Unique Chambal landscapes, a family run eco-lodge, the rugged charm of the ravines and a wildlife experience with a river safari. Bliss.

Earthy cottages, roughly white washed and tin-roofed, create magic as bougainvillea covers their facades. Old fashioned windows and doors add to the charm. Quaint sit-outs are ideal for listening to the birds when the sun sets. Relax under the tall trees in the sweeping gardens, live a typical village experience, reclined around a chabootra. Eat in the old fashioned dining rooms that combine elegance with a rustic charm with white walls and sloping ceilings lit up with candles.

Safari is the name of the game here with river safari, camel safari and jeep safari on offer, as also nature walks.

USP: Rustic charm, with elegance.

The Chambal Safari is 70 km from Agra.

Air: Agra is well connected to all major destinations across India by air.

Rail: Agra is an important railway junction and very well connected to the rest of India by rail. If coming from Delhi, the Bhopal Shatabdi Express is ideal.

The Mela Kothi – Chambal Safari Lodge nestles in the midst of a sprawling 35 acre heritage plantation, surrounded by family owned farmland. The lodge combines the warmth of a local home with the comfort of all modern amenities. Eight independent en suite cottages with covered verandahs on raised red sandstone platforms stand in the woodland around the restored Mela Kothi. Large windows allow fresh air and natural light into the rooms whilst the sloping roofs with canopies add warmth and charm.

The sprawling grounds of the Chambal Safari Lodge are home to numerous birds and small mammals. Evening nature walks around the lodge with the resident naturalist are the best time to go looking for Palm Civet Cats, Foxes, Jungle Hares, Fruit Bats, Hedgehogs and the Indian Striped Hyenas. With a checklist of over 170 birds, birding in the Lodge grounds starts with the ‘wake call’ of the Barbets & Babblers, and continues through the day and well into the evening.

The calm waters of the Chambal River are best explored on boats and the River Safari provides spectacular opportunities to view the wildlife. The Chambal Safari also organises special nature walks along the river banks, around the ravines and in the fields surrounding the National Chambal Sanctuary. Camel Safari along the river banks, into the ravines, through villages and up to the beautiful Fort Ater are also on offer. As are jeep safaris into remote and inaccessible parts of the Chambal Valley. These Jeep Safaris are particularly productive in the months of October, November, late February and March, when large herds of Blackbuck can be seen.