Our naturalists
The naturalists and hosts who lead our departures, chosen for what they know about the forest and how they look after people, and in these forests every week of the season.
Founder · the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu
Lala
Wildlife photographer, filmmaker, safari host and musician, and the person guests name when they recommend this company. He has worked the tiger forests of India, the savannahs of East Africa, the wetlands of Brazil and the mountains of North America, and he hosts the Safari with Lala departures himself, mostly in India, rather than sending somebody in his place. Between trips he is in the Nilgiris, filming frogs in the Western Ghats or planning the next expedition.
South India · second in command
Akarsh Suresh
Naturalist, wildlife photographer and wilderness guide, and the person who runs this operation when Lala is in the field. He has worked the Western Ghats, the central Indian tiger landscapes, and the grasslands and wetlands of the Northeast.
Camera-trapping and photography projects alongside the guiding, and he designs the nature-based expeditions — including the programmes built for schools and families.
From the reviews
What guests say about the team
The reviews are unusually consistent on this point, without being asked: "the guides and drivers on his team were incredibly passionate about their jobs", "the teams he works with for the driver and local guide are hardworking, get what we want, and are such nice guys", and "our incredible drivers and guides, who regularly tracked the tigers to the alarm calls coming from the langurs and the deer".