Waghoba Eco Lodge: Earth Friendly Luxury Wildlife Resort at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
One of India’s largest and oldest national parks, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is rich in biodiversity and is one of the best places to see the tiger, gaur, leopard, wild dog and other wild species. It’s thriving tiger population make it a fabulous place to see the tiger up close in its natural habitat. The upcoming summer months also happen to be the best time to spot the tiger inside Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. And one of the best ways to have a top wildlife holiday in Tadoba is to stay with Waghoba Eco Lodge, an earth friendly luxury wildlife resort owned by pugdundee safaris.
This review article is based on my recent experience of staying at Waghoba Eco Lodge and enjoying a surreal wildlife holiday at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Following are the key highlights of staying at Waghoba Eco Lodge:
1) Excellent In-House Naturalists
Whether you are a pro wildlife lover or an upcoming nature enthusiast, you will definitely love the in-depth knowledge of Waghoba’s naturalists. Not only are these folks, well trained in the flora and fauna of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, they are also genuinely interested in learning more about the nature around them. And this makes for great conversations and interactions and the joy of exploring the national park with them is unparalleled. They share local stories of the animals, are excellent at tracking the tiger and share their well rounded understanding of the forest that includes plants, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and the big animals. This makes your jungle safari, jungle treks and other activities more wholesome and thus making for a rich wildlife holiday with not just visual experiences, but with a deeper understanding of the wild too.
2) Strategic Location bordering the Tiger Reserve
Waghoba Eco Lodge enjoys a lovely location a bit away from the villages while sharing the border on one side with the tiger reserve. This ensures that they get regular wildlife visitors from time to time and if you get lucky you can actually sight a tiger from within the property itself. This proximity to the forest also ensures that you can go on those private walks into the jungle from the property where you can track the tiger on foot and may be, even spot it while you are on the walk. Imagine, how thrilling it would be. This is also a great way to understand the lay of the land and see some of the other denizens of the forest that you usually give a miss while on a jeep safari.
Waghoba Eco Lodge is just 8 kms away from the Khutwanda gate and 20 kms away from the action packed Moharli gate of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
3) Sustainable Eco-Luxe Resort in Tadoba National Park
Waghoba Eco Lodge is that place where you can immerse yourself in the lap of luxury and enjoy a stay that is in complete harmony with nature. It is set beautifully in a 12-acre land of an untraversed area in the buffer zone of the tiger reserve. It has been crafted using the very best of sustainable and eco construction methods that include green architecture, handmade conical tiles, sustainable lighting fixtures, ground water recharge and Pythriod Sewage Treatment Plant among others. Waghoba Eco Lodge’s key features include:
a) Nature inspired cottages
b) In-house organic farm
c) Hide for bird photography
d) Wildlife library and lounge
e) A gorgeous swimming pool
f) In-house lake that attracts lots of local birds and animals
4) Organic Kitchen that serves Lip Smacking Thalis
If you are a foodie, you will definitely relish your time at Waghoba Eco Lodge as their chefs serve some thoughtfully designed regional platters and dishes for you. Their authentic thalis (including the Maharashtrian, Varadhi and the Hyderabadi Thali), the spicy Saoji curries and their iconic desserts are enough to take you on a journey to gastronomic heaven. The icing on the cake is that most of the food served here is grown locally in their organic farm or it is sourced locally from the nearby villages. Waghoba Eco Lodge is also home to a well stocked bar that is perfect for those relaxed evenings after a long day in the jungle.
Don’t look any further if a top eco-friendly wildlife holiday destination is on your mind. The beautiful mix of rich wildlife sightings coupled with some seriously good information from the naturalists, green architecture, luxurious stay and lip-smacking food make Waghoba Eco Lodge a top destination for your wildlife holiday in Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. I had a jolly good time there and am eager to return soon.
Wildlife Highlights of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve:
Tadoba has a thriving population of Royal Bengal tigers and hence is one of the best habitats to see the tiger up close. As Tadoba is mostly made up of sharp bamboo thickets, the tigers here prefer to work on the soft mud of the jeep tracks and hence the tiger sightings here are legendary. It is also a great place to sight the Indian gaur, leopard, black panther, sloth bear, dhole or wild dog, jackal, sambar deer, barking deer, nilgai, spotted deer, macaque, langur, monitor lizard, crocodile, Indian pitta, Indian roller, paradise flycatcher and many other species of birds.
Things to keep in mind while visiting Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve:
1) If visiting during summers, wear comfortable cotton clothing, sunglasses, hat and scarf to protect you from the heat and dust.
2) If visiting during the winters, wear winter wear with some kind of wind protection, gloves, closed shoes, warm cap and sunglasses.
3) The use of mobile phones is completely banned in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. You can either leave your mobile phone in your hotel room or carry it with you in airplane mode or switch off position. Do not take out your mobile phone at any time, else it will be confiscated.
4) You can only use DSLRs to take pictures during your jungle safari. You can either carry your own equipment or rent gear from the forest department.
5) There are only a few areas inside the forest that are allowed for walking. Do ensure that you have a guide with you at all times. When anywhere else inside the tiger reserve, do stay inside your safari vehicle.
How many gates are there in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve:
There are 20 different gates in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Fourteen of these fall under buffer zones while the other six come under core zones. When making bookings, it is important to keep accessibility and connectivity in mind while selecting a gate or zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
How to book your jungle safari:
To book your safari permits, you will have to visit the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve government website and make your bookings online. Alternatively, the team at Waghoba Eco Lodge can help you with your safari bookings.
The cost of the safari permits vary for weekdays, weekends, festivals and for special occasions. The safari duration varies between morning and evening session and the safari timings change depending on season.
Best season to visit:
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is open all year round, but the core is closed from July 1 through September 30 due to the monsoons. The monsoon season is a bit lean as only the buffer zone is allowed, but it can allow you to see the forest dressed in pretty green and sometimes, you might catch a whole bunch of tiger activity.
The best season to see tigers and other wild animals happens to be between March and June. This season also happens to be the hottest and dustiest.
October to February offers moderate weather with good sightings.
How to reach there:
The nearest airport is Nagpur International airport, about 122 kms or 3 hours away. The nearest railway station is Chandrapur, about 60 kms or 1 hour away. But, better rail connectivity can be found at Nagpur.
Waghoba Eco Lodge is situated near the Khutwanda gate. While traveling from Nagpur take NH 44 and NH 347A to Tembhurda via Borkhedi, Sonegaon, Jamb, Keslapur and Khambada. At Tembhurda, turn left and carry on forward to Khemjai, Shegaon, Chandankheda and Wadala Tukum, where the lodge is located.
Bus connectivity is very poor to Waghoba Eco Lodge. Taxis play between Nagpur and Tadoba, but it is best to book one in advance from a reliable tour operator for best service and prices.
Other nearby tourist attractions:
1) Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve: A wild place for a jungle safari
2) Pench Tiger Reserve: Where the jungle book comes alive
3) 11th Century Bhojeshwar Temple: Home to one of the largest Shiva lingas in the world
4) Ellora Caves: One of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world
5) Ken Gharial Sanctuary: A fragile and vulnerable ecosystem
6) Hidden Bundelkhand Kingdom called Orchha
7) Khajuraho: Of history, temples, sculptures, erotica and kamasutra
8) Ajanta Caves: The 2200 year old rock cave wonder
9) Aurangzeb’s Tomb at Khuldabad: The simple resting place of the last strong Mughal Emperor
10) Bhopal: The city of lakes
11) Moti Masjid: Bhopal’s mosque of pearls
12) Udayagiri Caves: 5th century cultural beauty of Madhya Pradesh
13) Bheem Betika: Of prehistoric structures, caves, drawings and paintings
14) Sanchi Stupa: Indian heritage gem that gave torana architecture to the world
15) Chanderi Sari: 700 years of history and a traditional handloom icon of India
16) Bhopal’s Taj-ul-Masjid: One of the largest mosques in Asia
17) Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve: In tiger’s territory
18) Zero Mile Marker: The true center of India
19) Diksha Bhoomi: A holy Buddhist monument in Nagpur
20) Kasturchand Park: The biggest meeting place in Nagpur
