Pench Jungle Camp | A Luxurious Oasis in Pench National Park (MP, India)
Pench Jungle Camp | Property Review
Did you know that Rudyard Kipling, based parts of The Jungle Book in Pench National Park?
If you are not aware, Pench National Park, is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura Ranges, spanning over 1180 sq km, out of which 412 sq km is the core area. The National park can be accessed through both the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in India, and has been part of Project Tiger since 1992 !
Pench National Park is home to over 285 resident and migratory birds; major carnivores like Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Hyena, Fox and the herbivores like Gaur, Sambar, Chital Deer, Nilgai, Chinkara etc.
When me and my brother happened to visit Pench National Park, back in December 2019, after having ticked off Panna National Park from our list, we were hosted at Pench Jungle Camp, where we had the best of the experiences, and some very unique as well ! So without any more delay, scroll down to read an in depth Property Review of Pench Jungle Camp – A Luxurious Oasis in the middle of the jungle.
The Location
In the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, just 2 kms from the Turia Gate of Pench National Park, strategically located in the middle of the jungle lies the Pench Jungle Camp.
The 26 rooms, set in 50 acres of lush foliage, despite being air conditioned and equipped with all modern amenities are surrounded by fauna, giving the traveller the feeling of staying inside a jungle, and guess what, a quick detour to visit Pench National Park, can be easily accommodated in this One Month India Itinerary as well.
In House Facilities
WiFi in Common Areas
There is complimentary WiFi access in the restaurant and all common areas. All you need to do is, get the password from the reception at the time of Checking In at Pench Jungle Camp.
SPA and Wellness
Pench Jungle Camp strives to be a family friendly getaway, with something to offer to everyone. And there’s nothing better than getting yourself pampered in the middle of the jungle, and rejuvenating your body, mind and soul.
Restaurant and Lounge
Pench Jungle Camp has a multicuisine restaurant, serving buffet meals, catering to all kinds of tastes. There is a big common lounge area as well, where you can watch some Wildlife Documentaries, read some books/magazines, play some carrom/board games, or simply relax with a refreshing drink in hand.
Swimming Pool
The serene oval pool set amidst the dense Mahua and Teak trees, provides the perfect escape in the summer months, and appears like a literal oasis.
Rooms
Pench Jungle Camp boasts of 13 Luxury Safari Tents, 04 Deluxe Safari Cottages, 08 Standard Safari Rooms and 01 Family Suite, with each having a bathroom en-suite, with shower and verandah. All rooms are equipped with all modern amenities including a mini bar (stocked with a selection of beverages on request), an electronic safe, hairdryer, air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, mosquito net and tea/ coffee making facilities; which satisfy the needs of the modern day traveller.
Experiences
Jungle Safari
Pench Jungle Camp is located just 2 km from the Turiya Gate of Pench National Park on the Madhya Pradesh side of the park, and 9-10 KM from Khursapar Gate of Pench National Park on the Maharashtra side of the park. The main access gates for Pench National Park are – Turiya, Khursapar, Karmazhiri and Sillari, out of which only Sillari is open throughout the year . The morning safari starts at Sunrise and goes on for 4-4.5 hours, until 11 – 1130 AM. The afternoon safari starts at 2 – 2:30 PM and goes on until Sunset.
Sundowner at Kohka Lake
Imagine this !
You’ve come back from the morning safari, and post lunch, you are told to meet at the reception at 5 PM. So you reach the reception at 5 PM, only to be taken to the nearby Kohka Lake, to enjoy the sunset. And wait – There is Chai and Samosa too!
Sounds fun and exciting, right!
It definitely was ! And what a feeling it was ! To sip a hot cup of tea, while seeing the sun go down, without anyone else around !
When you stay with Pench Jungle Camp, it’s highly recommended that you fix up Sundowner at Kohka Lake for one of the evenings at least, as the luxury of having hi tea overlooking the sunset, is a feeling unmatched, and something that’ll remain etched in your memories !
Dining under the stars
On our last evening at Pench Jungle Camp, we turned up for dinner at the Restaurant, only to be guided to a setup in the woods nearby. The bar was stocked up, buffet dinner was laid, bonfires were lit, and tables were set around the fires, under the stars. This experience of dining under the stars was a total surprise for us, and turned out to be one of the highlights of our experiences at Pench Jungle Camp. Only thing missing was soft instrumental music to set up the mood, but we sorted that, by playing it on our bluetooth speaker.
Later, I found out that these dinners, also known as Bush Dinners, are set up every now and then, at least once a week.
Night Safari
Another amazing experience you can have during your stay at Pench Jungle Camp, is the Night Safari. The Night Safari is conducted in the buffer zone of Pench National Park, starting at 6 PM, and ending at 9 PM.
The booking for the Night Safari is done on the spot only. While its highly unlikely that you will get to spot a tiger / leopard, other animals like jackal, deer, nilgai and many species of nocturnal birds are spotted frequently during the Night Safari.
As there is absolutely no light pollution, there is an excellent opportunity for you to do some stargazing, and experience the beauty of Pench at night.
How To Reach
Full Address
Village-Avarghani,
Tehsil – Kurai, District Seoni
Madhya Pradesh,
Pin: 480881
INDIA
Phone / Whatsapp – +91-9999-742-000
By Road
If you are heading there in your own vehicle, given below are the different route options:
- Nagpur – Khawasa – Turia : 95 km
- Seoni – Khawasa – Turia : 70 km.
- Jabalpur – Seoni – Khawasa – Turia : 215 km
By Air
Nagpur airport, a 3 hours drive from Pench Jungle Camp, is the closest airport to Pench National Park. Daily scheduled flights are available from all major cities to Nagpur.
By Rail
Nagpur Railway Station, also 3 hours away by road from Pench Jungle Camp is the closest major railway station. Nagpur is part of central India and well connected by train with all Indian cities.
Road transfers are available to Pench Jungle Camp to and fro from both the Nagpur Railway Station and Nagpur Airport and can be arranged by them with prior information.
Our Rating of Pench Jungle Camp
The Location – 4/5
In House Facilities – 3/5
Rooms – 4/5
Experiences – 5/5
Final – 4/5
The USP of Pench Jungle Camp is that it caters to both, the hardcore wildlife enthusiast, and the Indian family travellers. Also, did you know that Pench Jungle Camp, hosted the filming team of National Geographic, which released a documentary revolving around the famous Collarwali of Pench ? You can watch the documentary in the common area, at anytime you want.
The only shortcomings, that we felt were, was that there was no A La Carte Menu in the restaurant, and that there was absolutely no connectivity in the rooms. Not the mobile signals, nor the WiFi signal ! Apart from this, everything else was spot on. The rooms were extremely spacious, the food was sumptuous, the staff were friendly and helpful, and the guides were very experienced and knowledgeable.
Without a doubt, I would highly recommend you to check out Pench Jungle Camp, during your visit to Pench National Park, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Disclaimer : No compensation was received for this article, however Pench Jungle Camp offered my stay complimentary. As always, the opinions on theETLRblog.com are (and always will be) my own!
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