One Year of Pashan Garh!

One year completed, yet it feels like yesterday when we both entered the premises of our special anniversary stay in Panna and were welcomed by a galloping spotted deer! Life for the next few days was as mesmerising as this warm welcome.

In their abode for a few days!

Welcome to Taj Pashan Garh! For us it was love at first sight while we were trying to decide on our first anniversary destination. It had to be unique, peaceful and special. What could be a better option than a luxury stay in the middle of a forest! And all the pampering that came with it was icing on the cake.

Taj Pashan Garh is one of the safari stays of Taj group. It is located in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, far from the humdrum of city life. Panna National Park is divided into three segments, Taj Pashan Garh falls inside one of them. The team and their special welcome exuded a feeling of warmth and care. We knew instantly that it was going to be a home away from home.

Always enjoyed the forest trail that led to our cottage..

The place was absolutely ‘enchanting’ in one word. I mostly am a person who is in love with everything, be it hills, sea, forest, palaces, forts, rivers, sunrises, sunsets, and I use the word magical a lot. But some magical places are even beyond the precincts of magic and Taj Pashan Garh is one of them.

Short forest trail took us to our home for three days, a few beautiful cottages made of rock and wood with luxurious amenities and complete privacy. We were instructed to not walk around alone after darkness fell and ask for someone to guide us. That was a safety instruction as the property is tucked inside a forest and four, two legged animals and even legless creatures are a common sight there. I understand that it’s their abode and we should be glad that they are allowing us to coexist with them for a while! It’s their home, we are there their guests for a few days, neither should we freak out nor should we scare them away. Coexistence is a beautiful thing that we get to see in such forest stays.

The cozy stay and our favourite corner

A stone cottage, spacious enough with beautiful and elegant décor and a view to die for. Every day we woke up to the sun rays that pierced through the forest and tiptoed to our room to give us a subtle hug. The first thing to do in the morning was to remove the curtains of this huge glass window and gaze at the morning splendour of the forest while still in bed. Waking up to see a few animals roaming just outside our cottage was common.

The room was cozy and cute but the centre of attraction was the gazebo. A perfect spot to just laze around, enjoy morning or evening tea, witness the rising and the setting sun, birdwatching for hours and spending some romantic moments with each other, gazebo was the winner. We could sit there for hours watching the forest and sipping on our hot tea or coffee and chit chatting about life and the rest of the world that seemed such a faraway place. A no wifi zone only to listen to the chirping birds and the inner silence of our soul. The place was perfect for bird watching, so many of them in different colours and sizes, busy with their continuous antics. And yes we observed how talkative the birds can be!

What more do you seek when you are surrounded by the sound and colours of Nature?

Let’s talk about the food now. Delicious, homely and full of local flavours. So, the cottage was to soak in and relax while the restaurant was the place to indulge in delicacies, again a short walk from our cottage, surrounded by Nature. Sighting a few animals while having our breakfast was common, an amazing way to coexist. Food was healthy and fresh from farm to table. Also it was heartening to see how Taj Pashan Garh encourages local flavours and cuisines, a visible change from what we get to see in any regular five star property.

The food, the hospitality and our breakfast companions!

Lunch and dinner was not as unlimited as we find in any luxury stay, it was just perfect and as much as we needed. And there was a touch of home in everything that was cooked. Icing on the cake was Rama dai, who looked after our needs and took care of us like his own family member. Rama dai is from Nepal and has been a part of Taj group since last ten years. On asking how he feels staying away from city life in this remote secluded forest, he said he loves it.

The whole team out here love what they do and that shows up in their hospitality and friendliness. They got aware of our special day and gave us an unforgettable surprise, a special dinner on a beautifully lit up terrace top. And it was a special Bundelkhandi thali along with a delicious anniversary cake. Absolutely sweet gesture and the most romantic ambience that we could have imagined in the middle of a forest!

The sweet surprise!

The last part is about the safaris. We had two day and one night safari. Tarun, an engineer turned Naturalist, took the lead when it came to safaris. His passion for the forests was infectious. There were two day safaris in the Panna National Park. Absolutely stunning when it came to the landscape and we could go round and round there without despair any for not sighting a tiger. It was just so beautiful. One single national park that had mountainous terrain, thick forests and grasslands. The freedom to create your own path is the best thing about Panna National Park.

Check out the details about my safari experiences here : https://www.spinayarnwithpaulami.com/post/tales-of-picturesque-panna

The breathtaking jungle safari at Panna National Park!

It is difficult to choose the best moments of these few wonderful days but the night safari will definitely remain etched in the mind of my eyes for ever. It’s sad that not everything that we feel and see can be captured by the man made lenses, even if it could be done we mortals can't do enough justice to it. The beginning of the night safari was like experiencing a tussle inside. On one side I wanted to experience the eerie silence of the forest at night and on the other side prayed and hoped that the tiger kept safe distance from me. Of course both happened. On a cold dark evening we drove inside the forest which falls in the premises of the property, trust me it is huge. The twinkling eyes at night kept looking curiously at us to feel the degree of danger. We drove for a while and reached an open space. That was the time when Tarun simply said, “Be quiet now and just look up.” We did and wow what a starry sky! We sat in silence there for at least five to ten minutes. No words can describe that feeling. An experience of a lifetime and these are the kind of experiences that a wandering soul like me seeks, without which life feels incomplete!