Mist curls over sal trees where the barasingha graze,
A jeep track winds through dawn's gold haze,
Past the noise of resorts and their claim to fame,
Here's a Kanha National Park stay that earns its name.
Check my Kanha Earth Lodge review, a property by Pugdundee Safaris in the buffer zone of Kanha National Park. Read on for an honest reasons on why this should be your stay in Kanha National Park — from the naturalists to the last cup of chai before a drive.
The drive in from Nagpur had been long by the time I pulled up at Kanha Earth Lodge that afternoon. The gate opened to smiling faces from the Pugdundee team, a cool towel, and a lime refresher that disappeared faster than I’d like to admit. Deepa — a naturalist I recognized from my Pench Tree Lodge stay — greeted me with that same easy warmth and led me straight to a scrumptious four-course meal in the earthy dining area. That warmth set the tone for everything that followed, safaris included.
In some ways, this warmth was familiar – having experienced it in two of my earlier stays with Pugdundee Safaris. Besides the warmth, there was a comfort and assurance that my forest sojourn was going to be as amazing – be it my stay in the midst of Kanha buffer area or the fun adventure with the naturalists who actually know the park. And I was not wrong!
In this blog post, I’m covering everything from my stay — what Kanha accommodation here actually looks like day to day, how it compares to a standard Kanha resort booking, and honestly, whether this should be your Kanha stay when you’re planning a trip to the park. Along with that, I have included information on the prices, how to book Pugdundee Safaris Kanha Earth Lodge and who is best suited for this stay.
About Pugdundee Safaris Kanha
Do you know what Pugdundee means? It is a Hindi word for the narrow foot trails animals and humans both use to move through the jungle. An apt name I would say for a brand that actually began in 1986 as a modest tented camp in Panna. It eventually grew to seven lodges across Central India’s tiger reserves under one umbrella in 2011.
The Kanha Earth Lodge story is another thing. In 2007, the founders were on an impulsive trip to Kanha. While on a Kanha National Park safari in the Mukki zone, a casual conversation with their driver about land brought them to the very patch of forest the lodge now sits on. The Lodge opened in 2010, and its conservation-led approach was recognized almost immediately — a Stone Architecture Award that same year, followed by multiple World Travel Awards as India’s Leading Wildlife Resort in the years since.
You can see this even today in the lodge that sits on 16 acres of natural forest – built on less than 10% of that land, with the rest left wild. Unlike the string of generic Kanha hotels, this still feels like a stay in Kanha National Park rather than a stay near it. That honestly is why I would say it is one of the best places to stay in Kanha National Park – especially if you crave the forest and not just proximity to it.
But of course, there are many more reasons as to why Kanha Earth Lodge should be your next stay. Take a look.
Reasons to consider Pugdundee Safaris Kanha Earth Lodge as your Kanha stay
1. You actually get to experience the “Gond” life at this Kanha National Park stay
I love experiencing a slice of local culture and life wherever I travel and Kanha Earth Lodge gave me a good feel of the same with their Gond-inspired theme.
The Gonds are the largest tribal community of forest-dwellers around the Kanha Tiger Reserve. At this Kanha lodge, you will find their stamp on almost everything. Let’s start with the cottages where you will stay. Each of the 12 cottages at the Pugdundee Kanha resort are styled after the traditional Gond homes using local stone, and cured timber.
I loved the earthy and rustic feel of the Kanha Earth Lodge rooms and the natural sunlight that filtered through its windows. The space felt raw yet luxurious and gave me a good sense of what an actual Gond home might look like.
Then, there is the connection that runs straight through to the Kanha Earth Lodge food. I got a taste of their Gond inspired food like the wild herb lentils and the Tikar Roti. They have a special Gond Thali that is served in an outdoor setting where they serve even more of these local delicacies like Bedra Chutney (tomato-based) and Kurti Daal. Sadly, I missed it owing to the damp evenings during my stay.
What struck me most is that this isn’t performed culture for visitors. It’s simply how people have eaten and built homes here for generations — Kanha Earth Lodge has just made room for guests to be part of it during their Kanha stay.
2. You Are Actually Staying in the Wild
You will come across several jungle resorts, but only a few make you feel like the wild has walked right up to your doorstep. This Kanha jungle resort is one of them.
Located inside Kanha’s buffer zone, Pugdundee Safaris Kanha has actually built on less than 10% of the 16 acres of land they occupy. The rest of it is left completely natural. With this stay at Kanha National Park, I felt as if I were in the forest, not near it.
Mornings began with an Indian cuckoo instead of an alarm, and cicadas took over as soon as the sun went down. I spotted a black-naped monarch nesting near my cottage, and an Indian robins hopped around, completely unbothered by guests. Civets are known to pass through some evenings too — I didn’t catch one myself, but just knowing they might added a nice edge of unpredictability to the stay.
Scattered around the property are termite hills that are labelled as “mud castle” by Pugdundee Kanha team. An apt name if you ask me for these tall mud towers that you will find scattered throughout the Kanha forest. Even the landscaping pool had its own resident — a large Indian Bullfrog sitting so still among the lily leaves that I almost mistook it for part of the decor, until it blinked.
Then there is the butterfly garden. A wooden signboard near the cottages, titled “Jewels of Kanha Earth Lodge,” lists an astonishing 48 species you could spot here — everything from the Common Crow and Blue Tiger to the Tailed Jay and Painted Lady. I didn’t manage to see all 48, but even a handful flitting about made for a lovely stroll.
I loved the soft pathway lights that lead you throughout the property. That said, the shadows along the path almost make you feel as if some new surprise is hiding the bush. It does get a little jittery to walk alone at night and the staff know this. Which is why every room is equipped with a portable torch and the team is happy to walk along with you with interesting tales till you reach your doorstep.
3. Eco-friendliness is not just a concept, but is practiced at this Pugdundee Kanha resort.
Single-use plastic is gone entirely — even toiletries come in reusable glass jars. I was pleasantly surprised to see newspaper liners in the dustbins and hand-crafted newspaper envelopes for sanitary waste disposal.
The construction adds to this practice – local stone, mud plaster, and waste wood that would otherwise have been burned as firewood are extensively used throughout the property. Solar panels cover a large share of the power, cottages sit next to large trees to stay naturally cool, and kitchen greywater is recycled straight back into the organic garden that feeds the kitchen.
What stood out most was the people side of it — most of the staff comes from villages around Kanha, and local Gond artisans crafted much of the furniture in this Kanha accommodation. They also have a strong local community connection and support the villages in various ways.
4. The location of this Kanha accommodation option is just perfect
I did my Kanha safari through Khatia gate, which is barely 25 minutes from the lodge via a shortcut through the forest — Mukki gate is a bit further out, about an hour’s drive.
What I liked just as much was how close the lodge sits to actual village life. Mocha village is right next door, which explains why so much of what you eat, sit on, and see decorating the walls here has come straight from the community around it.
On getting there — Jabalpur is the easier route at about 170 km, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours by road. Nagpur is longer, around 270 km and 5 to 5.5 hours, though the drive itself cuts through some genuinely pretty countryside, including a stretch bordering Pench. Compared to some of the more remote resorts in Kanha forest, this felt like a sweet spot — far enough to feel remote, close enough that the journey doesn’t eat into your trip.
5. Pugdundee Naturalists Turn a Kanha Safari Into a Story
If there’s one thing that sets Pugdundee apart, it’s their naturalists. Not just drivers who know the roads — storytellers who turn a routine safari into something you remember long after you’ve left the forest.
Deepa had already set the bar high at Pench Tree Lodge and Shaheen at Waghoba Eco resort in Tadoba . At Kanha Earth Lodge, it was an evening presentation with her that pulled me in first: “It isn’t the tigers who are the stars of Kanha,” – she said. “It’s the Barasingha and they are the reason why Kanha became a national park”. From here unfolded the Barasingha story of how their dwindling numbers – 66 in 1970 had to be conserved. She explained why they could only survive in the Kanha grasslands and the various initiatives taken by the Government to relocate around 35 villages inside the park to bring back the grasslands they needed.
The next day, Ashu took over on our Kanha National Park safari. He pointed out the sal trees, then stopped at a tree with reptilian-looking bark — the crocodile bark tree, fire-resistant and able to store water through the dry months. I got to see an Indian Scops owl tucked into a hollow I’d never have noticed alone. Then, Ashu told us about the Honey buzzard’s party trick — raiding beehives, protected by scale-like feathers that block the stings, tearing the hive apart for the larvae inside.
Next was the tracking adventure of the tiger. Ashu expertly guided the jeep to spot DJ9, and shared another story. “This is DJ 9 whose mother DJ ruled this territory for years. However, age has pushed the older tigress into a smaller range, and DJ9 has taken over what used to be hers – this is typical tiger behavior”.
This is what makes Pugdundee naturalists different — not dry commentary, but stories that keep you leaning in, from near-extinction comebacks to a tigress inheriting her mother’s kingdom. By the end of a few drives on this Kanha resort’s safaris, the naturalist is doing as much work as the tiger to make the trip memorable.
6. Kanha Earth Lodge really knows how to make your safaris comfortable
There’s a lot that goes into a safari morning — early alarms, layering up against the cold, making sure IDs and permits are sorted, grabbing something to eat before hours in an open jeep. At Kanha Earth Lodge, none of that feels like effort. I barely noticed the planning behind it because it was handled so seamlessly.
At the crack of dawn, it begins with a wake-up call, some tea or coffee with biscuits to shake off the sleep, and a quick safari briefing before you’re on your way. ID checks happen too, though it’s a simple verification, nothing that slows you down.
These are little touches that kept coming even while I was on the jeep safari. A table top fitted onto the jeep turned breakfast into an actual sit-down meal in the middle of the forest — sandwiches, boiled eggs, overnight oats with fresh fruit, and coffee brewed from a plunger, not poured from a flask.
Back at the lodge, the welcome repeated itself with wet towels again, and a fresh cooler waiting, just like the one that greeted me on arrival. Small gestures, but repeated enough times across a stay that they stop feeling like gestures and start feeling like how this Kanha stay simply works.
It’s this attention to detail that makes Pugdundee Safaris Kanha Earth Lodge, and this Kanha safari lodge in particular, feel considered rather than routine.
7. You Literally Get Food From the Farm
Writing this Kanha Earth Lodge review, I’d be doing the food a disservice if I didn’t give it its own section. Most of what lands on your plate here is grown just steps away, in the property’s own garden — and it shows. Meals feel simple and wholesome rather than fussy, with fresh produce doing most of the talking.
Over a few meals, I tried a Shikari Thaali with touches of Gond cooking worked in, a Paella built around whatever vegetables were fresh that day, and their basil ice cream, which is something of a lodge specialty and absolutely worth saving room for. One evening’s menu card even traced a Bhopali Nizam thali -which in the words of the resort was inspired by “Old Bhopal that was once ruled by the Begums for over a century and included gentle spices, slow-cooked gravies, and rice fragrant with ghee.”
8. Your evenings at the Kanha Earth Lodge are just as good as their safaris.
Cosy evenings after a day of safari chatter in the elegant lounge over cocktails and appetisers were some of my favourite parts of the stay. I had a simple Pink Lady one evening and a Mahua-spiked cocktail on another — Mahua being the local liquor distilled from the flowers of the Mahua tree.
The evenings were well spent going over the day’s exploits from the safari, and honestly, some genuine bonding happened here too — I made friends with other guests over shared sightings and stories. One little friend in particular, a kid staying with his family, quizzed me endlessly about the forest and regaled me right back with his school stories. That mix — wildlife by day, this kind of easy warmth by evening — is what stayed with me most. – and one reason that I think you should consider a stay here.
9. There’s Plenty to Do Beyond the Safari
One quieter day was spent on the nature trail, which turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the whole stay. It’s a slow, easy walk that lets you actually notice the property’s other residents — birds, bugs, and everything in between — rather than rushing past them the way you might from a jeep. If you are a birder, you will love their little hide near a water body, where you can watch the colorful winged birds of Kanha descend for their parched throats.
Village walks were another highlight, and in my case, that meant a visit to a local haat (village market). I saw local produce laid out, dried mahua flowers, unusual varieties of jalebis I hadn’t come across before, and had some genuinely fun conversations with locals about their day-to-day life.
There’s honestly a good range of activities at Kanha Earth Lodge beyond this too — picnics by the river, a bush dinner under the stars, cycling tours through the forest, and workshops on pottery and tribal crafts. For families, there’s a YNAT program (Young Naturalist course) that keeps kids engaged. And then, of course, if you don’t want any of this, you can just chill by the Kanha Earth Lodge Pool.
That should give you enough reasons to consider this Kanha stay. It’s one I’d happily book again.
Before You Book — A Few Things to Know about Kanha Earth Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris.
A few things worth knowing before you book, so you can plan accordingly:
Connectivity is limited, but manageable.
There’s no mobile signal once you’re on the property, so you’ll be relying entirely on the lodge’s wifi — which, to their credit, is solid and works well across the common areas and rooms. Worth flagging to anyone who needs to stay reachable, though most guests end up appreciating the disconnect.
No TV or food in the rooms
It’s by design, not an oversight. This is a stay built around being immersed in nature rather than shielded from it, and keeping food out of the rooms is part of what keeps the space free of unwanted insect visitors. Between the activities, the safaris, and the evenings in the lounge, you genuinely won’t find yourself reaching for a remote that isn’t there.
That said, there is a coffee plunger and a tea maker with some yummy, freshly baked cookies in a jar in every room – for that little snack.
This is a splurge, not a budget stay.
The pricing reflects the level of service, the naturalists, and the overall experience, so it’s worth going in with the right expectations. Solo travelers on a tighter budget may find better value elsewhere, but families, wildlife enthusiasts, and eco-conscious travelers who value sustainability and genuine immersion will likely feel this is exactly the kind of place worth paying for.
You’ll need some tolerance for the outdoors, quite literally.
This is a natural, unfenced setting, not a sanitized resort — bugs, insects, and the odd unexpected visitor are part of the deal. If that’s something you’re comfortable with, it only adds to the charm; if not, it’s worth knowing before you book.
How to Book Your Stay at Kanha Earth Lodge?
The current Kanha Earth Lodge room rates (2025-26) start at INR 27,000 per night for a double cottage, inclusive of meals and tea/coffee service. Safaris are booked separately — a jeep safari runs INR 13,500-14,000 depending on the day, with an accompanying naturalist at INR 1,500 per safari. You can check current rates and book directly through their official website or their partners.
It is technically possible to book your safaris independently — through the forest department directly, arranging your own transport to the gate, and handling ID verification yourself. But this quickly turns into its own project: coordinating permit timings, sorting transport separately, and managing the paperwork on your own. And even if you get all of that right, an independent booking doesn’t come with a naturalist. That’s really the difference — when the lodge books it for you, all of that hassle disappears, and you get someone in the jeep who actually knows the park, which, as I’ve said, is what made my safaris what they were.
Well. I hope you got your reasons for considering Kanha Earth Lodge for your forest expedition. I know that this is one place that totally charmed me and if luck permits, I will return to it for a real jungle experience.
Common FAQs about Kanha Earth Lodge
Is Kanha Earth Lodge a good place for a Kanha National Park stay?
Yes — it sits inside Kanha’s buffer zone in Madhya Pradesh (MP), built on less than 10% of its 16-acre forest estate, close enough to the park for easy access but far enough from the tourist hub for a genuine wilderness feel.
How far is Kanha Earth Lodge from Khatia gate?
Khatiya gate is about 25-30 minutes. Mukki gate is roughly an hour away.
Are safaris included in the Kanha Earth Lodge tariff?
No — rooms and safaris are booked separately. A jeep safari runs ₹13,500-14,000 depending on the day, plus ₹1,500 for an accompanying naturalist.
How do I reach Kanha Earth Lodge from Nagpur and Jabalpur?
Jabalpur is the easier route at about 170 km, roughly 3-3.5 hours by road. Nagpur is longer, around 270 km and 5-5.5 hours.
Is Kanha Earth Lodge suitable for families with kids?
Yes — there’s a YNAT (Young Naturalist) program for kids, plenty of activities beyond the safari, and enough space on the property to keep children engaged between drives.
Is there a mobile signal or wifi at Kanha Earth Lodge?
There’s no mobile signal on the property, but the lodge’s wifi is solid and covers the rooms and common areas well.
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P.S – I was invited to stay at the Kanha Earth Lodge by Pugdundee Safaris. However, all the opinions and reviews expressed in this blog post are truly and honestly my own!
Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug.
I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you don’t find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet India and Jetwings. I have recently published my first book – When Places Come Alive – a collection of stories that are based on legends, landscapes, art and culture of a place which is available in both ebook and paperback format.
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