Go ‘wild’ at Foxtail resort, 300 kms away from Hyderabad

Situated in an Eco-Sensitive Zone, Foxtail Eco Retreat is surrounded by trees, with a beautiful pond on the premises

Hyderabad: A trip away from the tiring humdrum of fast-paced city life can be absolutely relaxing. Waking up to chirping birds and enjoying the bonfire after an afternoon safari sounds like the perfect getaway too. While many travellers go to distant places to get this experience, not many know there is a beautiful wildlife resort — furnished with greenery and wildlife, located just 300 km from the city.

Tucked away in a remote corner of Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary is Foxtail Eco Retreat, run by Hyderabad-based Uday Krishna. Located on the border of Telangana and Maharashtra, in Yavatmal area, Tipeshwar is a five-hour drive away from Hyderabad. “Foxtail was one of my dreams for a long time,” shares Uday.

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“Having travelled across many jungles and countries, I wanted to set up a specialised, yet small and a simple place. I wanted to set up a resort in Nagarhole and Tadoba, however, as fate would have it, we started Foxtail Eco Retreat in Tipeshwar in November 2019,” he says.

Situated in an Eco-Sensitive Zone, the resort is surrounded by trees, with a beautiful pond on the premises. While the destination is serene, the road connecting Hyderabad to Tipeshwar is an absolute dream — especially during monsoon. With numerous waterfalls en route, including Kuntala and Pochera, it is one road trip you might want to go on again and again.

“I used to travel to Tadoba almost every month between 2009 and 2012 and often used to see a small rusty sign board saying ‘Tipeshwar WLS’ and often wondered how it was. But the mad rush to see tigers never left enough time to explore this jungle. I visited Tipeshwar in 2012, in the best of the best weather and fell in love at first sight. It is the best suited wildlife getaway for Hyderabadis.”

Foxtail is not just about the beautiful location. A hidden gem, Tipeshwar is home to diverse wildlife, including leopards, sloth bears, black buck, sambar, spotted deer, nilgai and the mighty tigers, that can be spotted from the resort regularly.

Sharing what one can expect when in Tipeshwar, Uday says, “Tipeshwar is amongst the highest density Tiger Jungles of India and the sighting probability is over 95 per cent. After the last village was relocated, Tipeshwar though small area wise, has established itself as a Tiger Maternity Home and every couple of years, sends out about nine cubs. Last year (2020), this number reached over 20 cubs, probably the highest number so far. You can spot several other animals as they come quite close to the resort. In fact the resort itself is a birders paradise. We always wake up to see really beautiful birds sitting on our porch.”

Spread over six acres of land, Foxtail has five spacious Swiss tents that are designed to accommodate a family of four comfortably. Interestingly, while the tents are fitted with air conditioners, water heaters and other modern amenities, they have a rustic vibe resonating with the surrounding forest. Foxtail serves simple home-cooked meals, made by local villagers.

“We mainly have Indian food on the menu. Speciality food includes country chicken and jowar rotis. Breakfast is typically poha, sabudana khichdi, parathas, bread and eggs. Fresh fish is also on the menu sometimes, subject to availability,” adds Uday, who has planted over 500 trees and relies on rain water harvesting to ensure his initiative doesn’t harm the zone in any way.

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