Our Story
Varun Devaraj
As a naturalist guide in the wilds of India, Varun covers terrain from the tiger reserves of central India to the mountainous chain of the Western Ghats and Trans-Himalayan Ladakh. His career in natural history began at home in the Nilgiri Mountains, where he worked with the Keystone Foundation, an organization focused on afforestation (establishing new forests) and conservation. When an opportunity presented itself for Varun to move to the Satpura Tiger Reserve in India's Central Highlands, he spent the next five years walking, canoeing and on safari in the surrounding forests with leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs and, of course, tigers. After a productive stint in Satpura, Varun worked as a consultant helping wildlife properties with their programs, content and marketing initiatives. In subsequent years Varun spent time exploring and working in Ladakh before joining Nat Hab as an Expedition Leader in 2023.
Varun spends his free time exploring India's varied wildlife habitats, from the mangroves of the Sundarbans to the arid environments of Gujarat and Rajasthan and the evergreen forests of South India. His other hobbies include sports and studying history.
What Our Guests Say
Varun was fantastic! So personable and knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor. He was very easy to talk to, and answered all of our questions thoughtfully. He definitely cared for us well!
Varun is a great guide. He’s knowledgeable about the area and the nature reserve. Because he was excellent at tracking tigers, we had the opportunity to see so many. He was also able to track down a sloth bear and her cub on the last day. He’s very companionable and I enjoyed spending time with him.
Varun is an excellent Expedition Leader! His knowledge of animal behavior enables him to track, and almost always find, the animal a guest wants to see and photograph. He is personable, honest, and a wonderful guide.
