Nameri Eco Camp, Nameri National Park, Assam

The 22-year-old Nameri Eco Camp, one of the oldest nature resorts in India’s northeast, is a great vantage point to see the blues of the sky, the Nameri River, and the Eastern Himalayas coalesce on a bright day. Twelve thatch-and-bamboo tents and two cottages, built in the style of the Mising tribe, are arranged around a central courtyard where a restaurant serves Mising food made with veggies from the camp’s organic patch. Visitors come to Nameri mainly for the elephants, tigers, and more than 420 species of birds, including the critically endangered white-winged wood duck. They can also raft down the Jia-Bhoreli River or explore the national park on foot. The absence of jeep safaris means the national park is pristine.

Visitors who crave a slightly less intense itinerary, can opt for a walk through any of the villages around. The camp works closely with the Mising, Boro, and Garo communities, drawing staff from the neighbouring villages and providing others handicraft training. In conjunction with the State Institute of Rural Development of Assam, the camp sets up self-help groups that enable villagers to start small agri-businesses and become less dependent on the forest. The Nameri team also helps the Eco Task Force, the special unit of the Indian Army, in distributing saplings and afforesting the area.