2021 Newsletter: Theme of the Year

“The Environment is where we all first meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share”. -Lady Bird Johnson

Our Phrase of the Year for 2020 was: Be the Change

We worked one day at time staying true to this goal. Our lodges were closed from March-September 2020, and in these seven months we moved forward one step at a time; adapting, reinventing, evolving and growing.

We now look forward to 2021 with renewed hope and reclaiming ourselves just the way nature does, always.

We created new innovations with Work from Wilderness (WFW); took most our team forward, encouraged our team to learn new skills, and got imaginative in our lodges with the time we had.

The Corona virus brought home the fact that nature when ravaged, finds a way to reclaim itself, even though mankind may have to pay a heavy price for it.

At Pugdundee we have believed taking responsibility for our planet is the key driver towards our progress.

One where we come together as a world community, and take charge to conserve and preserve this precious planet in our own little ways. After all we are all connected in this web of life. We hope our efforts will have a ripple effect. And our guests who come visiting us, return home armed as ambassadors of the wild. 

Our Theme Of The Year 2021 Is: ESG In Tourism

(Environmental, Social and Sustainability Governance)

Pugdundee Safaris is now adapting ESG (Environmental, Social and Sustainability Governance) practices, globally recognized and promoted by the World Bank and United Nations.

Sustainability going forward

•  Environmental –Preserve & improve our environment with focus on staying true to our pledge of continuing our fight against single use plastic, reusing and recycling more, reduction of our carbon footprint further, rewilding and making our lodges an extended wildlife habitat.
•  Social – Not only continue providing maximum employment to the local community but maximize local supply chain and engagement so the benefits reach to a larger part of the local society. We continue to provide educational support in village schools, trainings & wildlife courses.
•  Sustainability governance – Making sure our environmental and social commitments are met and progress is shared in a transparent manner.

We are working on calculating our carbon footprint and putting in place measures for reduction of carbon, so that in the near future we can achieve carbon neutrality.

King’s Lodge, Bandhavgarh has prepared its first ever biodiversity report and our lodges in Kanha, Pench and Satpura will also follow suit. These reports will give us a comprehensive path to work closely with our theme of ESG.

The objective of the biodiversity report is to pave the way forward. Also on how we will continue to manage the flora and fauna of our lodges, giving us clarity and scope to reinvent. This study will provide a baseline to improve our biodiversity & measure impact of our efforts in the future. 

To read Kings Lodge, Bandhavgarh’s Biodiversity report, click here.

Here are some of the highlights since we opened in October, while our forests got a chance to heal for seven months.

Gratitude to our Guests

We opened our lodges in October with stringent covid safety measures in place. Read more here

We would like to thank all our guests, old and new for visiting us and helping us return to business. This in turn helps us support the local community and our team at large.

Our guests went home happy and content and here is what they had to say.

Wildlife Training Course

PRONAT-3, India’s first of it’s kind, Professional Naturalist Training Program, a 21-day program was successfully conducted in December.

Listen what writer and wildlife enthusiast, Mariellen Ward, a participant, has to say here about PRONAT.

This wildlife training course is conducted in the picturesque location of our Denwa Backwater Escape, adjoining the Satpura National Park. The course ensure our participants get a hands-on experience of life in the wilderness and help them value the ecosystem, and take their passion for wilderness forward, professional and personally.

Upcoming dates for the course is:

PRONAT-4: 20th August – 13th September, 2021

Booking is open and limited seats are available.

Email us at: [email protected]

Balloon Safari in Bandhavgarh, A Historical Moment

First in the history of Indian national parks, hot air balloon safaris were launched in Bandhavgarh.

This highly popular activity inspired by the African national parks is an exhilarating experience, giving one an arial view of the forest landscape and its myriad inhabitants. 

We are proud to be part of this landmark moment for the Indian wilderness. Our trip curators are happy to assist in booking your balloon safari experience, when you stay with us on your next wilderness holiday.

Wildlife Sightings

Ever since we opened in October 2020, after a long hiatus of seven months, we have had some memorable sightings.

In our Lodges:
Our camera traps are rolling to our in-house residents & visitors like these.

There has been a good number of tiger sighting across all all national parks in Central India. Some of the highlights are as follows:

Farm to Table Initiative: Kitchen Gardens and Micro-greens

The winter greens from the organic gardens of our lodges are ensuring a fresh supply of farm to table, when you dine with us.

Our micro green endeavour has kicked off again wonderfully this year with a good, nutritious harvest ideal for your salads, soups and garnishes. 

An Exclusive Wildlife Art Workshop in the Lap of Wilderness

Pugdundee Safaris in association with Wildlife Forestry Services (WFS) presents a Wildlife Art workshop in the Kipling country, Kanha, with Prasad Natarajan, one of India’s acclaimed wildlife artist.

This 6-day workshop will be conducted in the earthy wilderness of Kanha Earth Lodge, from 14 March – 19 March, 2021, and is for art enthusiasts above 12 years of age.

To book your slot call us at: [email protected] or call us at: +91-9540537711

‌