When Sunando Sen decided to find a peaceful abode surrounded by the wilderness but also with a view of the hills, Jim Corbett National Park was the place for him. Sometime towards the end of 2011, Tanhau came about in Bhatoli village. Perched on a hill of 4,300 feet, at Tanhau, you can leave the din of the city well behind and enjoy some great bird's-eye views of the Jim Corbett National Park and the Kosi River.
"I always wanted to go somewhere in the hills but also be surrounded by the wild. Tanhau just happened to be the perfect spot," says Sen. It's a cut-off spot with the particular patch of land locally referred to as 'Tanau', 'Tanola', all variations of the word tanhai meaning solitude. "That's how the name Tanhau was thought of," he says.
"Camera trapping is something most of our guests are very excited about," he says when asked about the kind of experiences Tanhau offers. "We do get wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and the like, and it's always interesting to talk to them." He adds that he would usually set up the cameras around the property at night to gather hours of footage overnight. "In the morning, when I collect the camera, we find pictures of tigers, and our guests love them," he says.
Sustainability is a big goal of Tanhau, and the operations and day-to-day functioning of the place are rooted in principles of sustainability, infringing as little on the natural environment as possible. The place is run on clean solar energy, and members of the local community have been employed for all construction around the place.
"The place is quite remote and not without its challenges," says Sen, talking about his experience living and running the homestay. "The nearest town, Ramnagar, is 42 km away, and logistics tend to be quite tough. Getting anything here is an arduous task. If we need something fixed or some plumbing done, it could sometimes take a couple of days to get someone to come here and fix things. So we have had to figure out how to take care of most of the things ourselves here."
The last four kilometres of the road that leads to Tanhau are an uphill dirt track and are difficult to navigate. Guests need to park their vehicles in the nearby village, from where the host picks them up in jeeps and takes them to the homestay. "The adventure starts at the very beginning," adds Sen.
While it was always his heart's desire to leave the pollution and noise of the city behind one day and find a quiet haven on the hills, Sen also wanted to leave as little a carbon footprint as possible and live in as much harmony with nature as possible. So, when you come to Tanhau, be prepared for an immersive journey replete with the pleasures and sometimes discomfort of the wild. Sen leads guests on walking safaris through the wilderness as well as village walks for an authentic Kumaoni experience. The area is also constantly being reforested by Sen and his team to claim the wilderness back to its natural state.
On days when there are no guests to tend to, Sen says the farm keeps him occupied. "We also have six dogs, so I spend my mornings with them, taking them for walks and playing with them."
Address: Near Corbett Tiger Reserve, Village Bhatoli, District Almora, Uttarakhand
Website: tanhau.in
