The forest and Daleep Akoi have always had a lot to say to each other. And their favourite language is silence. Daleep reasons, “Even when it is really silent, it never is. There are insect noises, birdsong, the sounds of the river, the wind through the trees, and the sound of stillness.”
And in that silence, he’s had some of his most profound conversations — both as a child who ventured into these fragile ecosystems with his father, Inder Pratap Singh Akoi and, now, while being at the helm of Jim’s Jungle Retreat in Uttarakhand.
Calling himself and his sister “Corbett pilgrims”, referencing the many trips they took into Corbett Tiger Reserve, Daleep recounts his childhood being filled with campouts in forest bungalows, tiger tracking on elephant back, long campfire nights with forest guards, and sumptuous picnic lunches surrounded by the wonders of the jungle.
“We learned through sight and sound, discussion and debate,” he says, going on to recall early morning safaris on elephant back, crossing the vast expanse of grasslands. “We’d spot a tiger approaching an elephant and almost sensed the fear of the elephant; its shivers reached us.”
Jim’s Jungle Retreat in Uttarakhand is a haven for biodiversity.
He chuckles at how these forest rendezvous were often cut short by the smell of kari patta (curry leaves). “Hunger would set in, and we’d start thinking about lunch,” he shares.
Intent that these not just remain childhood stories, Daleep designed Jim’s Jungle Retreat in a way that his guests can experience all of the above.
Connecting people to the jungle
In the early 1950s, while India was still recovering from the hangover of the British Raj, Inder, who was just a toddler at the time, accompanied his uncle on hunting trips.
Daleep explains, “This was before India banned hunting in the 1970s; the British had leased out forest blocks to people who were interested in hunting. During the season, killing a certain number of deer, wild boar, tigers, leopards, and bears was permitted. It was during these trips that my father’s love for the forest took shape.”
The luxury stay couples sustainable principles with an authentic experience of the forest.
Inder always ventured into the forest with his camera, intent to shoot (the other kind) the magic of the forest. This love for the jungle was passed on to Daleep. “My first trip into the forest was in 1978 when I was two years old. We kept going to Corbett every year after that until I left for college in America. Eventually, my father bought a piece of land in one of the abandoned fringe villages and built a cottage there, where we would spend the holidays.”
The idea of Jim’s Jungle Retreat hadn’t taken shape just then.
“That started as an idea my dad had to let children have the same experiences we’d had in the forest. There was so much mining and development happening in the jungle around that time. It made us realise that the tiger was at the mercy of human benevolence, and that protecting it would only be possible if people came together to care for the forest,” he reasons.
A barren piece of land has been transformed into a thriving forest through the Mahavan Biodiversity Project.
Daleep adds, “Jim’s Jungle Retreat was formed from the idea of wanting to connect people to the jungle. It isn’t just the tiger, but also the smaller stories — the ecosystems, the little conversations, from the termites and bees to the beetles and dragonflies, there’s a symbiotic relationship. Each needs the other to survive.”
And that’s how this luxury retreat was born in 2006.
Where accommodation mimics cultural history
The 18 residences that stand on the land christened Jim’s Jungle Retreat are designed with a focus on aesthetics, comfort, and mimicking an architectural past in the form of old forest bungalows and rest houses of the Raj era.
Century-old lithographs and plates of Indian wildlife frame the walls. Guests can pick and choose between the Jungle Cottage, which is an ode to the construction style of the Van Gujjar community (a semi-nomadic pastoralist community in Uttarakhand); Jungle Lodge, which stands at a 15-foot elevation, offering spectacular views of the nearby Shivalik hills and sightings of deer, wild hog, tiger, and elephants; and the Jungle Family Cottage.
Thatch, bamboo and eucalyptus have made their way into the constructions at Jim’s Jungle Retreat.
Thatch, bamboo, and eucalyptus have made their way into the constructions. But beautiful as the residences are, you will be tempted to spend time outdoors, where a thriving forest awaits.
“Earlier, it was all about the safaris,” Daleep acknowledges. “But as the forest grew, the birds brought their seeds, and the monkeys brought some; we planted saplings in a way that we could have open grasslands and thick forests and create mini ecosystems everywhere,” Daleep shares.
Eventually, they found themselves facing a diverse mix of plants and trees. They started planting more native species that could outperform the foreign ones.
Omkar Sanjay Damle, who has a master’s in wildlife conservation, closely monitors the Mahavan Biodiversity Project. The intention was to transform the land from a barren, agricultural land to a thriving forest.
“We have segregated the property into different grids, such as ‘private sanctuaries’ where the guests live, other ‘sanctuary areas’ where there is the least amount of footfall and disturbance, etc,” he explains.
Greater bluewing (Rhyothemis plutonia) (R) is a species of dragonfly that is spotted on the property. Photograph: (Omkar Sanjay Damle)
Omkar is tasked with conducting surveys every morning, afternoon, evening, and night to assess the biodiversity in the region. His expertise lies in understanding insects and their interactions with their habitats.
“We recently spotted the lineated barbet nesting on trees; the jackals use our land as a corridor to cross over from the river to the farmlands. We even recorded two species for the first time in Uttarakhand and the northwestern Himalayas — a moth, Choreutis euclista, and a dragonfly named greater bluewing (Rhyothemis plutonia). They were spotted on our property.”
Whilst here, take advantage of roaming around the area and learning about it in detail.
What to do around Jim’s Jungle Retreat
You’ll find an extraordinary diversity of landscapes and wildlife experiences across the different zones of Jim Corbett National Park. Just 15 minutes away from the property, you can explore Jhirna, which has transformed from a former human–animal conflict zone into a thriving habitat of dense woods and grasslands, where birdlife flourishes and species like the great hornbill and paradise flycatcher are commonly spotted.
The lineated barbet (L) and the jackal (R) are some of the frequently spotted species on the property. Photograph: (Omkar Sanjay Damle)
Bijrani, once an old shooting block, is now one of the best tiger-sighting territories in the park, thanks to its crisscrossing jungle tracks, year-round water sources, and rich prey base.
Further northeast, Durgadevi’s rugged hills and thick forests offer exceptional birdwatching and are considered prime leopard habitat. The vast Dhikala zone, the park’s largest, combines sweeping grasslands, riverine ecosystems, and forests, supporting elephants, gharials, and hog deer.
Meanwhile, on the property, the theme of conservation is woven into every aspect of your stay, right from the food to the forest walks where, Daleep says, they explain to guests the relationships that exist between species.
Solar energy geysers provide heated water to the kitchen, lodges, and the wellness centre, while a wastewater root zone treatment enables the reuse of water; the staff also provides training to villagers to patrol forests during the rainy months and provide protection to wild elephant populations.
The way Daleep sees it, the land has grown up alongside him. “If you observe the forest closely, you’ll see it mimics your life in many ways. It’s a wonderful teacher, and it becomes a part of your life as you grow older.”
All pictures courtesy Jim’s Jungle Retreat
