SUJÁN JAWAI

There are safari camps, and then there is JAWAI, a place where leopards drape themselves over granite boulders in plain sight, temple bells drift across the grasslands, and the red-turbaned Rabari have herded alongside the big cats for centuries without a fence between them.

The camp. Just ten tented suites, each one canvas outside and quiet luxury inside, four-posters, writing desks, private decks facing the wilderness. The Tented Rock Suites sleep two; the Felidae Suite pairs two tents on one plinth for families; the Royal Panthera Suite adds a private heated pool and a dedicated butler; and Eden at JAWAI is a private three-bedroom encampment with its own entrance, pool and boma.

The days. Twice-daily wilderness drives with the camp's own field guides and trackers. Walks with the Rabari through hills they have grazed for generations. Marwari horses across the riverbeds. Over 240 bird species, from Sarus cranes to rock eagle-owls. Temple trails to shrines older than memory. Evenings end with lantern-lit dinners by the water and a brass bathtub under the stars.

Getting there. Roughly 2.5 hours by road from both Jodhpur and Udaipur, each an easy flight from Delhi or Mumbai.