India’s FIRST BIRDING HOTEL

It takes years of letting wilderness take over to get a true forest feel. Being over 20 years old, Jungle Lore wore its years and its forest feel well. Four cottages that were named after the various pheasants stood nestled in thickets of bushes and trees. Situated on

the edge of an old oak forest, all kinds of birds frequented the property.

Mohit Aggarwal, the owner, is himself a passionate wildlife and birding expert, who has made remarkable strides in training programs for guides over the years and has worn the conservation cap well. He started the ‘Zero-waste Pangot Initiative’ with

Kunjakharak lies 2,292 metres above sea level, where the man-made road ends. Part of the protected zone of Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve, this is home to a two-room rest house, a hut for the guards

‘Chintan’, a non-profit group to formulate a plan for waste segregation and disposal. The idea was to also make Pangot plastic free. Several hotel owners have since joined the drive. The other hallmark of his properties is limiting the demands on fragile natural surroundings by making small boutique resorts.