What I learned from women tour guides at Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary

Yavatmal district, where the wildlife sanctuary is located, is usually in the news for farmer suicides, and I expected harsh terrain. Instead, there was greenery all around—the monsoon had worked its magic and the forest was in bloom. During a morning safari, I encountered two forest guards, walking the trail without guns. They would cover entire transects of the forest over the course of a few days, said the guide in the jeep. What if a tiger or bear appeared, I asked. Well, they are locals, replied the guide, they have lived in harmony with the forest for generations.

Unsatisfied with this somewhat simplistic explanation, I approached the women who worked in the vegetable gardens at Tipai resort at the edge of Tipeshwar. Dressed in saris with turbans to protect them from the sun, they were planting seeds and picking greens. Tentatively, I picked up a conversation, not wanting to disturb them while they were at work. Most of them lived within walking distance of both the resort and the sanctuary, they told me. Each year, on Shivaratri day in mid-February, the forest department allowed them to enter the sanctuary and worship Tipai Mata, the goddess whose temple still occupied the centre of the forest. Their ancestors had lived inside the forest before it was declared a sanctuary in 1997, and they were made to move out.

In Marathi and Hindi, they answered my questions, explaining that they had their own ways of living in harmony with nature: Enter in the middle of the day when the animals are not active. Keep away from areas known to be occupied by tigresses with cubs or any other animal mothers with babies. When you are caught unawares by a sloth bear or a tiger, hold your ground with your hands up in the air. Stand tall and still. Usually the animal backs off. But, of course, this is not to be tried by city-slickers, tourists and other people without any knowledge of the forest and its ways. Hearing the way they described the forest and its residents led me to the question: what if the new face of wildlife tourism could be women?

Some states have started down this path. In June, Maharashtra said that 51 percent of forest jobs would be reserved for women. In July, Kerala Tourism launched a gender-inclusive tourism policy, aimed at encouraging women entrepreneurs in the sector. Kerala also plans to conduct a gender audit of 16 of its tourism destinations by the year-end to identify gaps and promote female participation.

While women are hiking guides in Munsyari, Uttarakhand and involved in the rescue of lion cubs in Gir, Gujarat, they are still in the minority in tourism and conservation. Uttarakhand’s Corbett Tiger Reserve began to hire women as guides only in 2020. Women jeep safari drivers in Tadoba, Maharashtra, are unable to find work in spite of the government providing training. Even though women are the ones who venture into the jungle on foot to collect firewood or mahua flowers, they are kept away from higher-earning jobs—like driving or being naturalists and guides—by male peers.

In spite of this, travellers seem to favour experiential tourism, which is usually anchored by women. A November 2024 report from travel news website Skift Research found that 55% of travellers prioritize authentic experiences over traditional sightseeing, favouring activities like home-cooked meals with locals, artisan workshops, and participation in local festivals. The report doesn’t say it, but these are the kinds of experiences that women helm.

“The detail and diversity that women bring to wildlife tourism is what makes a lodge, experience or narrative stand out," says Shoba Rudra, founder, Rare India, a community of owner-run boutique hotels, wildlife lodges and retreats in India. “A women’s eye is different: there will be design inclusions that add character, there will be more variety in their storytelling with socio-cultural references, and details that connect people, land and wildlife."

At Tipai, I ended up spending a lot of time with the women, and came away with an entirely different perspective of hospitality. At the spa, the masseuse Kalpana Chincholkar, 38, and I got talking about her beautiful bangles made of beaten brass and copper, which are common in the region. The next day, she offered to take me to the bangle shops in Pandharkawada, about 10km away, where she lives. Kalpana and I ended up visiting half a dozen bangle shops but couldn’t find one like the pair she was wearing so we moved on and she showed me peacock feathers, unusual vessels and other items of daily use typical of Yavatmal. She told me about the food she cooked at home, and her daughter’s plans for college. It was the kind of introduction to a place and its culture that is hard to get as a tourist—and it all happened because of a conversation over bangles.

Back at the resort, Komal Sonawne, 24, who worked in the restaurant, and had poured and explained wine like a sommelier, also told me about local flora and fauna. One afternoon, chef Sanjeevani Nukalwar, 25, taught me how to make pizza, kneading the dough and sharing stories from her career.

Tipai’s restaurant, Palaash, is staffed entirely by women from nearby villages, who use their traditional cooking techniques to serve gourmet cuisine. They were trained by Chef Amninder Sandhu, who is known for cooking without gas and on open fire only. The seven-course degustation menu with paired wines included dishes like bamboo-smoked mutton and pork, indrayani rice and kashiphal patta. The women cook on chulas, open fires, barbecue pits and sigris, using utensils made of cast iron, bamboo or stone, which unlocks a special depth of flavour.

Beginning in mid-October, wildlife reserves re-open for tourists. Wildlife lodges have started positioning women in front-facing roles, even though men tend to be in the driving seat. The question is whether lodges can go beyond this token inclusion of women because, as I learnt firsthand, you see a whole different world when you see a place through the eyes of women.

Shoba Narayan is an author based in Bengaluru.