My Story
Hi, I’m Ashish Tirkey!
Firstly a big Thank You for stopping by my website. If you are here, you are probably curious to know more about me.
My journey to the wild began at a very young age from the Jungles of Southern Chhattisgarh – Bastar. I loved to accompany my father when he was posted as a Forest Officer in the tribal land. Though there were many wild encounters, right from Sloth bears to Leopards, a sight that always amazed me was watching Man-eater Tiger caught during the early 1990s by him and his Nepal team. That sheer strength, valor, and thundering roar hitting the cage every now and then paved my path unknowingly to their abode.
It later took me another 17-odd years to pursue my dream. I am grateful to my Lord Jesus and the Indian Institute of Forest Management – Bhopal to open doors to the Natural world. Since then, I never looked back and continued learning more about birds, snakes, butterflies, and other mammals. As I honed my skills in tracking tigers in their domain, I also learned photography and documentary filmmaking during my wild journey.
I have managed wildlife lodges in South as well as Central India for the past 15 years and have led photo tours, guided in-house guests, wildlife photographers, and many celebrities for more than 1500 safaris. Encountered some breathtaking wildlife, and saw some young tiger cubs ruling and dominating these national parks.
It brings me immense joy to celebrate and create this platform to share my learnings, experiences, stories, and wild encounters. Stay tuned and Join me this season on safari!!
Work Experience
Prior to joining Pugdundee Safaris in 2013, I rendered my services as Resident lodge manager with Jungle lodges & resorts in Karnataka (since 2009) managing their prime properties at Kabini (Kabini river lodge), BR Hills (K.Gudi wilderness camp), and Hampi (Daroji sloth bear resort). I have represented my organizations in TTF, SATTE, developed Business and Online marketing strategies for sales, and have also written Blogs, and edited photos, and videos for online promotions and social media platforms.
My Whereabouts
Treehouse Hideaway – Bandhavgarh has been my abode for the past 10 years and I invite you to experience this journey with me. I would love to host you at my home – Bandhavgarh and show you this pristine jungle through my eyes.
Accomplishments
- Received Certificate of Excellence (5 star rating) on Trip Advisor for the past 10 years for running Treehouse hideaway lodge, Bandhavgarh
- Outstanding Sustainable Practice with (5 star rating) by TOFT twice since 2018 for Treehouse hideaway lodge, Bandhavgarh
Area of Expertise
Photography | Documentary Film-making | Designing Eco-friendly lodges | Hospitality training | Wildlife safaris & Birdwatching | Reservation & Operations management | Guest relations & complaints handling | Digital marketing | Website development | Team Building | Entrepreneurship
Published Work
WWF – Times of India – Undisciplined Environments – Saevus – Traffic – Deccan Herald – Pugdundee Safaris