India | tigers | Bandhavgarh National Park | World Health Organization

Out Of India

by Kevin Raub

FOR THOSE WHO may not know, India is home to more than half of the world's endangered tigers, though its numbers are declining fast. Poaching and other environmental concerns have contributed to the Indian tiger population's plummet from 40,000 at the turn of the twentieth century to a downright shameful figure that today is estimated to hover between 2,500 and 4,000. And India holds the distinction of being the only country in the world in which both lions and tigers reside. Intrepid travelers, bear that in mind when you come here and go on safari.

I soon learn, though, that India's national parks are also home to a slew of fascinating animals that I've never heard of (and not just because some of them are referred to only by their Hindi names). Do you know what a gaur is? I thought not.

Because of that, Taj and CC Africa have planned five new luxury game lodges in five national parks in India. The first one, Mahua Kothi, just opened in Bandhavgarh National Park, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh is home to the highest concentration of Royal Bengal tigers in the world; an estimated 55 of them make

their home within the 450-square-mile preserve. Visiting here is all about seeing the majestic beasts, though the lodge itself ain't too shabby either. Taj and CC Africa took over the former Churhat Kothi Lodge, let loose -Johannesburg-based designer Chris Brown on the property to transform it from a $300-a-night lodge into a $600-a-night lodge, and voilà! The first luxe Indian safari was up and running.