Father and Son Turn Barren Land Into Thriving Forest Retreat

Daleep Akoi grew up tracking tigers on elephant back through Corbett Tiger Reserve, learning to read the forest's language in its quietest moments. Now he and his father, Inder Pratap Singh Akoi, have created a place where others can experience that same wonder.

In the early 1950s, Inder accompanied his uncle on hunting trips before India banned the practice in the 1970s. Even then, young Inder preferred his camera to a rifle, capturing the forest's magic instead of trophy kills.

That reverence for nature shaped how he raised Daleep. "My first trip into the forest was in 1978 when I was two years old," Daleep recalls, remembering campfire nights with forest guards and sumptuous picnic lunches surrounded by jungle wonders.

But by the time Daleep left for college in America, mining and development threatened the forests they loved. The father and son realized that protecting tigers required more than laws. It needed people who cared.

In 2006, they opened Jim's Jungle Retreat on a piece of abandoned fringe village land in Uttarakhand. The 18 residences honor local architecture, from Van Gujjar community cottage designs to elevated lodges built with thatch, bamboo and eucalyptus.

The real transformation happened outside those buildings. What was once barren land became a thriving ecosystem as the team planted native species strategically, creating open grasslands and thick forests side by side.

Birds carried seeds in on the wind. Monkeys brought more. Native plants began outperforming foreign species, creating the diverse mini ecosystems Daleep had envisioned.

Why This Inspires

Jim's Jungle Retreat proves that tourism and conservation aren't opposing forces. Guests now spot deer, wild hogs, tigers and elephants from their windows, but they also learn about the smaller stories playing out beneath their feet.

"It isn't just the tiger, but also the smaller stories," Daleep explains. "From the termites and bees to the beetles and dragonflies, there's a symbiotic relationship. Each needs the other to survive."

Sustainability threads through every detail, from rainwater harvesting to locally sourced food. The retreat connects visitors to biodiversity conservation through authentic jungle experiences, not just safari drives.

What started as one family's passion for sharing the forest's magic has healed an entire ecosystem, one native plant at a time.