Ken River Lodge made a humble start as one of the pioneers of wildlife tourism in the country. Driven by passion for wildlife and conservation, Mr. Shyamendra Singh, grandson of the Maharaja of Nagod, established the lodge in 1986. The lodge has been washed out twice in the floods of 1992 and 2005 but has been rebuilt with the same zeal and passion. The lodge is set in a forested estate of 50 acres and has been built with natural materials sourced mostly from neighboring villages and surrounding areas. The forested estate is home to many mammals, birds and reptiles.
Fondly called the Tree House by locals, because of its lovely Machaan restaurant overlooking the Ken River, it is the finest place to get lost from the world. It is spread in sprawling jungle of 50 acres along the Ken River and offers a unique opportunity to laze with the crocodiles, roar with the tigers and soar with the birds. It offers a unique blend of traditional royal hospitality and comfortable country living.
Panna National Park
Panna National Park is spread over 1645 sq. km was carved out of the
hunting reserves of Panna, Bijawar and Chhattarpur states. Out of the total area 543 sq km is core
and 1002 sq km is buffer. In 1994 it became Indias 22nd Tiger Reserve. It is predominantly an
open forest and offers great opportunity to view animals like Tiger, Sloth Bear, Cheetal,
Sambhar and Nilgai. Panna is also home to crocodiles and over 300 species of birds.
Meet the team
Shyamendra Singh
Shyamendra Singh
Shyamendra Singh or Vini Raja as he is popularly known as, manages the
original wildlife tourism property at Panna - The Ken River Lodge. His flagship
lodge and farm is located on the Ken River and has become a center for
conservation education for tourists and local residents alike.
Shukra Kumal
Shukra Kumal
Shukra Kumal hails from Chitwan village, Nepal. A farmer boy who joined the
tiger tops Chitwan some 30 years as a simple room boy and under the guidance of
Dr. Charles Mc Dougal evolved into a world renowned naturalist with
specialization in tropical birds.
Rahul Rajawat
Rahul Rajawat
Rahul is from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and graduated in accountancy from
Delhi in 2010. He has over 9 years’ experience in accounts & operations and
currently looks after the same at Ken River Lodge. He also supports the lodge
team in other required areas.
