Adopt Responsible Tiger Tourism

On July 9, 1969, India declared the Royal Bengal Tiger as its national animal. The majestic big cat has been the symbol of India since time immemorial. Believed by many to be the guardians of the forest, the Royal Bengal Tiger has been in the news for unhappy reasons. For instance, the first report on the royal bengal tiger today talks about the death of a farmer in Dudhwa National Park's buffer zone at the hands of a tiger.

Image courtesy: anahad.org

Yet, the Panthera Tigris Tigris, popularly known as the Royal Bengal Tiger, has been revered by Indians since time immemorial. Depicted in the seals discovered from the Indus Valley sites, celebrated as the mother of the divine ride of the Goddess of Power, Durga in Hindu literatures, and is currently the emblem of the Reserve Bank of India (India’s central banking institution which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee).

In other news, every week forest officials have been recovering tiger skin among many other illegal collectibles from nabbed poachers. India has not been able to save the face of its mascot.

ALSO READ: The Missing King Of The Jungle

Image by Mumbai Gloss

While wildlife tourism has historically been seen as a threat to wildlife preservation, it may not be true. A WWF report in February 2015 has shown that tiger parks across the world generate over US$600 billion per annum in revenue from visitors.

Responsible tourism can bring in much needed economic benefits to the local population, while dis-incentivizing poaching and demonstrating the importance of protecting the tiger and its habitats. This would directly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 15, which talks about sustainably managing forests.. and halting biodiversity loss.

Image by Jagdeep Rajput

There are 49 tiger reserves in India where responsible travellers can go to visit these majestic animals. All reserves are presently closed for the monsoon and will re-open in October. Some of the best ones to visit with #Alpaviram are:

Pench, Panna, Bandhavgarh, Satpura and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh
Ranthambore in Rajasthan
Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand
Bandipur in Karnataka
Sundarbans in West Bengal
Kaziranga in Assam

Image by Siliconeer

The author is Ritesh Datta, Co-Founder of Alpaviram. He can be reached at ekalpaviram@gmail.com

There's magic at Tathastu

Finally home after a long break at Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. My generous hosts, Tathastu Resort, made every moment of the stay so much more memorable. Spread over 15 acres, Tathastu Resort caters to the whims and fancies of even the most picky traveller. First things first, I had no tiger sihghting. Although I cannot say I had not hoped for one but it had been raining when we went for our only proper safari in the jungle and the cat, true to their nature, stayed as far as they could from exposure to the rain. There was, however, several remarkable sightings. I shall compile all I have learnt in a separate entry over the week. As always, I was smitten by the village and the sheer beauty in which the people reside.

Apart from the jungle safari, my hosts organised a visit to the neighbouring Khoka Dam where the resort's naturalist helped me spot several rare and beautiful birds.

Back at the resort, I made a new friend, Ranger. The golden labrador was a constant, enthusiastic companion whenever I would be around the reception area. My time at the sprawling Tathastu Resort was thus divided between napping in one the splendid rooms in the property and accompanying Ranger on a tour of the property after those specially delectable meals from the resort's kitchen. Here's Ranger with Mr Rajnish at the reception area overlooking the pond used for fishing. I was heading out for one of the safaris and Ranger wasn't very happy to see me go.

On the second night of my stay at Tathastu, I was offered a room in the unique cave rooms in the property. I was given the option to choose from the treehouse, the tastefully done tents, the modern and comfortable villas or the rather different experience of the cave. My choice, thus, was obvious. Here's a look at my bedroom which was the smallest (read coziest for a solo, easily-frightened female i.e. me).

The caves are made of a special cement and is rather painstaking to create. The interiors are decorated with least flourish, in keeping with the sombre, one with nature, attitude of the property. But wood and mud surfaces can be transformed, with the right attention, into a lavish experience. Here's a queen-sized bed in the master bedroom in the lower section of the cave room.

See what I mean? Don't be overawed just yet. The most fascinating section in the cave rooms are the powder rooms. The shower, for instance, is designed as a waterfall! The latest fittings complement the surprise of the raw setting, making it a place worth visiting, with or without nature's call.

The property is all set to expand to accommodate more visitors by the end of the year and a unique arts and craft centre is sure to be a delight for creative minds in the country. I shall keep you posted on their developments while I keep a tab on their upcoming spa centre, designed as an amphitheatre to accommodate all aspect of spiritual and physical well-being along with 15 kinds of mud baths! Glued to news from them till December. Here's an odd-looking piece of wood I found during the walk around Khoka Dam.