Magical night safaris, sunset boat rides, regal thalis: 2 unforgettable days of pure luxury in Mewar’s private forest

A leopard — holding your breath in the dark while an apex predator moves gracefully through the scrubland just metres away offers an intoxicating rush of adrenaline.

For someone who has always loved nature, gentle hikes, and daytime safaris, this trip brought an unexpected revelation: I love night safaris. And to spot a leopard on both consecutive nights of my forest stay felt less like luck and more like a privileged invitation into a hidden world.

That’s the thing about Chunda Shikar Oudi. It doesn’t just give you a holiday. It gives you permission to forget Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad — the pings, the traffic, the chaos — and belong, instead, to Mewar.

The luxury sanctuary is hidden away in a private forest in the village of Bathera. One smooth hour from the bustling, palace-lined streets of Udaipur. About 30 minutes from the airport. A world away.

The turning point came when the owner, Mayur Singh of the Bathera family, and his wife, Bhavna, took it upon themselves to restore the ecosystem. For years, they planted trees, stopped illegal logging, and built a private home on the estate.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, seeking a sustainable model to preserve this sprawling 150-hectare private reserve, they partnered with relatives Veeram Dev Singh Krishnawat and Yaduraj Singh Krishnawat of the Chunda Group. The private hunting lodge became a full-fledged wildlife, luxury retreat. The kind of place where actors Dia Mirza, Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty, and Soha Ali Khan (with their families) have famously come to unwind.

“When I joined in 2020, the leopards were here, but they lacked a natural prey base,” Chandravijay Hada, the resort’s naturalist and general manager, who brings over 20 years of wildlife experience, explained.

“We started clearing invasive lantana weeds, developing native grasslands, and planting fruiting trees. Slowly, the prey returned. Today, our wild boar population is over 150, Nilgai count is around 35, and we have counted up to nine leopards in this private ecosystem alone,” he added.

That’s conservation you can feel. And it’s rare.

The architecture is a masterclass in regional craftsmanship. Local granite stone. Limestone flooring. Sandstone ceilings. Warm native timber. The aesthetic borrows from the local flora — specifically the palash, or flame of the forest tree — blending muted rust tones, warm ochres, and hand-finished stone textures.

The main courtyard features a serene bamboo-ringed pond fountain. The lobby feels like entering the grand, sunlit living room of a royal countryside estate. High vaulted ceilings. Plush deep-red seating. Vintage chandeliers. Brass accents. Large windows framing panoramic views of the forest and the lake. Outside, an infinity-edge pool lined with rustic lamps overlooks the dark forest canopy.

Yet, despite its royal lineage and celebrity allure, staying here feels disarmingly intimate. Less like a formal hotel. More like being welcomed as an honoured guest into someone’s lavish estate.

My 900 sq ft suite with private balcony was intimacy done right. Warm wood, sandstone textures, hand-finished stone, and plush seating that invited you to do nothing. The private balcony opened directly onto the forest and the lake. Morning coffee here wasn’t an activity. It was a ritual. I heard birds, not cars. I saw lush trees, not buildings.

The suite is perfect for couples or solo travellers who want all the luxury with a quieter footprint. It costs about ₹65,000 per night for two in peak season.

“If you book a suite here, you aren’t just booking an 800-square-foot room,” Chandravijay noted with a smile, as he explained the accommodations. “You are booking 150 hectares of private forest and a one-kilometre-long lake. Everything — from private boat rides and night safaris to stargazing and nature walks — is curated around your mood,” he added.

Another option is the villa. Spread over 5,000 sq ft, it is regal, expansive, and made for slowing down. It comes with separate living areas, heritage details, and a private pool that sits at the edge of the forest as though it grew there. This is where you can do candlelit dinners or have whimsical movie nights. Where you can float in the morning and watch the canopy. Where 4-6 people can spread out and still feel like they have the whole estate to themselves.

It feels less like a hotel and more like you’ve been handed the keys to a royal home. The spacious private villa costs about ₹1,50,000 per night for 4-6 people in peak season.

Now, here’s how my 48 hours of forgetting everything went:

Lunch was served in the dining hall: their elaborate ‘Mewar ka thaal’ easily ranks among my best culinary experiences in India.

I started with makki ki raab — a warm, spiced corn drink— followed by sajjia papad — traditional corn papad — and lehsun and lal mirch ki chutney. Then I tried the melt-in-your-mouth dahi ke kabab.

The mains comprised govind gatta, soyabean keema, shahi kofta, torai hing jeera, khaata — a tangy local Mewari curry — alongside a comforting bajre ka keechda. For breads, I had traditional thotri, hare ghaas ki roti, makki ka dhokhla, and light phulkas. Dessert featured warm gud ka malpua and vasundi.

I ate too much. And I didn’t care.

By 6 pm, we boarded an open-top 4×4 jeep for a three-hour safari. As the sun dipped behind the Aravalli hills, we stopped for a picturesque high tea in the wild. Piping hot coffee. Freshly fried pakoras. Baked tea cakes straight from the property’s in-house bakery.

The highlight? Within hours of my arrival, we spotted a leopard slinking through the brush. We also saw herds of Nilgai, Indian hares, and a stunning array of nocturnal birds.

Dinner was back at the lodge — a lavish spread with tandoori paneer tikka, broccoli, and mushrooms, followed by rich baigan bharta, dal, spicy mirchi ka salan, and a delicious lauki sabzi. I capped the evening off with the single best paan ice cream I have ever tasted and went to bed with the sound of the forest instead of traffic.

We sat together, eating freshly made white corn rotis paired with fiery red chilli chutney, fresh gudh (jaggery), and maand — a starchy, fermented rice-water beverage. The morning ended with visits to local shrines dedicated to Kali ma, the local Gujjar deity, and an ancient Jain temple.

Lunch at the lodge was another grand affair — a beautiful ‘chand thali’ featuring seasonal and local delicacies, including the classic dal baati churma.

By early evening, I experienced what was undoubtedly one of the best boat rides of my life. As the sun melted into the lake, we (the general manager and I) drifted along the calm water, with high tea on board. We spotted wallowing water buffaloes, roosting cormorants, and even a hidden owl perched along the tree line.

As night fell, we set out on safari once again — and spotted a leopard for the second night in a row. We celebrated with a late-night spin around the quiet village roads before heading back to a soothing, light dinner. Fresh salads. Piping soup. Kebabs. Served by the candlelit pool at the private villa.

No laptop. No deadlines. Just stars.

“The toughest part initially was getting the locals on our side,” reflected Chandravijay. “They felt it was their ancestral land to graze or cut wood. We spent years educating them that live wildlife brings sustainable tourism, which brings real jobs. Today, if an outsider tries to cut a tree or set a trap, the villagers call us immediately to report it. We’re protecting 50 families, and in return, they protect this ecosystem,” he added.

This deep bond translates into service that is genuine, attentive, and kind. The staff doesn’t just manage your stay. They pamper you like family.

Want to dine under a canopy of vintage hurricane lanterns in the forest at 10 pm? Done. Want to customise your dinner menu and tell the chef precisely what you’re craving? You got it.

This is the place for forgetting your to-do list. For remembering that you are not only your Mumbai deadlines or Bengaluru meetings. For a few days, you belong to Mewar. To Udaipur. To a quieter, truer you. If you’re visiting Rajasthan, don’t rush past Chunda Shikar Oudi. Stay here. Take the pause.

⦿ All meals: Breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner

⦿ Complimentary jeep jungle safari or boat ride

⦿ Complimentary forest walks, village cultural treks, and nature trails

⦿ Stargazing sessions, angling/fishing, and water sports on the private lake are also available. Signature experiences include fish feeding, sunset high tea, and cooking demonstrations

This article was produced following a two-night hosted stay at Chunda Shikar Oudi, upon editorial invitation.