Taj Mahua Kothi

Even though the lodge isn't in the park, the tangled bushes and trees give the whole place a particularly lovely, jungle-like ambience. The main area is bedecked with beautiful furniture and ornate columns, and there's a rooftop terrace and wide veranda for cocktails when you please. When the sun becomes too much, take refuge by the pool or enjoy a picnic under the shade of the trees.

The lodge has 12 jungle suites, or kutiyas, all charming, homely and filled with delicate local handicrafts. The rooms are modeled on traditional Indian homes, with cool, mud floors, roll-down window blinds and shady entrance courtyards, all particularly enjoyable in the hot season. Ensuite bathrooms have large showers and double vanities and outside, you'll find your very own bikes with which to explore the magnificent forest surrounds.

You can't stay at Mahua Kothi and not enjoy a drive through Bandhavgarh National Park in search of wild tigers. Departing twice daily, in both the morning and afternoon, the guides are some of the best in the business and make the jungle come alive, even if the cats aren't easy to come by. Outside the park, you'll also have the opportunity to meet some of the oldest indigenous peoples of India, the local Gond and Baiga tribes, and learn about their fascinating way of life.