Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / India / Jawai / Suján Jawai
Suján Jawai
Jawai, Rajasthan, India · SUJÁN · Apex Luxury
In 2024, Suján Jawai became the first Indian property ever to appear on The World's 50 Best Hotels list, ranking 43rd, a milestone for a ten-tent conservation camp that its founders opened in December 2013 to protect 52 square kilometres of ungazetted Rajasthani wilderness and 55 identified leopards. The camp sits on 850-million-year-old granite formations between Jodhpur and Udaipur, and has returned benefits, schools, medical camps, employment, to 5,000 people in surrounding villages.
- 10 rooms
- Opened 2013
- Neighborhood: Jawai leopard country
- Interiors: Anjali Singh and Jaisal Singh (owners/designers)
About Suján Jawai
- Suján Jawai was the first Indian property in the history of The World's 50 Best Hotels to appear on the list, ranking No. 43 in 2024; it re-entered the extended 51 to 100 list at No. 91 in 2025.
- The granite formations surrounding the camp are approximately 850 million years old, among the oldest exposed rock in Rajasthan, and their labyrinthine boulders are the primary habitat for the camp's 55 monitored leopards.
- The Jawai landscape is not a formal national park or reserve; the entire conservation model depends on community partnership with Rabari pastoralists, whose cattle herds coexist with leopards, a coexistence sustained partly by the camp's direct investment in villages.
- The Royal Panthera Suite includes a private pool, and a Family Felidae Suite accommodates multi-generational guests; no two of the ten tented accommodations are identical in aspect or layout.
History
Opened in December 2013 by Jaisal Singh and his family — whose conservation ethos in Rajasthan dates back 25 years to Suján Sher Bagh at Ranthambhore — Suján Jawai was conceived not merely as a luxury tented camp but as a pioneering model for conservation tourism in a wilderness that was not formally protected. Set amid towering granite formations in the Aravalli landscape between Jodhpur and Udaipur, the camp protects 52 square kilometres of wilderness, has identified and protected 55 leopards, and benefits 5,000 people from the surrounding villages through schools, medical camps, and employment. In 2024, Suján Jawai was the first Indian property ever to rank on The World's 50 Best Hotels list, placing at No. 43, a milestone celebrated internationally as recognition of India's extraordinary wildlife hospitality.
The setting
Located in the Pali district of Rajasthan, halfway between Jodhpur and Udaipur, the camp occupies a dramatic landscape of 850-million-year-old granite hills, Anogeissus scrubland, and winding sand riverbeds flanking the Jawai River. The Jawai Leopard Conservation Reserve and adjacent Jawai Dam — rich with migratory birds and crocodiles — make this one of India's most remarkable wildlife corridors. 10 km from SH62 road. 12 km from View Point Jawai Reservoir.
Restaurants and bars
- Camp dining (open-air) — Restaurant
Experiences
- Wilderness Drives — Twice-daily guided drives through the Jawai wilderness in search of leopards, antelope and boar, with guides explaining ecology and history.
- Temple Trail — Visits to some of the region's nearly 300 temples and shrines, including a daily aarti, and why leopards are seen as guardians of the area.
- Horse Riding — Riding Marwari horses across fields, rocky outcrops, riverbeds and down to the lakes, guided by local grooms and expert riders.
- Village Wander — Excursions to nearby villages to meet local personalities, visit a traditional home and see how people and wildlife coexist.
- Walks & Hikes — Guided walks across grasslands and riverbeds or hikes up granite hills, led by members of the Rabari tribe.
- Walking Safaris with the Rabari — Walking alongside Rabari herdsmen as they tend livestock, sharing stories, traditions and their spiritual connection to the land.
Amenities
- Spa and wellness programme
- Leopard safaris by 4×4 jeep
- Horseback safaris
- Guided hiking
- Village and temple visits
- Cultural encounters with Rabari herdsmen
- Conservation activities
- Helicopter access available
- Seasonal operation (September–April)
- Butler service
Awards
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Andrew Harper Members Choice (2025)
- Condé Nast Traveler Gold List (2025)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 51-100 (2025)
- The World's 50 Best Hotels — first Indian property ever on the list (2024)
- Michelin Guide — listed hotel
- Relais & Châteaux — member
Open Suján Jawai in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Jawai
- Brij Pola — Brij Hotels · High Luxury