THINGS TO DO
A huge amount of care has gone into selecting the activities available from each camp. In Ladakh, start the day with morning prayers at the magical Thiksey Monastery, go white-water rafting down the Zanskar River, shop for souvenirs in Leh’s old bazaar or cycle down the breathtaking Wari-La pass.
In Nagaland you’ll have the rare opportunity to witness the colourful Hornbill Festival, an annual celebration of traditional Naga culture that draws on the tribal heritage of the region’s fierce warriors and head-hunters. Or to travel through the forest reserves of Dudhwa, near the border with Nepal, with a resident naturalist, keeping eyes peeled for tigers and single-horned rhinos.
Sleeping
In each camp, luxurious tents are individually designed and beautifully decorated with four-poster beds, plush bed linens, thick carpets, handcrafted furniture and luxurious en-suite bathrooms. Solid wooden decks provide the perfect place to perch and soak up the landscape, and butlers are on hand to provide for your every whim. Jaagir Lodge in Dudhwa, meanwhile, offers both luxury rooms and suites located in the main lodge and thatch-roof round villas more typical of the region.
Food & Drink
Camps are equipped with dining tents with indoor and outdoor sitting areas. Chefs pride themselves on using fresh, local and organic ingredients to prepare a raft of international, national and regional dishes of the very highest order. There’s even an in-camp bakery and complimentary cooking classes.
What stands out
The opportunities to get fully immersed in rural Indian culture, be it singing and dancing with the tribesmen of Nagaland, elaborately dressed in tiger teeth, bear skins and hornbill feathers, or visiting the gypsy women of Banjara, swathed in heavy facial jewellery and costumes of fiery red.
Best for
Those who want to have their cake and eat it – to immerse themselves in the rich cultures and raw beauty of off-the-beaten-path India without sacrificing the comforts of great service, good food and a superb night’s sleep.
