Suján Sher Bagh

Character and identity

Tucked a 15-minute drive from Ranthambhore National Park, Sher Bagh is a 12-tent retro-safari camp set on seven acres of Rajasthani scrub, with olive and beige canvas, campaign furniture, brass pug-mark ashtrays and tiger motifs woven through cushions and wall paintings. Twin high-ceilinged common tents hold a library, bar and dining room, opening onto a deck and pool that look across grassland to the Ranthambhore hills. A peepal-shaded spa sits in a quiet corner. As a Relais and Châteaux member, the service register is polished but personal, anchored by long-serving local staff and the founding Singh family.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you are really paying for is the Singh family's half-century of Ranthambhore expertise, expressed through naturalists, guides and a camp aesthetic that few rivals match. Couples should book a standard tented suite; families or friends should take one of the two imperial suites, and big spenders the royal suite with private pool. Aim for December to March, and stay at least three nights to bank multiple safaris.