Salban is a sprawling bungalow, built in the local style, with a red tiled roof and an inviting veranda facing a sal forest. Come here for a quintessential homestay experience on the edge of Kanha National Park. There are four bedrooms, with attached bathrooms, available for guests to stay. Two of them are in the main house, while two more are in an independent cottage flanked by the sal forest. The core central space has a living room, dining area and open kitchen, and is the heart of the residence. A library runs along the upstairs corridor, where you will find books to suit every taste - from natural history and travel to cookery and crime. A large mahua tree shades the open-air sit out, where a fire is kindled on winter evenings. The hosts, Sheema and Jhampan Mookerjee, welcome you into their home with old-fashioned hospitality and personalised care. Entertaining people with good food and conversation has been their way of life, and this is what you’ll experience here too. “A homestay with the owners present, makes it truly special.”

Salban is nestled in the village of Baherakhar, 7 km from the Mukki gate. This side of Kanha is less ‘developed’ and thus more peaceful. The 11-acre compound has been planted with many fruit trees, and there is an organic vegetable and herb garden. The local brown rice and wild millet (kodo) is grown in the fields. The property stands in the middle of an old mixed forest dominated by sal, and dotted by old mahua, bahera, jamun and other trees (Click here for the full trees species list). We share a boundary with the core zone of the park, and alarm calls are often heard.

The birdlife on the land is prolific. You can sit on the veranda and fulfil your birdwatching dreams. (Click here for the full birds list). There is a large lake behind the land which is ideal for nature walks. You can also stroll along the village roads to see tribal homes built in the typical pressed mud architecture, surrounded by small picturesque farms.

“Adjoining the core zone of Kanha National Park”