WILDLIFE RESORTS IN INDIA

India, with its 80 national parks, 441 wildlife sanctuaries and 23 tiger reserves is truly a paradise for the wildlife enthusiast and offers some amazing holiday options where you can wake up to the alluring sounds of the jungle and view wildlife in their natural habitats.

With the growing environmental consciousness, wildlife tourism has come a long way from where it began. Today eco and nature tourism is gaining ground by the day in India. Both the holiday makers and responsible travellers are waking up to the irreversible hazards of mass tourism and are in every possible way trying to safeguard the environment.

Ecotourism is defined as “Responsible travel to an environmentally sensitive area without exploiting it, but in the process creating economic development all around through participation of the local community resulting in preservation of these areas”.

The surge in the number of wildlife resorts in India currently poses a threat to the natural habitat and the delicate ecosystem and the challenge ahead is to build sustainable and ecologically balanced properties. This consciousness needs to be applied to all aspects of resort building and operations – right from the size of the resort; its layout, landscaping and aesthetics; the building materials used to its overall responsible strategy of operations. Some resorts even go to the extent of conserving natural resources by adopting sustainable resort operation measures such as solar energy for lighting purpose, rain water harvesting, waste water treatment etc.

Cicada Resorts is one such responsible ecotourism player in the wildlife tourism sector. Cicada is an upcoming chain of 15 eco and nature tourism resorts which will operate near key wildlife reserves in India. While the brand pampers its guests with “Club Class” comforts in the jungle, it does not shy away from instilling sensitivity and awareness amongst them about the delicate ecosystem and the impact of human behaviour on it. For instance, the resort discourages the use of plastics on campus and engages interested guests in the Resort’s own initiative of clearing up littered plastics and inorganic materials from nearby areas. Solid waste at the Resort is split into Organic and Inorganic waste and is disposed accordingly.

The resort is also small in size with an accommodation capacity of not more than 25-30 rooms ensuring there is not too much pressure on these ecologically sensitive areas. The first resort of the chain - Cicada-Kabini - located on the banks of the Kabini River which is about 220 kms from Bangalore, has maintained the natural landscape of lush green grasses and swaying palm trees and the new blocks beautifully merge into this setting without disturbing it. The resort also works in close consultation with the Forest Department authorities to facilitate better conservation of the protected areas.

The traditional villages in and around benefit in multiple ways from the Resort - the ethnic and traditional art forms and handicrafts of the area find a place of recognition in the Resort’s souvenir shop; by employing native villagers, not only has the local economy improved but the knowledge of the place that these villagers posses, has been put to good use. Many villagers have taken on the role of naturalists and guides at the Resort.

In addition, Cicada is also a member of the Washington-based TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), named by The Wall Street Journal as the pre-eminent ecotourism organisation in the world. This keeps the brand in touch with the latest norms and standards in ecotourism.