Dining Experiences at Banjaar Tola, A Taj Safari - Kanha National Park

Each camp at Banjaar Tola has a pool with a gorgeous location beside a tree grove. A dinner here is a delight through the seasons. An elegant set up with classy dinnerware and lamps provide a stunning contrast of high end luxury dining with the dense rugged jungle as a backdrop. Tables in a neat row are set at a distance to facilitate quiet conversations and appreciation of the soft wilderness sounds.

Unveiling the secrets of Indian cooking, where guests learn and taste simple dishes is a popular evening activity. The spacious open deck in the common guest area is set up with a small stove and an array of spices, chopped herbs and vegetables in various colours and textures. The personable chef takes the visitors on a culinary journey of traditional Indian delights. Guests taste and inhale the tantalising aroma of various spices as they participate in preparing simple recipes. Understanding the therapeutic properties of traditional herbs and spices makes for an absorbing culinary session. Once the cooking is done, guests get to have their curry and eat it too.

The bush dinners at Banjaar Tola have a fairy tale quality. Multitudes of lanterns light up a clearing in the forest while gentle aromas from clay ovens fill the air. A rustic wooden cart serving refreshing drinks beside a bonfire is a wonderful start to the evening revelry. Dining tables are scattered about and a row of interactive live cooking counters are stationed at one end. Some local delicacies like the ‘Baiga’ chicken and desserts like ‘malpuas and rabdi’ are greatly relished. The Baiga dancers in traditional dress move lithely as the compelling drumbeats make guests want to join in. A sumptuous feast, jungle tales and tribal dancers are ingredients for a most memorable dining experience.

A sumptuous breakfast is set up on the safari vehicle bonnet deep in the jungle. Freshly baked muffins and cookies along with sandwiches, fresh fruit and hot kathi rolls are washed down with freshly plunged coffee and a selection of teas. A perfect refuelling for the rest of the morning safari.

The private wooden deck of each tent with the quiet waters of the river below and the surrounding forest is a magical spot for a private dinner. The evening has a fairy tale beginning with a pathway of flower petals leading to a drawn bath and wine chilling in the bucket. Moving out to the deck, guests are greeted by a smart butler beside a beautifully laid table for two. A choice menu showcasing the finest of local flavours is presented in a seamless service. It is an indescribable sublime atmosphere mingling elements of thrill, romance and being one with the wilderness.