About this hotel
General information
The Oberoi Vindhyavilas is a small resort on the edge of untouched forest near Bandhavgarh National Park, in the Vindhya Hills of Madhya Pradesh. The park has one of the highest tiger densities in the world, so sightings on a drive are common, and its forests also shelter leopards, sloth bears and wild elephants.
Guests stay in 21 tents and villas: air-conditioned tents, each in its own garden with a floating island deck, and villas with private pools. Interiors are light-filled and finished with local motifs. Around them are gardens of kachnar, frangipani and mahogany trees, a lake and an organic kitchen garden that supplies the restaurants. The Lounge, with its hearth and old jungle-lodge character, is the social centre, and evenings move between bonfires and open-air dinners overlooking the lake and the jungle.
Location
The resort lies by Sarmania village in Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh, 15 minutes from the park gates; the park is about 10 km away, roughly 20 minutes by road. The most convenient gateway is Jabalpur airport, with daily non-stop flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Indore, 180 km or about four hours by car. Rewa airport is 140 km away (about three hours) and the Umaria airfield, for private charters only, 40 km (55 minutes). The nearest railway station, Umaria, is 38 km away (45 minutes), and Katni Junction 100 km (about two hours).
Spa
The Asmi by Oberoi spa is open daily from 8 am to 7.30 pm for resident guests only, and treatments are best requested 24 hours ahead. Its programmes bring together personalised treatments, mindfulness practice and modern fitness, built on five pillars – movement, nutrition, bodywork, breathwork and mindfulness. A complimentary group yoga session is held outdoors every day.
Sports & leisure
The days revolve around drives into Bandhavgarh National Park – morning, afternoon and night – in customised 4x4s with cushioned seats, seat belts and charging points for cameras, led by professional naturalists and setting off straight from the resort. Morning drives include a breakfast served on the bonnet of the vehicle, and daytime routes cover the buffer zones and the Tala, Magadhi or Khitauli core zones. Mobile phones are not permitted inside the reserve, while cameras are encouraged. The resort also offers:
- Tiger Tales – a cycle of three evenings in The Library, when the naturalist talks about the behaviour of the local tigers and how the calls of the jungle are used to track them;
- Kalpvriksha and the Birdsong – birdwatching with the naturalist, with hornbills, sunbirds, wagtails, woodpeckers, owls, flycatchers, bee-eaters, herons and larks;
- Palash Pathways – a dawn or dusk walk with the naturalist through farmland and rural lanes and along a seasonal river beneath palash trees, looking for birds, butterflies, owls, bats and foxes;
- A Stroll Through Sarmaniya – a guided walk through the neighbouring village, with a stop at the village pond for birdwatchers;
- Cookout by the Kadam Grove – lunch with a chef, beginning with a tour of the organic gardens and foraging for ingredients, then cooking together at the lakeside pavilion (October to March);
- Malt Appreciation – a tasting of three Indian single malts;
- the pool, a 24-hour fitness centre with cardio and weights machines and free weights, daily yoga, a library, board games and a boutique.
For children
Children's activities run daily. In Little Botanists: Sprout & Scout the gardener teaches children to identify trees while they make a seed ball to grow at home and plant a sapling in the grounds, leaving with a personalised nature journal. Banyan: The Hunt for Chocolate Treasure is a clue-led hunt with creative challenges. For teenagers, Budding Naturalists teaches how to read animal tracks, feathers and markings and introduces camera trapping. Babysitting is available on request.
Restaurants & bars
The kitchens work with local produce, foraged ingredients and the season's harvest from the resort's own garden, pairing the cooking of Madhya Pradesh with international dishes; high tea is complimentary.
- The Dining Room – the all-day restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a veranda over the gardens: regional and international dishes and pizzas from a stone-hearth oven;
- The Deck – lantern-lit open-air dinners looking towards the forest, with Indian and international cooking;
- The Bush Kitchen – open-air dinners with lake and jungle views, serving smoked and grilled dishes of the Baghelkhand region, October to March;
- The Tree Court – evening small plates, flatbreads and cocktails around a bonfire with camp-style seating, October to March;
- The Lounge – a cosy room around a hearth for snacks, teas and jungle-inspired cocktails;
- private dining – Alfresco by the Kachnar by the pool among kachnar trees for couples, Bonfire by the Lake (October to March) and a candlelit dinner on a tent's own garden deck.
Swimming
There is no beach. The 18-metre, temperature-controlled infinity pool is for resident guests only and is open from 7 am to 7 pm in summer and from 8 am to 6 pm in winter, with light meals and drinks served poolside. Every villa has its own 8-metre temperature-controlled pool.
Pets
Pets are not permitted.
Rooms
The 21 tents and villas come in two types – air-conditioned tents in large private gardens and villas with their own pools – all with light interiors and local motifs. They are non-smoking, though guests may smoke in their private garden.
Each has air conditioning, a pillow menu, tea and coffee, two bottles of mineral water daily, turndown, a safe, high-speed internet for four devices, a smart TV, a separate multi-setting shower, natural Oberoi toiletries, a hair dryer and hand-printed Indian cotton bathrobes.
Luxury Tent
An air-conditioned tent under a triple-canopied roof, with a bedroom with a king-size bed or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom, a dressing area and garden views. It opens onto a large private garden with a floating island deck; for up to two guests.
Luxury Villa with Private Pool
A villa with a king-size bedroom, a bathroom with a freestanding tub and indoor and outdoor showers, a living and dining room, a powder room, a pantry and a walk-in wardrobe. Outside are a large garden, an 8-metre temperature-controlled pool and sun loungers; for up to two guests, and neighbouring villas can be linked by a connecting door.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.