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This article looks at Tipai, a forest retreat built around sustainable design, regional culinary traditions, and immersive nature experiences. It outlines the retreat’s themes of responsible tourism, mindful architecture, wellness, and local craft, while highlighting its bio-pool and forest villas, chef-led regional food program, and guided ecological experiences.
As work-life balance becomes more essential, there's a growing shift in people choosing small retreats over conventional luxury resorts that lets them take a refresher in nature. These travellers are looking for escapes that offer comfort without compromising on sustainability. Tipai fits squarely into this movement, bringing together mindful design, local craftsmanship and immersive forest experiences.
Founded by entrepreneur Keyur Joshi, formerly the co-founder of MakeMyTrip.com, in partnership with award-winning chef Amninder Sandhu, Tipai is built across 34 acres of dense greenery. The property is defined by three core ideas — sustainable design, responsible tourism and wellness. Its 4 private bio-pool villas and 10 forest villas are hidden within clusters of trees, offering seclusion in close contact with the greenery. With a modern, earthy, minimal aesthetic shaped by principal designer Ariane Thakore Ginwala, the villas use local materials such as kulhad clay tiles for cooling and reclaimed forest elements crafted into accessories. Open verandas, outdoor bathrooms and sweeping views root the experience firmly in the landscape.
Its culinary program, led by Sandhu, is also central to Tipai’s identity. Each of its restaurant highlights regional food traditions through hyperlocal, seasonal menus drawn from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Palaash offers an intimate al-fresco setting with minimal environmental impact. Perch and Wadi bring global techniques to local produce sourced from the in-house kitchen garden. Whereas Talaabwali, overlooking a lotus pond, focuses on traditional Indian dishes like dum biryanis, kebabs and other classics recreated with inventive local ingredients. Together, they echo the warmth of traditional cooking while embracing contemporary flavours.
Days at Tipai are structured around connecting guests with the forest. Safaris led by trained naturalists offer a chance to spot the well-known Talaabwali tigress along with a wide range of birdlife. Other experiences include visits to the food orchard to pick ingredients for meals, guided nature walks, camera-trap trails that reveal Tipai’s nocturnal biodiversity, and birding tours combined with village visits to meet local artisans. A rain-fed pond also allows guests to try their hand at fishing, while curated stargazing sessions round off the evenings under a clear forest sky.
“We’ve combined sustainable design and thoughtful personalisation to create something special — where no two Wildlife Luxuries experiences are ever the same,” says Joshi. With a different kind of indulgence that speaks to our offline needs and nourishment, Tipai positions itself as a conscious, restorative escape, offering a grounded way to experience the wild.
Follow Tipai here.
