Hyderabad: When you think of tiger reserves or about going to watch wildlife, luxury or food aren’t usually that come to mind first. But honestly, the two nights I spent at Tipai Wildlife, located at the Tippeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra), sent me in such a food coma that I almost forgot that I was in a jungle to see some wilderness.
About five hours from Hyderabad by road, Tipai in Tippeshwar is in fact a great weekend getaway for anyone looking for options beyond the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana (2.5 hours away from Hyderabad). I landed in Tipai a couple of months ago during the monsoon and while I could not spot a tiger, the place in fact turned out to be much more than just a cosy resort at the edge of a tiger reserve.
In fact one of the reasons I was left with a food coma was because the food in the in-house restaurants at Tipai has been curated by none other than award-winning chef Amninder Sandhu. Not only was the food at Tipai brilliant for most parts, the final dinner at Palaash, one of the in-house restaurants was just the perfect cherry on the cake before ending the short trip.
Tipai is easy to find, and the brains behind the place were also careful to include the local populace in running the luxury wildlife resort. The staff (very sweet people I must say) was well-trained and its members were nothing but a treat to chat with about local food and customs.
Activities
On the first day after reaching Tipai I sat down for a Maharashtrian thali for lunch which was pretty interesting, given that I am used to eating Andhra thalis in Hyderabad. It was a whole new set of flavours, aided by some very tasty chutneys, which honestly I am still craving. The non-veg thali included Chicken Sukka, Mutton Saoji, along with Ambadi chutney, and other things. A must try for anyone who loves thali.
Tipai also offers a nature trail late afternoon. I skipped it because of travel fatigue and landed up at the high tea at Machan in the resort. And let me tell you that the bread made inhouse at Tipai is fabulous, and some of the best I have had. Perched a little high up in the forest resort, high tea was in fact very enjoyable, with the array of cakes and tea that they served.
God bless the bakers there for their delicious food sorcery.
Guests can use the inhouse electronic buggeys to move around as they like, and maybe as a caution I’d suggest folks to move around at night carefully with supervision. Anyway, the first night at Tipai however was not even close to ending with high tea, as a king’s feast awaited us at Talabwali, one of the inhuse restaurants.
Among the round of beautiful kebabs, the prawns were so exceptionally good that I don’t remember eating anything prawns that good since then. It was a pretty good end to the day, because it will put you right to sleep if you want to crash (pun intended). In any case, chef Amninder Sandhu’s brilliance is evident there.
The space itself has also been designed keeping in mind the milieu there. The rammed earth and stone villas there have been made with local materials, and are massive. A king sized bed and the bath is not just a bath – it is a suite with both indoor and outdoor spaces. It doesn’t make you feel like a different aesthetic and goes with the jungle vibe.
Moving on from the first day of food coma plus natural beauty, you wake up to nature and breakfast with the fabulous breads there. The day was also more relaxed, and one also has the option to get a massage in the spa. The Punjabi thali for lunch was exactly how you’d expect Punjabi food to be – tasty and heavy (There is also a gym in the resort which is well equipped, and a swimming pool. to offset all the eating FYI).
The sunset trail after that was followed by a do-it-yourself pizza making session. The inhouse bakers were really nice and warm, and you essentially make what you eat. Nothing beats eating pizza around unset in a forest area perhaps.
However, nothing prepared me for what would eventually be the best thing at Tipai – the Degustation dinner menu at Palaash. This is something I would highly recommend for anyone going there, because it was phenomenal. It comes with both veg and non veg options. The food and menu crafted by Amninder here deserves noteworthy mention because it leaves you mind blown with an entirely new taste palate.
The menu welcomes one with Ambaadi, charred pineapple granita, and slowly makes its way into the heavier courses, which includes slow cooked raan, bhakri and lal theccha (Maharashtrian chutney). The Degustation menu, among other things, also has a delicious smoked mutton, a Gendaphool sorbet, which I found pretty interesting, and it ends with mahua kala jamun an pista ice cream as desserts.
I’d highly recommended a morning activity like a safari to burn some calories after the Degustation menu. Whoever thought that a wildlife resort can elevate food experiences in such a way. But it did. So if you are looking for a great combination of food, luxury stays and wildlife, then look up Tipai for a small getaway.
