In short… Suján Sher Bagh is an oasis of luxury, community, culinary excellence, and so much more on the outskirts of Ranthambore National Park—and the best place to stay if you want to see some breathtaking Bengal Tigers.
The surroundings… Driving to Ranthambore National Park from Jaipur takes just under three hours: it’s an odyssey through various small villages, towns, and lots of hustle and bustle, until you arrive at Suján Sher Bagh. It’s quite literally like you get to the end of the road and there it is, pretty much the last house on the block. When you pull in, your shoulders immediately drop to suddenly find yourself in an oasis of total calm and relaxation. All of the beeps and honks from the mopeds and cars from Ranthambore’s main strip are gone, replaced by the rhythmic sounds of birds, insects, and monkeys! It’s only when you walk onto the grounds of the camp that you become aware that you’re in the middle of a national park. The main outdoor dining area where you sit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner overlooks the most incredible unadulterated forested landscape, home to some of India’s rarest wildlife.
Because when you’re staying at Suján Sher Bagh you’re technically surrounded by the grounds of the National Park (meaning no fences or wires to prevent animals from entering and walking around the grounds), there are various rules in place to ensure guests’ safety. In the early morning hours and evening, when visibility is low, you ring a bell in your tent to call someone to escort you to your destination. Most of the time this will be your designated butler, who in our case was Ajay (more on him below!). While this may seem daunting, it’s actually incredibly exciting to think you may actually see a tiger when you’re walking around the hotel—and it has happened! You really give yourself over to nature here, which is part of why it’s so special—and it’s especially fun to wake up and ask the staff if they heard any alarm calls or, better yet, had any sightings during the night.
The backstory… Suján founder Jaisal Singh first visited Ranthambore in 1979, and in 1980 the National Park was officially established. Having grown up in Ranthambore amidst the region’s nature and wildlife, Jaisal felt a deep connection with it and in 2000 founded Suján Sher Bagh on his family’s private farm on the edge of the park. His family rewinded the area about 53 years ago, which is where the camp sits today. You can really feel the family connection when staying here, as not only does the entire staff community feel like a family, but family photos are everywhere, depicting Jaisal and his wife, Anjali, during their early days in the area. Both of them are also incredible wildlife photographers, and many of their photographs adorn the walls and picture frames around the property.
The vibe… is incredibly relaxed, welcoming and chill. Whether you’re spending time in your room, the communal spaces like the library, bar, pool, or dining room, you feel very well taken care of, but never doted on. There’s an overall sense that guests really can choose their own destiny while on property, and anything you ask for is easily facilitated. You also feel very caught in time, especially at night when it’s dark and the entire camp is illuminated solely by candlelight.
The rooms… The guest rooms have solid stone foundations and tented roofs, so you don’t at all feel like you’re camping out and you certainly don’t fear that a furry friend may scratch at the walls in the middle of the night—and aesthetically speaking, the tents are fabulous. We were lucky enough to stay in the Royal Sher Suite, with its own private pool and fireside outdoor brass bathtub… I mean, talk about luxury. The room was spacious, with a sitting-room porch leading to the bedroom and on to the very large bathroom, which had a huge standing shower and another brass bathtub—not your typical “glamping” situation. The design feels very aligned with the surroundings, with a lot of leather camp accessories, dark wood, bamboo furniture and, of course, tigers. I really loved all of the design touches, which felt incredibly timeless: the dark leather juxtaposing perfectly with the greenery of the park around us and the opulence of our outdoor brass bathtub.
Another thing I always love is when hotels decant their toiletries into glass, and they did this here—such a nice touch. When we checked-in, we were at first most excited about the pool, then the room… but Ajay, our butler, saved the best for last. He slyly mentioned he had one last surprise for us and brought us out back to see our very own outdoor bathtub (and shower), complete with a wood-burning outdoor fireplace. Also in the evenings when you return to your room, you find a hot water bottle in your bed…how perfect!
The food & drink… The food at Suján Sher Bagh is just so good. The menu is “Anglo-Indian,” with a mix of Indian classics, along with some dishes that nod to the history of British influence in India, with a modern twist. There are a few dishes on the menu that are Singh family favorites, which really makes you feel like you’re in someone’s magical home. At my first lunch I had the incredible Camp Curry, and my mom (who always orders a club sandwich whenever it’s on a menu) ordered the club, which was made even more delicious with curried chicken and a limey mayo.
Suján’s culinary program places great emphasis on using local ingredients as well as supporting the local farming community. Some of the staff on property are farmers themselves, and are incentivized to harvest their own crops and bring them in to be prepared in the restaurant and enjoyed by the guests. This amazing initiative not only guarantees fresh, locally grown produce, but also gets everyone involved in the ecosystem of the property, instilling a true sense of pride in the experience created at Suján Sher Bagh.
Our first dinner was absolutely magical. Ajay picked us up from our tent and brought us down a candlelit path to an outdoor kitchen and bar area, where all the guests were to enjoy dinner around a campfire. We started with cocktails and naturally, given the location, I ordered the “Tigertini.” I still am not totally sure what it was, but I know it was gin based and delicious—made all the more special with a tiger-printed lemon twist garnish. As we sat around the fire sipping our cocktails, some incredible starters were passed around, all cooked in the tandoor just behind us. It was seriously some of the best food I’ve ever had, with mouth-watering braised mutton, grilled chicken tikka, and fried fish from the local river nearby. Then came the main event, the thali. A traditional Indian way of serving a meal, the tali is a round platter with a variety of smaller bowls containing different dishes around a mountain of rice and vegetables in the middle (with naan on the side, of course). It was my first time having Indian food prepared this way, and I loved how it allowed you to explore a variety of dishes at the same time. We had a thali for our second dinner with different dishes—again, such a treat to have so many tastes of the local cuisine in such a short time.
The breakfast was noteworthy as well, with a variety of Indian and western dishes and a daily Indian special as well. On my first morning I had a delicious curried scrambled egg, and on my second I opted for the poha—a traditional Indian breakfast of flattened rice, curry leaves, curry powder, onions, chilli, coriander, and sometimes tomato and potato. Let me just say, it was incredibe—just the sort of savory breakfast that you could eat every day, made especially delicious with a side of buttery paratha and a cup of spicy and warming masala chai.
The wellness… We arrived at Suján Sher Bagh in the afternoon when the rest of the guests were all out on their afternoon drives, so naturally we said yes to a spa treatment. The masseuses came to meet us as we finished our lunch to help us choose our treatments, and we met them at the spa a couple of hours later. The spa is also in a “tent,” so it doesn’t feel out of place; however, it is quite funny to be walking through the grounds of a national park in a robe and slippers. My mom and I were both pleasantly surprised to see a treatment designed specifically for the head, neck and shoulders, areas often neglected for other parts in a typical full-body massage. It started off with a relaxing 10-minute steam, followed by a treatment that actually felt more like a sports massage and felt fantastic, as someone who struggles with a lot of tension in that area. My masseuse really knew what she was doing, and even climbed up on the table a couple of times to make sure I was getting the most of my pressure selection.
Is it kid-friendly? Yes! Suján Sher Bagh is a family-owned and operated business, and kids are definitely most welcome on property, as the owners Anjali and Jaisal Singh have kids of their own. What could be better than a family vacation, safari edition?
Extra tip goes to… Ajay, our butler (and so much more) throughout our stay. Ajay has worked at Suján Sher Bagh for over a decade, and knows so much about the area, the property, and the rhythms of living in Ranthambore alongside the incredible wildlife. He also farms his own delicious radishes, which you may see on the menu during your stay. We really felt as if we got to know Ajay during our stay—he was so considerate, funny, totally unscripted and welcoming. On my last morning (after he’d seen me enjoy a cup of masala chai every morning), he even offered me a lesson, which I took him up on. He really took careful note of all of our preferences, and on the second day he knew what we wanted for breakfast, which cocktail we were to order in the evening, and our favorite spot in the dining room.
The safari… During our short stay at Suján Sher Bagh, we did two safaris in one day—one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The first started with a 6am wake up call for a 6:30 departure. We were buzzing with excitement to get dressed and out of our tent to see what awaited us in the National Park, and before we boarded the jeep we were given a bowl of fresh porridge made over an open fire—the perfect meal to fill you up before the expedition. Once we set off in our jeep, it was less than a 10-minute drive to the entrance of the National Park. It was fairly busy with other vehicles setting off for their morning drives, but our guides, who have been working in the park for over 20 years, seemed to have ties with the forest commission and we entered in no time. The entire park is incredibly organized, as guests are registered for drives far in advance, and during the drive you’re restricted to your pre-designated zone to avoid overcrowding in the park.
The park itself is incredibly breathtaking—vast, with a varied landscape that is captivating to observe. The sun was just beginning to rise when our guide Ash noticed a convoy of Jeeps by the lakeside—at first we assumed they were watching the sunrise, until we got closer and saw three juvenile tigers sitting in the tall grass. We were incredibly lucky, even with this initial sighting, but our guides Ash and Bravo 6 quickly turned around to see them from another angle on the other side of the lake. As we approached our next spot, we spotted three crocodiles in the lake surrounding a recent kill, most likely a deer. As we parked up just above the crocs on the lakeside, we saw the tigers begin to move and, slowly but surely, begin to come our way. Ash suspected they’d picked up the scent from the croc kill, so we stayed put. We waited for about 10 minutes until we spotted the massive head of the female juvenile heading our way. Sitting there, a mix of captivated, in shock, and totally emotional, we watched as the three tigers slowly moved our way, passing just 5 feet in front of our Jeep. At this point, some of the other Jeeps had come to join us, but we still had the best spot as the tigress dipped into the lake and started to swim! It appeared she was going to suss out the situation re the crocs and their lunch. We watched as she navigated the shallow lake, moving with immense grace and speed. She quickly realized that at her age and capability, she most likely could not take on all three crocs on her own, and since her brothers were preoccupied on the riverbank taking in the sun, she eventually turned back. This was followed by another half hour or so of watching these incredible animals, sitting no more than 5 meters away from us, as they relaxed, groomed themselves, and sunbathed, until the two boys took off into the water themselves and started to play. We were all in shock at this point, and I asked Ash if, after 30-odd years of working in Ranthambore, this ever gets old, to which he replied, of course not, this is one of the best sightings I’ve had in a long time. The incredible tigers splashed through the water like pampered housecats, hiding from one another and jumping on logs, enjoying themselves and probably terrifying all of the other animals nearby. They eventually passed over to the other side of the lake (and into another zone), which meant it was time for a debrief and a chai.
We drove over to a more secluded part of our zone and were treated to some delicious snacks and a warming cup of chai, all coming from the chicest picnic basket and brass tiffins. We headed back to camp and just 3 hours later set out once again for our afternoon drive! Since we’d already seen the tigers and the main pressure of the safari was off, our guide Ash explained that on this one he was going to prioritize the park’s other animals (sloth bear, leopards, crocs, deer, monkeys, birds), as well as the history of the park and the beautiful fort that stands within it. This drive was so relaxing, and equally as fun. The sun was high, so we were much warmer than in the morning, and exploring a different zone showed us just how the topography of the park changes. Despite not seeing any tigers on this drive, we saw just about everything else the park had to offer, as we were lucky enough to complete the Ranthambore 3: sightings of tigers, a sloth bear (supposedly very rare!), and a leopard. My one word of advice for those travelling to Ranthambore for a safari: don’t be disappointed if you don’t see a tiger! They are beautiful, wild, and elusive due to the incredible conservation efforts of the area, and they really are completely wild. You’re essentially playing hide-and-seek with them during your safari and the park is huge. But thankfully, there’s so many other incredible sights to observe in the park, so you’ll definitely have a full experience.
Be sure to… It goes without saying that while you’re here you simply have to go on a safari—and better yet, do two so you can have a full range of sightings. Also be sure while you’re here to experience the spa. It’s very intimate, with only two rooms and a great treatment list, plus incredible practitioners.
Parting words… Whether you’ve done a million safaris or never had the pleasure of experiencing one in your life, Suján Sher Bagh is an experience unlike no other. It’s luxurious, comforting, homelike, familiar, and filled with passion everywhere you turn. You know you’re someplace special when locals are just as enamored as you are, and in this case, and it’s infectious.
Date of stay… January 21-23, 2026
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