Mela Kothi - the Chambal Safari Lodge

Hôtel bien pour un coin assez reculé de l'Inde. Service très sympa qui cherche vraiment à faire plaisir au client. Nourriture très correcte. Installations très correctes malgré une électricité parfois défaillante.

A fine lodge with great hosts and excellent service. We stayed for a couple of nights and enjoyed the hospitality with the owners Ram and Anu. Food is excellent with choices of Indian, continental and also catering to special needs. The naturalists are well trained, the boat ride is a great way to see Chambal (the unholy river and thank God! for that - very clean)!! Anyone who wants to enjoy a quiet peacful time with undisturbed, private safari experiences (not just jeep safaris) - must come here. It is also close to Agra - so you can stay here and plan a visit to the Taj.

This charming retreat is the perfect antidote to Agra's urban chaos. We spent 3 wonderfull nights here. The rooms are huge and beautifully decorated with traditional `Indian woodblock prints. The hosts, Ram and Anu are so hospitable and generous, they make you feel so welcome. The staff is very helpful and hard-working. The food is deliciously fresh and a welcome break from the dreaded hotel buffets one so often gets. The bread was freshly baked, and the jams and pickles were all homemade as well. The setting is in a huge garden bordering the forest. Our excellent guide, Bachchu Singh is a very experienced naturalist who can identify birds just by their sone. He knows the flora, fauna and bird life completely. He took us on a safari to find the Sarus bird, the largest flying bird on the planet, which was exciting. We found a small group of these extraordinary birds, a highlight of the trip. We had a lovely excursion on the Chambal River to view more birdlife, crocodiles, gharials, river dolphins, turtles, etc., which was also an exclusive perk of staying at the lodge.

Where to begin…. Other reviewers have highlighted the sense of family welcome at Mela Kothi and like them, I have struggled a little to put how very real this is into words. The accommodation is excellent, comfortable beds, smart bathrooms and real, good quality tea and coffee facilities in the room. The team at Mela Kothi are exceptional. The food was excellent and whilst at Mela Kothi for a couple of days without other guests, I was spoiled by the team to the point where I felt getting in a boat of any kind might endanger everyone involved because of the extra weight… My guide for three days, Bacchu, was, as another guest has commented a gentle soul, and his knowledge about the local (and not so local) wildlife as well as local history and legends was incredible. What made this even better was the way in which he wove stories about people, places and nature together to make the whole experience more engaging. I would return just for more long, rambling walks with Bacchu (and some more palak pakoda). One of the other highlights was the fire pit. This is a great way to meet other travellers and gave me the unique experience of drinking vintage Pomerol around an open fire in Uttar Pradesh with a lovely family from Delhi. It just goes to prove that no matter how well you know India, it will always have the power to surprise….. Thank you to Ram and Anu for what can only really be described as a top notch experience, real people, real warmth and the closest brush you’re ever likely to have with a marsh crocodile…. so yes, real adventure too!

I loved this eco-lodge set apart from noisy city streets. The two bedroom unit was charmingly decorated and included a front porch with two chairs and a table for outdoor activities. The food (mostly vegetarian) was outstanding and plentiful and the service was second to none. Special shout out to the kind bartender who I befriended while there. Although there’s wasn’t wifi in my room, there was wifi in the common area near the restaurant and bar. So I spent a lot of time there. During my two week guided visit to India on an Explore tour, this was my favorite hotel!

We had a good stay at the Lodge and it was a welcome break from all the touring we had done. Our 'room' was massive and very well equipped - it was also lovely to have a small garden area. The staff and owner are very welcoming and we really liked the eco ethos and wish the team the best of luck with spreading the word. Unfortunately the nights were cold whilst we were there so we didn't get to to enjoy eating outside by the fire. This was a shame as we weren't too keen on the inside dining area plus the breakfast was a bit disappointing.