Skay's Camp

Recently returned from a safari trip to Bandhavgarh National Tiger Reserve in Madaya Pradesh staying at Skays Camp. The overall experience was fantastic. Our hosts Satyendra and Kay have an intimate knowledge of the Reserve and its wildlife inhabitants that is like an encylopedia and its hard to imagine there is anyone who knows more about Bandhavgarhs tigers they do . This knowledge combined with the superb driver Hariom ensured we always seemed to be in the right place at the right time for Tiger sightings as well as the numerous other species of birds and mammals that we saw and photographed during our 9 days at the camp. We chose to go in t dry season and daytime temeratures were always above 100 degrees so our air conditioned room was a very welcome sanctuary. The food was vegetarian and whilst I am not a vegetarian myself I thouroughly enjoyed all the tasty meals that were served and during the downtime from our twice daily safaris it was enjoyable trying to photograph the numerous birds and butterflies that frequent the camp garden . I guess everyone who visits Tiger Reserves in India does so to see the magnificent Bengal Tiger and I cannot thank the team enough for their efforts which resulted in us seeing at least one Tiger every day of our stay and on most days multiple sightings plus 3 Leopards , elephants , jungle cat, many other mammals and well over 70 species of birds with some amazing photographic opportunities. Haven't got a specific favourite wildlife encounter as there were so many and Satyendra and the team certainly provided a wonderful experience I will treasure. Already thinking of an opportunity to return to Skays Camp to relive it all over again.

The purpose of our trip was 8 days of photography, in April into May 2024, specifically for the Tigers and other fauna of Bandhavgarh. Key for my friends and I, was maximising opportunities to encounter and document these. ||SKAYS CAMP is the home of Satyendra and Kaye both of whom have been involved with the Tigers at Bandhavgarh for decades. Their knowledge of the park, tigers and other fauna is second to none. They have expanded their home to cater for small numbers of guests and provide safari drives into the park twice a day. They specifically cater for photographers. Satyendra is an accomplished and published photographer and understands the needs of photographers when visiting the park. Our accommodation, food, park entry arrangements, jeeps, drivers, park warden escorts and flight transfers were all arranged by Satyendra and included in the price of our trip. Our driver for the tour was Hariom, Satyendra's brother, who has spent years taking tours into the park and has extensive knowledge of the park and has established links with the other drivers and guides. This was invaluable in gathering information about sightings and behaviours and getting us onto our quarry and in prime position to photograph them. Our trip would not have been anywhere near as successful without him and Satyendra and Kayes intimate knowledge. We had sightings of Tigers every trip. ||Satyendra and Kaye have an ethos of self-sustainability. Water for washing and showering is provided from wells and much of our food is home grown on the premises or their ranch. There is excellent wi-fi coverage and all the rooms are equipped with air conditioning, powered by solar power gathered at the homestead, with ensuite showers and toilets. The rooms are no frills but perfect for what we needed for our stay|| Food consisted of brunch following the morning safari. Muesli and fresh fruits from the garden, locally made vegetarian samosas (truly addictive) followed by omelettes, stuffed paratha etc. Our evening meal, post the afternoon safari, was soup, handmade Indian bhajis and pakoras, a vegetarian meal with 4 different dishes and a sweet. The food again utilised produce grown by Satyendra and Kaye. We were asked if we wanted a meat dish one evening but in honesty it wasn't missed (and this from someone who once moaned when his wife cooked a vegetarian meal about not having meat!) It is important to both Kaye and Satyendra that their guests have the best possible experience of the Tigers and this has extended into considering the meals. They try to use ingredients that they have either grown themselves or sourced and themselves. ||If you are looking for hotel style accommodation, SKAYS may not be for you. However.... If you are looking for a warm welcome into a family home in rural India, delicious hearty home sourced and cooked meals, expertise on the tigers and fauna of Bandhavgarh and the best chances of sighting Tigers then I would have no hesitation in recommending SKAYS. Satyendra, Kaye, Hariom and their small team will assist you in tailoring a trip to fit your needs and do everything in their power to deliver it. It was a pleasure to meet and share time with these warm, generous people. - I will certainly be going back!

Recently returned from a 9 day trip to Skays camp which is situated close to one of the zones in Bandhavgarh National Park. The hosts Satyender and Kaye welcomed us into their home and ensured our stay was one to remember. Accommodation is basic but more than fit for purpose The host knowledge and expertise on the Park Tigers and general wildlife is second to none and we were entertained at mealtimes with their stories and information about the Tigers and history of the Park. The food provided is vegetarian and I have to say I did not miss meat at all, as it was extremely tasty and satisfying. We had two game drives a day with full day passes on two of our 9 days . Ourdriver was Hariom whose expertise and knowledge of the park always ensured we were in the right place for what can only be described as amazing sightings of the majestic Tiger. We were lucky enough to spend some considerable time with these beautiful animals observing them in their natural environment, seeing Tigers every day we went out. In addition to the Tigers we saw and photograph numerous birds and other mammals that inhabit the Park including elephant and Leopard.All in all the trip was one I will never forget and delivered all I could have asked for and I hopefully will be returning to do it all again

I was lucky enough to visit Skay's camp in October 2019 as I was hoping to see a tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park. Not only did I see several tigers but I was also treated to Satyendra and Kay's generous hospitality and informative discussion about all things wildlife.||||From before the trip even started, I was in good hands with Satyendra. I was traveling from Delhi and he advised me on the best way to reach them. He helped me with my train ticket and organized a taxi to fetch me from the nearest station. It all went by smoothly and without hassle. ||||Once there, I made to feel very comfortable in their clean, well equipped rooms. With all the amenities I'd need to prepare well for the days of driving in the park. My room was located in their lovely garden, filled with birds, butterflies and lots of fruiting and flowering plants.||||Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all homemade, delicious and generous. Satyendra or Kay hosted each meal and provided vast amounts of information on the tigers and other wildlife in the area. ||||They also joined me on most drives, taking us on the most likely routes to see a tiger, using their tracking skills to listen and find tigers; once we found tigers, they give detailed accounts of each tiger. ||||It was truly and privilege to stay with them and I would absolutely recommend Skay's camp to by one thinking of spending time in one of India's most beautiful wildlife parks.

We spent 4 days with Kay and Satyendra in Skay's Camp in Bandhavgarh (Tala) in early February 2019 and it was really amazing. The main reason why we booked (not only) tiger safaris with Kay/Satyendra was simple - there are very good reviews of their knowledge and guiding skills. And we can fully confirm that from our experience. They know the park, they know the animals, they know where and how to find them and - they love them. As a bonus - they are both wildlife photographers (Kay also a great wildlife painter) - so they understand well it's one thing to have a good animal sighting but to make a good picture - it can be a different story. They have their own safari jeeps/drivers and their connections to park employees are very valuable. We were in Bandhavgarh not only after tigers - we are interested in all animals, even small birds - but we managed 3 close tiger encounters/photographing opportunities in 5 morning/evening safaris (plus 1 sloth bear, but just from a distance, hard luck :-(||||We are not very choosy about accommodation/meals but we were surprised how comfortable, friendly and functional it can be. Even for people used to European standards. We can compare that with the previous 4-day-stay in Kanha, in a similar, also locally owned family resort. And for the same price. I wouldn't call the stay in Kanha really bad - but you know, "the devil is in the detail". If wildlife/animals are your priority you can survive some lack of comfort easily. But hot water for washing (in Skay's Camp any time), sunny well aired room, clean bed-clothes, usefully located shelves, etc. - such things multiply your joy of the surrounding wildlife.||||Meals are only vegetarian (for us no problem) but plentiful and tasty and Kay and Satyendra regularly joined us at mealtimes so there was always a good opportunity for chatting and learning more about India and its wildlife. Check all the paintings and pictures in the dining room - and don't miss the tigers 'family tree'. ||I spent all my daylight time between safari drives in the garden that surrounds all buildings. It is full of flowers, scrubs and fruit trees and I wish I had more time to photograph all the birds living there.||||If you plan to visit Bandhavgarh we do recommend to consider Skay's Camp - both for accommodation and for safari drives. Especially if you are a wildlife photographer. Remember that tigers are great but they are only a part of Indian wildlife - it is worth to pay your attention also to all other animals there. Kay and Satyendra will help you to find them.

I have recently returned from my first adventure in India. Staying with Satyendra and Kay at their lovely home stay camp was perfect. Their new rooms are spacious and airy with a very efficient and quiet fan. The bathrooms are well appointed with good showers and constant hot water, which takes a little while to come through and is very hot, so beware ! The beds are a little hard for my taste, but nothing that can't be remedied by lying on top of a duvet, which they are happy to provide if needed. The surrounding gardens are a delight, thanks to Kay's hard work and vision, and have lots of bird and butterfly life to observe in between drives. The food was lovely and they do everything they can to cater for individual tastes.|Satyendra and Kay's knowledge of the wildlife and park, combined with their own jeeps and driver, make them the most wonderful guides and hosts. During my 5 day stay there, we had numerous sightings of Tiger, one being completely magical, because we were the only Jeep by a waterhole with 3 young Tigers entertaining us for well over an hour, before anyone else joined us. But the other animals and birds are numerous and spectacular too.|I can not recommend Skay's Camp too highly. The welcome we got from this lovely couple and their staff, coupled with the excellent accommodation made staying here a delight. I wouldn't hesitate in returning to stay here if I am lucky enough to get the chance.

I have recently returned from an 8 day trip to Bandhavgarh to try to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing the beautiful majestic Bengal Tiger in it's natural habitat. I was not disappointed, seeing 7 sightings of this beautiful creature in 8 days, all be it a few of the sightings were fleeting glimpses. These sightings were largely due to the fantastic knowledge and expertise, the camp owners Satyender and Kaye have built up over the years. They know the Tigers in this park like no others and it was wonderful listening to the many stories and facts that they imparted whilst sharing meals with the guests. The accommodation is basic but clean and comfortable, with everything you need for your stay.{You would need to take a Travel hairdryer, as this isn't provided.) Food is plentiful and meals eaten with Satyender and Kaye make for lovely relaxed mealtimes.||If you are thinking of planning a trip to this part of the world to see |Tigers then I would strongly recommend this camp site for your stay.

Just returned from an 8 day stay at Skays camp and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We went on a photography trip with the hope of capturing some images of the wonderful iconic Bengal Tiger and we achieved our goal thanks in no small part to the amazing knowledge , experience and love for Tigers of the camp Owners Satyendra and Kay . They have built up over the years such a vast understanding of the Tigers in the area and know them all by name , their family history and their territories and movements which gives guests a real head start in their search to see the animals.||The camp itself is basic but very clean and welcoming with lovely gardens to relax in between drives in the reserve. Food was plentiful with a selection of fruit , cereals , toast and cooked eggs served as brunch on return from the mornings safari , evening meals were mainly vegetarian, plentiful and tasty. Plenty of hot water generated by solar power and endless supply of bottled water for drinking purposes.||They have their own vehicles and drivers who are also first class and Satyendra's ability to predict locations of Tigers and their likely movements was second to none. During our eight day stay we had seven sightings of Tigers four of which provided me with opportunities to capture a few nice images although being greedy as a photographer I would have liked more.||For anyone contemplating visiting Bandhavgarh to see or photograph Tigers I would not consider booking with anyone else as the combination of the camp,its proximity to the National Park entrance the owners hospitality and knowledge all combine to give you the best possible chance of achieving your aims.