The rhythm

Nothing here runs to a schedule you did not choose.

A day usually begins with a hot cup of coffee before it is properly light. After that it is yours. Head out on safari, set off on a nature walk, or simply sit on the verandah and watch the birds go about their morning.

Evenings are for slowing down. We gather under an open, star filled sky around a bonfire, listening to the distant calls of the jungle and wondering what is happening out there in the dark.


What you can do

Three ways into the forest, and one way to end the day.

Open fields and forest edge around Semal
01

Safari

Jeep safaris into the park, booked and paid for before you land. We wake you, feed you coffee, and get you to the gate on time. Mornings are the good ones, though the afternoon round has its own light.

A walking track through the fields at Semal
02

Nature walks

Walk out from the gate with us. Slower than a jeep, closer to everything. You learn the trees, the alarm calls, the tracks left overnight in the dust, and the village at the far end of the track.

Rain over the land at Semal
03

Birding and the verandah

Plenty of guests never leave the property, and we do not blame them. The verandah runs the whole length of the house and the birds arrive without being asked.

Dusk falling over the trees at Semal
04

Bonfire evenings

Dinner, then the fire. Stories about the forest, the animals and the village, told by someone who has spent a decade among all three.

The self service tea and coffee counter at Semal

The table

Food cooked by the person who owns the place.

Meals are home cooked and come out of our own kitchen. An Indian thali one night, a continental plate the next, something with an oriental turn if that is the mood. Tell us what you eat and what you do not and we will work around it.

Tea and coffee sit on a self service counter in the living room, all day, every day. Help yourself. Nobody is going to bring you a bill for a cup of chai.

Dinner is usually the thing guests write about afterwards.


Through the year

Central India has three distinct moods.

October to February

Cool and clear

Cold mornings, blankets on the jeep, mist sitting low over the fields. The rooms have heaters for the nights. This is the season most people come for.

March to June

Hot and bright

The forest thins out and the sightings improve. The Semal trees flower red. Air conditioning in every room, and long slow afternoons indoors.

July to September

Green and wet

The park closes for the monsoon, but the land around us comes alive. Rain on the roof, frogs at night, and the best birding of the year.

Over meals and by the fire, we love sharing stories about the forest, the animals, and the village around us.

Plan your days with us