Utsav Camp is designed to restore the healing process that directly engages with the natural world and encourages you to develop a personal relationship with nature.
Everything from staying in the tents and stone cabins, curated outdoor adventures, to fresh, seasonal food allows you to move from mindless scrolling towards mindful living. In addition, there is a deeper understanding and appreciation of wilderness by coming closer to nature.
Utsav Camp is a nature retreat located in a remote area of the Tehla region surrounded by boulders, deciduous forests, and the Aravalli hills, on the southern edge of the Sariska tiger reserve, offering the perfect mix of luxury and simplicity of living in the lap of nature.
Extending across eight hundred square kilometres in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, this National Park is divided into grasslands, dry forests, sheer cliffs and a rocky landscape. It is home to 23 tigers, 80 leopards and hosts a diverse variety of wildlife species, birds, and trees, making it one of the most visited national parks in the country and the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers.
One can explore the park on jeep safaris, go bird watching as the reserve is home to more than 220 species of birds with migratory birds from Europe, Central Asia, and other regions or try your hand at photography of the scenic Aravalli range – one of the oldest ranges of fold mountains in India. The camp is fringed by these huge boulders, one of the world’s oldest natural habitats, and dates back to the Paleoproterozoic and Meso Paleoproterozoic ages, from 2,500 -1,000 million years ago. They are home to a plethora of indigenous wildlife, including hyenas, leopards, snakes, lizards, and varied species of birds like partridges and peafowls.
Utsav Camp has twenty plush cabins and luxury tents that open out to a grove with fruit trees, forests, and the Aravalli range. The stone cabins feature floor-to-ceiling windows, spacious living rooms, and sliding doors that offer panoramic nature views. The private outdoor patios come with stargazing beds, and the bathrooms are spacious with beautiful views of the forest through the shower windows.
The swiss tents open up to private covered porches where one can wake up each morning naturally to the sounds of birds and the warm glow of the sun. The spacious bathrooms include double sinks with solar-powered water heaters.
The indoor and outdoor lounge areas around the camp are designed to spend a relaxed day. The rooftop forest lounge offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding Aravallis and the vast expanse of the sky. Sink into the comfortable seats and sip on your favourite drink as you watch the sunset and melt into a velvet star-filled sky.
The food experience at Utsav Camp is a culmination of Indian and Rajasthani cuisine with local ingredients and vegetables sourced from the farm situated within the camp. An outdoor evening tea experience is arranged when the guests take excursions from the property.
For a change of scenery, you can dine outdoors amidst the trees on the Patio under the forest lounge.
Utsav Camp helps you re-discover the joy of being amidst nature with holistic experiences that are curated by the resident naturalists. Take a guided hike through the surreal boulders that surround Utsav Camp. The boulder formations are one of the oldest natural habitats in the world and a common thoroughfare for mighty cat species like leopards and other wildlife. You can choose from an early morning or evening hike followed by breakfast or high tea under the open sky amidst the boulders, which can be customised to be more relaxed or exploratory in nature based on your desired adventure level.
The Explorer – A designed trail from Utsav Camp into the boulders along the uneven terrain as you explore the landscape.
The Adventurer- A designed trail from Utsav Camp into the boulders. Expect to hike up steep boulders for exquisite panoramic views.
The naturalists at the Camp have identified over 280+ species of native and migratory birds in the Tehla region of Sariska, and the exclusive birding tour is a must for bird lovers, amateur and professional ornithologists!
You can book a private safari through Sariska National Park to observe indigenous wildlife, flora and fauna in their natural habitat. The resident naturalists and rangers will curate the best safari routes based on your interests with real-time tracking for the sightings of large cats and other animals.
For guests looking to celebrate a special occasion, do not miss the private starlight camp dinner set in a secluded area on the camp or the curated Twilight Boulder dinner where the private safari jeep will take you to an exclusively scouted location among the boulders.
If you want to take it slow and just relax, we recommend a refreshing dip in our rooftop pool with mountain views or practising outdoor yoga at the meditation hall to find balance and harmony. The library is also a peaceful and quiet space to read a book or attend an orientation before your safari.
Utsav Camp offers a perfect sanctuary to connect with your group, surrounded by nature with customised food menus, evening programs, excursions and an overall experience that’s a perfect fit for the group.
The experience at Utsav Camp offers a break from the fast-paced and noisy urban life. Curated nature adventures, slow-cooked food sourced from the organic garden, and a pollution-free environment soothe the body, mind, and soul. Guests can enjoy the pleasure of spending leisurely afternoons reading books in bed, watching the sunset, discovering bird songs, and getting lost in the stars.
Utsav Camp Sariska, born from love, devotion, and determination, was founded by Luv Shekhawat, a trained naturalist with over 20 years of hospitality management experience. Luv was enthralled with the boulders of Tehla, and every time he visited, he felt a deep sense of peace anchoring his heart.
In 2011, when the opportunity to buy an empty parcel of land in the area came up, Luv took that as a sign to manifest his dream. He began developing a place where people could come to find peace and rejuvenate with the healing power of nature.
Over the next four years, under the guidance of his grandfather, Luv gave his heart and soul to cultivate the land with all kinds of trees and plants. It took him endless trips between Jaipur and Tehla to develop the property and see his vision through.
Utsav Camp Sariska offers guests an immersive nature experience and the opportunity to explore the wildlife of the Aravali landscape.
The Utsav Camp embraces the philosophy of mindful consumption to support the surrounding natural habitat and enable a thriving local ecosystem. Reducing carbon footprint and investing in the local economy allows this nature retreat to impact choices significantly. Over 85% of the team members are from Tehla and nearby villages.
The entire camp follows a Zero Mile approach to source fresh ingredients for their seasonal menus. Nurturing a pesticide and chemical-free garden allows the camp to provide fresh vegetables and herbs to the kitchen. The manure for the plants are procured from the resident Utsav Camp dairy cows, and vermicompost is created to nourish the soil and plants.
Waste management is a significant challenge in today’s age. At Utsav Camp, there is a no-plastic policy. All rooms are provided with reverse osmosis filtered water in glass bottles. The trash generated is segregated, and all biodegradable waste is composted.
Hundreds of indigenous trees and plants have been planted on the property to help maintain the groundwater table at healthy levels. The trees and plants are naturally suited to the harsh Rajasthan summers and don’t require extra water or special care to thrive. To help reduce water consumption, linens and towels are changed only on request for guests staying beyond a single day.
The camp recognises the importance of investing in clean energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Therefore, the cottages are installed with 34 KW solar panels that reduce over 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Utsav Camp employs trained naturalists and rangers who regularly document local wildlife with camera traps and photography. In addition, the staff has mapped out the habitats around the base and maintains a checklist of indigenous flora and fauna, helping with rich research data.
They say if you've spotted a leopard or a hyena once, they've already spotted you 10 times before. Tracking wildlife is an art that requires patience and finely tuned observation skills. Choose from the leopard or hyena tracking trails and join the in-house naturalist who will show you the tricks to identify paw marks and equip you with the best practices to observe wildlife in their natural habitat.
Can’t find a suitable itinerary that features a destination, experience or accommodation you fancy? All our group tours and holiday ideas can be personalised, or we can create a tailor made itinerary for you.
Contact us and we’ll be happy to share our first-hand insights and suggestions.
Opulent: Exceptional, unashamedly the best of sheer luxury. (£££££)
Luxury: Outstanding levels of 5* comfort, hospitality and facilities. (££££)
Premium: Excellent levels of comfort and hospitality and a wide range of facilities. (£££)
Mid-Range: Good levels of comfort and hospitality, with a reasonable range of facilities. (££)
Simple: Clean and simple, no frills. Often in areas of natural beauty or near wildlife reserves. (£)
