At Pugdundee Safaris we have always been at the forefront of bespoke wilderness experiences and breaking new ground in creating wildlife experiences for our guests that not only thrill but also enrich their understanding of the panoply of wildlife that is found in India’s forests.
Staying true to this intent, we have now taken up the responsibility of diversifying the experiences & creating unmatched wildlife photography hide adventure across two of our lodges. One of these hides at Pench Tree Lodge is now operational & is named ‘The Kipling Hide’, for all the natural reasons.
The Kipling Photography Hide at our Pench Tree Lodge is one of its kind, professionally designed, luxury underground wildlife photography hides in India. It gives photographers and wildlife lovers the freedom to get close to wildlife safely and discreetly, without disturbing or impacting the animals.
And while it allows wildlife to behave and interact with each other with complete freedom, photographers gain a unique eye-level perspective from up close. The objective of the hide is to further encourage non-vehicular, low impact, greener & sustainable experiences for our guests.
At Pugdundee Safaris, we believe in creating unforgettable experiences while promoting responsible tourism practices. Join us on a Wildlife Photography Tour in India and discover the magic of capturing wildlife moments in their natural environment.
The Kipling Wildlife Photography Hide will also serve as a fantastic tool for conservation, by serving a post for documentation of animal and bird species, observation, and recording of behaviour. It opens onto a reflection pond which acts as both, a water source for wildlife, as well as a photography feature for reflection images of the wildlife, that come to the water, to either drink or bathe.
The Kipling Hide can comfortably accommodate 4 photographers. The Hide has a coffee station, fridge, charging stations, and professional bean bags for photography. The Kipling Hide is the result of the synergy of an ecologically sensitive approach, combining sustainable design and ergonomics keeping in mind long hours of photography, comfort, and complete safety of the guests.
The hide can be used for photography tours, bird photography masterclasses, various documentary productions and can be booked for either morning or evening slots. Besides a number of bird species visiting the hide we also have jackals, wild boars, jungle cats, and mongoose visiting regularly.
| Checklist of Birds & Mammals visiting the Kipling Hide | ||
| Sno | Birds | Mammals |
| 1 | Common Myna | Northern Plains Gray Langur |
| 2 | Brahminy Starling | Wild Boar |
| 3 | Pond Herons | Asian Palm Civet |
| 4 | White Breasted Waterhen | Golden Jackal |
| 5 | Jungle Crow | Indian Grey Mongoose |
| 6 | Greater Coucal | Jungle Cat |
| 7 | White Throated Kingfisher | Small Indian Civet |
| 8 | Red Water Lapwing | Leopard |
| 9 | Little Cormorant | Bengal Tiger |
| 10 | Spotted Dove | Â |
| 11 | Oriental Turtle Dove | Others |
| 12 | Yellow Footed Green Pigeon | Checkered Keel Back snake |
| 13 | Oriental Magpie – Robbin | Bull Frog |
| 14 | Black – Winged Kite | Common Tree Frog |
| 15 | Red Vented Bulbul | Oriental Garden Lizard |
| 16 | White Browed Bulbul | Rat Snake |
| 17 | Asian Paradise Flycatcher | Â |
| 18 | Jungle Bush Quail | Butterfly & Dragonfly |
| 19 | Black Naped Monarch | Rufous Marsh Glider |
| 20 | Jungle Owlet | Great Eggfly |
| 21 | Black Drongo | Plain Tiger |
| 22 | Purple Sunbird | Grass Yellow |
| 23 | Jerdons Leaf Bird | Common Tiger |
| 24 | House Sparrow | Leomon Pansy |
| 25 | Yellow Throated Sparrow | Â |
| 26 | Oriental Honey Buzzard | Â |
| 27 | Baya Weaver | Â |
| 28 | Orange Headed Thrush | Â |
| 29 | Eurasian Collared Dove | Â |
| 30 | Spot Breasted Fantail | Â |
| 31 | Indian Thick Knee | Â |
| 32 | Plum Headed Parakeet | Â |
| 33 | White Billied Drongo | Â |
| 34 | Lesser Whistling Duck | Â |
| 35 | Grey Wagtail | Â |
| 36 | Common Sandpiper | Â |
| 37 | Common Hoopoe | Â |
| 38 | Black Redstart | Â |
| 39 | Rufous Tree Pie | Â |
| 40 | Red Breasted Flycatcher | Â |
| 41 | Green Sandpiper | Â |
| 42 | Asian Koel | Â |
| 43 | Yellow Eye Babbler | Â |
The Kipling Hide is operational for photographers to book while they stay at Pench Tree Lodge, in Pench, Madhya Pradesh. The lodge is snuggled in forty acres of wilderness, in a small tribal hamlet of Sarahiri the accommodations are embellished with unique safari-style furniture and exquisite local crafts. The luxurious abode in the jungle includes 06 spacious cottages on the ground and 06 tree houses perched on top of the Mahua trees that are supported by stilts.
In-house guests can book a single seat slot costing Rs 2000/- for up to 3-4 hours where the photographer can share the space with other photographers. If on the other hand, guests wish to indulge in a more private experience they can even rent out the entire hide by paying Rs 5000/- for the same duration.
Pench Tree Lodge is the refuge of the au courant, adventurous, and eco-sensitive ‘Mowgli’. Our well-appointed tree houses and luxury cottages are nestled in the undisturbed 16 hectares of forested area in the small ‘Sarrahiri’ village of Pench Tiger Reserve in the Karmajhiri area. This is the first lodge to be set up in this underdeveloped zone and supports our conservation policy of not overcrowding areas and making them unsustainable with over-exposure to tourism.
Snuggled in forty acres of wilderness, in a small tribal hamlet of Sarahiri, our resort stands out as the best resort in Pench, offering accommodations embellished with unique safari-style furniture and exquisite local crafts. We keep our carbon footprint to the bare minimum, offering the discerning traveller an intimate experience with fourteen elegant tree houses and cottages.
Pench National Park can be accessed by the Karamajhiri gate which is just about 20 minutes from our serene setting. Choose from a host of adventures and activities – cycling, night trails, village walks, and more. Cool your heels in our pool. Savour our lip-smacking local cuisine; ingredients of which are also sourced from our very own organic garden.
Now you have one more reason to visit Pench 🙂
Contact our wildlife trip curators at enquiry@pugdundeesafaris.com or visit our website.
Pugdundee Safaris is recognized as one of India’s leading responsible safari companies. With seven intimate jungle lodges in Central India and many bespoke wilderness experiences it presents the very best of the Indian subcontinent wildlife & hospitality. Between 2009 and 2026, we have been awarded for our excellence in wildlife safaris, our commitment to sustainability, our experienced naturalists and our pioneering mobile safari initiative. Pugdundee is a Hindi word meaning a foot trail commonly used by humans and animals, this word is popularly used for such beaten paths in the Indian jungles. We continuously strive to deliver the best possible guest experience, while still integrating the conservation of jungles and the people living around. We are motivated by the hope of reaching out to people in the remotest areas of our country, as we believe that they are the front-runners of wildlife conservation. However, maybe just a drop in the ocean we consider that we are making a significant contribution to wildlife conservation and rural economy wherever our lodges are.
