(New resort adds a distinctive wildlife stop to SHRL’s Rajasthan circuit, combining leopard country with locally rooted experiences and intimate stays)
TTT NEWS NETWORK
CHENNAI | 14 OCTOBER 2026
Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited (SHRL) has announced the opening of Sterling Leopard Haven Jawai in Rajasthan, adding strength to both its presence in the state and its growing wilderness portfolio. Set near Bera amid Jawai’s distinctive granite terrain, the resort gives travellers a base to explore one of India’s most unusual wildlife landscapes — where leopards move through rocky outcrops and caves rather than dense forests.
Jawai’s appeal, however, extends well beyond the safari. The Jawai Dam reservoir brings rich birdlife into the experience, while the surrounding countryside, tribal villages and Rabari communities and regional culinary traditions reveal a slower, more textured side of Rajasthan. The opportunity is therefore not simply to visit Jawai for a sighting, but to spend enough time to understand the place around it.
Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited (SHRL), said: “Jawai is compelling because the reason you arrive and the reason you remember the holiday can be very different. A leopard may create the first pull, but the real richness comes from everything that surrounds that experience.
For Sterling, this is exactly the kind of destination that strengthens the portfolio in more than one way. It deepens our presence in Rajasthan, adds further weight to our national wilderness offering and also creates a natural link in an Mount Abu-Udaipur–Jawai–Jodhpur journey. Our growth is increasingly about building more around why people travel — creating richer reasons to stay, explore and discover more of India.”
Boasting of 19 indulgent cottages, suites and villas, Sterling Leopard Haven Jawai has been designed as an intimate retreat. The Jawai Villas offer private balconies and bathtubs; Pool Villas add plunge pools and secluded outdoor spaces; while the Two-Bedroom Pool Villa brings adjoining villas together for groups who want to stay together while retaining privacy. An infinity pool, kids’ play area and outdoor spaces provide easy downtime between excursions.
Local cuisine adds another layer to the stay. At Jawai Vista, guests can indulge in Rajasthani flavours inspired combinations of regional millets and rice, alongside the familiar Methi Bajra Khichda, Panchkutte ki Subzi, Mathania Chicken, Jawai Laal Maas, and Chef’s curated specials bowls, all coupled with views across the valley and pool.
Where conditions permit, outdoor breakfasts, safari picnics and locally inspired meals take the experience beyond the restaurant and into the landscape itself.
That connection to the local ecosystem becomes tangible through guided leopard safaris, excursions around Jawai Dam, birdwatching and crocodile spotting, alongside opportunities to explore the surrounding countryside and communities. Together, these experiences reveal more of Jawai’s natural and lived character, moving the holiday beyond a single wildlife sighting and giving travellers more reasons to explore the region at a slower pace.
Its location between Udaipur and Jodhpur further strengthens that proposition. Jawai introduces a contrasting wilderness chapter into a Rajasthan journey otherwise dominated by forts, palaces and heritage cities. For SHRL, that creates strategic value beyond another resort opening: a stronger Rajasthan presence, greater relevance in wilderness travel, and a more compelling regional circuit for guests.
Speaking on the launch, Manish Gurani, owner BMMR Hospitality LLP said: “What drew us to Jawai was its rarity — a place where wildlife, open landscapes and everyday life exist side by side without the destination feeling over-engineered for tourism. We wanted the resort to preserve that sense of space and discovery while giving travellers the comfort to stay longer and see more of the region. Sterling was the right partner because it understands how to build demand around destinations, not just properties, and has the reach to introduce Jawai to a much wider leisure audience.”
Sterling Leopard Haven Jawai also reflects the company’s broader approach to expansion: building its portfolio around distinct reasons to travel.
Rather than viewing destinations simply as locations for hotels, Sterling is increasingly developing hospitality bases around the motivations that take travellers there — whether wildlife, nature, spirituality, culture, wellness or discovery.
That philosophy is consistent with Sterling’s stated approach of building travel circuits rather than simply “marking dots on a map.”
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