main problem with this lodge is that it’s tucked away so there’s 10 kilometers of bumpy dirt road to drive through to get in and out.

Incredible experience! I wish I could have stayed longer. The lodge itself was absolutely beautiful. The pool was very relaxing. We were able to eat lunch with Langurs right out the window. The food was incredible. To top it off, we saw four tigers!

My friend and I stayed at Kanha Earth Lodge and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!! The staff was very welcoming, kind, and helpful. We did the safaris and had a very knowledgable naturalist that guided us through the national park and even went for a night walk with us at our request to find reptiles! The food was outstanding and very fresh- the chef is highly trained and the premises has an organic garden where they harvest and incorporate into their dishes. We felt like we were living in luxury as our rooms were comfortable with a beautiful view of the forest. The pool was relaxing and one of our favorite spots to read a book. Overall we highly recommend staying here- one of the highlights of our trip to India!

Can not praise Pugdundee safaris highly enough. We stayed in three of their properties. Each one was top class. As in every one, at Earth Lodge the staff were wonderful, the food amazing, our room perfect. They also have a highly admirable eco policy-no plastic and you are given a metal water bottle that you can fill up at stations across all their properties. Ingredients are either grown on site in their organic gardens or locally sourced. Just wish we could have stayed at each one longer to make full use of all the facilities and activities on offer. But of course we came to see tigers and we most certainly did.