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.
