The Perfect 10: Adventure Lodges We Love

You Are Here:

Home >> The Perfect 10: Adventure Lodges We Love

Kelly Slater on His One Track Mind<...

The Spoke Word: New Winter Cycling ...

iPhone Fitness Apps

The 405 is still more dangerous

Sports in Space

Q&A: Climbing El Capitan with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov listen

Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz listen

Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch listen

Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer listen

Q&A: "Strange Bird" Author Carl Hoffman listen

Out of Bounds: That '70s Guy listen

Jack Johnson Cover Shoot

Grand Canyon: 3D IMAX

Climbing El Capitan

Castaway:

Episode 1: The Arrival

Episode 2: The Quest for Fire

Episode 3: Mmm...Slime Nuggets

Episode 4: "Last Night, a Crab Tried to Eat Me."

What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer

Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer

How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Why do mosquito bites itch? answer

Are elite athletes just lucky genetic mutants? answer

Can women really tolerate cold water better than men? answer

Online Favorites

"Into Thin Air"

Best Adventure Books

The O Files: Unsolved Mysteries

Dream Towns

Dream Jobs

Special Issues

Family Road Trips

Interactive Colorado

Literary All-Stars

Adventure Lodges

Oceanic Endeavors

Adventure Goddesses

Photo Galleries

Malia Jones

Amanda Beard

Julia Mancuso

Women Who Rock

Kelly Slater

Olympic Cities

Exposure: Sara Carlson

See All Galleries

Outside Traveler Annual 2004

The Perfect 10: Adventure Lodges We Love
India

By Dan Oko

SAGA ECO CAMP
Chilika Lake, India
Established in 2002, the Saga Eco Camp is still so new that even most locals don't know where it is. That's what happens when you build your tiny beach resort among a handful of fishing families on a tropical island in India's largest lagoon—425-square-mile Chilika Lake, tucked beneath the 1,500-foot Eastern Ghats hills of Orissa and draining into the Bay of Bengal.

DETAILS

Saga Eco Camp: $80 per person per day, including food, transportation, and use of outboard motorboats 011-91-33-2226-0123, http://ecoclub.com/saga/

Room & Board: Lodging matches the Robinson Crusoe vibe, as guests stay in 11 spacious and breezy wall tents (with finished floors and flush toilets) that sleep four, scattered among palms and cashew trees. In an open-air, thatch-roofed dining hall, chef Raju serves up fresh seafood dishes, including crab masala and local prawns, as well as island-grown organic veggies. Purists may complain about the diesel generator, which runs for three hours each evening, but hey, it keeps the beer cold.

Out the Back Door: Take a motorboat 20 minutes to the mainland town of Barakul and rent a sea kayak from Orissa Tourism's Water Sports Complex ($5 an hour) to explore Nalaban Island, a bird sanctuary. Paddle alongside rare Irrawaddy dolphins while keeping an eye out for Siberian cranes. Or head for the narrow spit of land that divides the lagoon from the ocean, park your kayak, then hike a half-mile through the jungle, until you arrive at an empty white-sand beach that stretches a dozen miles in both directions. What next? Bodysurf endless breakers, then lie in the sand and play dead.

Next Page: Tennessee

• Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

• Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

• Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.

TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
Kelly Slater on His One Track Mind<...
In One Track Mind, a film by Chris Malloy, surfing greats sit down to talk about what has ...

The Spoke Word: New Winter Cycling ...
RAPHA Classic Softshell Jacket, $375 Rapha is quickly establishing itself as the Savile Row ...

More Blogs:

iPhone Fitness Apps

The 405 is still more dangerous

Sports in Space

Featured Blog: Green Issues

Blog Home

The Peacemaker
Greg Mortenson works to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Winter Gear

Winter Film

The ROM

More Videos:

Russell Coutts

Gym Jones

Dean Potter

Photo Guide

See all Videos

Gone Missing
The crew of the Travel Channel's newest show talks about filming in Papua.

Mike Rowe Speaks
Mike Rowe talks about his long strange trip to TV's dirtiest dream job.

More Podcasts:

Q&A: Climbing El Capitan

Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz

Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch

Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer

See all Podcasts

Malia Jones

Pirates

Rwanda

Readers

Julia Mancuso

A. Beard

More Photos:

Cousteaus

Cuba

Rally Car

Submit Your Own Photo

See all Photos

advertisement

Gear Spotlight: Adventure Electronics
Our esteemed Gear Guy hones in the FAQs of the digital world in this exclusive archive.

The Green Issue
Earth Day may fall in April, but global awareness should be a 365-day concern. Let us help you stay focused.

Vacation Packages
More Travel Deals

Save 50% on packages to thousands of destinations

Thanksgiving flights from $166

Last Minute Deals for travel this weekend or next

Ski destinations packages from $181

Sign up for our Travel Deals Newsletter