Pashan Garh, A Taj Safari
Panna National Park

Perched on a rugged outcrop within a 200-acre private wilderness in the heart of Panna National Park, Pashan Garh, meaning “stone fortress”, is a bold, beautifully raw safari lodge that blends tribal vernacular with understated luxury. Opened in December 2009, it was designed by Nicholas Plewman and Indian interior designer Lekha Washington, who together conjured an atmosphere of quiet romance and weathered elegance. Think dry-packed local stone walls, slate roofs, hand-hewn timber, block-printed silks, soft khadi cottons and moody wildlife photography that nods to the surrounding forest’s brooding stillness.

The lodge is made up of 12 private cottages scattered across the hillside, each with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, stone floors and shaded verandas that overlook a game-rich forest and a waterhole below. Tigers, leopards, sloth bears and antelope frequent the area, and if you're lucky, you might spot them without ever leaving your plunge pool. Twice-daily jeep safaris are led by expert naturalists who know this wilderness intimately, taking you into the quieter corners of Panna in search of rare wildlife and soul-stilling solitude. Evenings end with candlelit bush dinners or ox-cart feasts under the stars, the kind of moments that lodge themselves into memory, like dust in your boots.

Panna National Park itself is one of India’s lesser-known but most rewarding tiger reserves, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a landscape of deep gorges, teak forests, waterfalls and plateaus carved by the Ken River. Once depleted of tigers, the park has made a remarkable comeback through one of India’s most successful wildlife reintroduction programmes. Today, its predator population is thriving once more, joined by a remarkable cast of sloth bears, mugger crocodiles, hyenas and more than 200 species of birds. Unlike the often-crowded zones of Bandhavgarh or Ranthambore, Panna offers a more intimate, unhurried safari, no traffic jams, just ancient jungle and the thrill of the unexpected.

Guests can cool off in the infinity-edge pool surrounded by tall grasses or retreat to the lodge’s Jiva Spa for an Ayurvedic massage, a welcome treat after a sunrise drive through the Vindhya hills. Food is seasonal and locally inspired, with menus changing daily depending on what’s fresh and in the chef’s basket.

Conde Nast Traveller describes Pashan Garh as “rugged and romantic,” praising its tactile interiors of leather, hemp and slate and its location; remote, dramatic and utterly cinematic. The elevated maachan-style terrace draws comparisons to the sculptural temples of nearby Khajuraho, offering panoramic views and an unbeatable spot for morning coffee or stargazing at night.

It’s worth noting that while the lodge still holds a certain dusty-glamour appeal, some furnishings and fixtures are beginning to show signs of age. For travellers expecting slick, contemporary safari minimalism, Pashan Garh may feel a touch weatherworn. But for those who fall for patina and soul over sparkle, this place is wild magic.

I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.
George Bernard Shaw