Rajasthan's Jawai Leopard Camp - luxury safari, no crowds
Gillian Rhys rates the Jawai leopard experience - the camp is the only one in the vicinity and you won't find jeeps full of tourists crowded around every specimen
A luxury tented camp in the wilderness outside Jawai Bandh, a couple of hours' drive from either Jodhpur or Udaipur, in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
While Ranthambore and its tigers are better known, at Jawai, where leopards are the attraction, you won't find jeeps crowded around every animal. As the only safari camp in the vicinity and with just nine double tents and a family suite, Jawai feels exclusive.
Based on the idea of a moveable camp, it's all canvas and metal with a black, white and red colour scheme inspired by the local Rabari herdsmen's outfits and their striking scarlet turbans. Stunning black and white photographs of leopards and shepherds are everywhere. Lounging and dining take place in two open-sided communal tents overlooking the rocky Aravalli hills. The guest tents are a short walk away - after nightfall and before dawn (more of which later) you'll be guided back and forth by lantern light.
Each tent has a roomy bedroom with a comfy double bed, a liberal sprinkling of local throws and rugs, and a private verandah with a writing desk for that "Out of India" feeling. The impressive bathrooms have free-standing wood and metal double basins, a large wood-slatted shower and a proper loo - this is "glamping", after all.
Personable guides take guests on two jeep drives a day, negotiating scrubland and granite hills to find the best places to spy on a spotted big cat. Days are dictated by the drives, starting before dawn in the hope of a sunrise sighting (coffee and binoculars are provided). The jeeps head back out at about 5.30pm. Each time guests return to camp, they are greeted jeep-side with a refreshing drink and chilled towel.
You'll see plenty of monkeys and peacocks, but migratory birds are the other notable draw. The area is a twitchers' paradise, particularly near the picturesque Jawai Bandh reservoir. Take a private drive in a vintage jeep and combine bird watching with a few sundowners.
Meals are pretty flexible and worked around the safaris. Breakfast is available from the moment you get back from the early-morning drive, followed by a leisurely lunch and afternoon tea before the evening game drive. Afterwards, dinner is served in a delightful, lantern-lit alfresco setting. An aperitif around the campfire is de rigueur.
The food is a mixture of modern international and traditional Rajasthani, and all very good. Chefs work in an open kitchen and source vegetables from their own garden. Meat comes from local farmers and fish from the nearby lake.
Given the early starts you'll probably want an afternoon nap, but there's also a sleek swimming pool and massages either in the spa tent or on your own verandah. Nearby is the impressive Ranakpur temple complex and, a little further afield, stunning Kumbhalgarh fort makes for an interesting day trip.
Dress appropriately for clambering in and out of jeeps - even the airport transfer requires guests to jump into an open-topped 4x4 for a bumpy, 20-minute off-road drive. Sunscreen and a well-secured hat are also advisable.
