5 weekend getaways – Leisure News
When one can’t take a train or take to the skies for a vacation to escape the unrelenting nose-to-the-grindstone WFH routines, road trips come to the rescue. We bring you a range of destinations that are far enough for a getaway feel, but close enough for a stress-free weekend away.
The Belgadia Palace, Baripada, Odisha
Home to the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj, this boutique homestay is an off-beat location for adventure-seekers, as well as for architecture and history buffs.
Activities: Visit Sabai and Dokra, artisan clusters, and the Simlipal elephant and tiger reserve
Connectivity: Four-hour drive from Kolkata & Bhubaneswar
Cost: Starting from Rs 11,500; Contact: 9830290530/ email houseofmayurbhanj@gmail.com Anopura,
Jamwaramgarh, Rajasthan
Sitting at the bottom of the Aravallis, this is the secret hideaway of one’s childhood dreams. Offering two villas and a cottage, each with its own personal staff, butler and private pool, Anopura is where nature and luxury commune in a delightfully rustic setting.
Activities: Treks, picnic brunches, midnight swims
Connectivity: 45-minute drive from Jaipur
Cost: Starting at Rs 29,000 per night
(double occupancy)
Contact: info@anopura.com / 9783755555
The Tamara Coorg, Kodagu, Karnataka
Nestled in the mountains, cradled by trees, the 180-acre coffee plantation is dotted with cottages that look like tree houses, dark wood peeking out of the dense green.
Activities: Treks, private yoga sessions, birdwatching, “Blossoms to Brew” plantation tour, award-winning spa and wellness centre
Connectivity: Within driving distance of Kannur international airport, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Kozhikode
Cost: Starting from Rs16,520 (breakfast included) per night.
Contact: reservations@thetamara.com / 8071077700
The Goat Villages resorts, Nag Tibba, Dayara Bugyal and Kanatal, Uttarakhnad
No Goat Village retreat, a theme-based village hideout, is similar to another.
Activities: Participate in rural development projects
Connectivity: Within driving distance of Delhi
Cost: Pay as you like
Contact: 704272220
TO THE HILLS!
These isolated gems surrounded by vineyards, forests or plantations are the perfect destinations for those who crave serenity
SECLUDE
Lansdowne, Uttarakhand
A jungle terrain that ends in a cottage surrounded by ancient oak trees, which, if you’re lucky, will soon be covered by a picturesque layer of snow.
ACCESSIBILITY Umari Khal village, 14 km off Lansdowne
MUST-DO Nature walks, BBQ- bonfire night, trek
RATES Starting at Rs 5,510 per night
CONTACT Seclude.in/ 9810743242
VALLONNE VINEYARDS
Sanjegaon, Igatpuri, Maharashtra
A four-room boutique hotel in the middle of a 10.5 acre vineyard on the banks of the Mukhne Dam, Vallonne offers stunning views of the Sahyadri mountains
MUST-DO Drink wine, sample
local food.
RATES: Starting at Rs 8,500
CONTACT Vallonnevineyards.com/
9769130305
MAACHLI, FARMSTAY
Parule, Tal-Vengurla, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra
Maachli is a conceptual, theme-based, experiential homestay in a dense plantations of coconut and betel nut trees.
MUST-DO Walks through the plantation, sunset hike to the beach, visit the pottery village nearby
RATES Starting at Rs 6,900
CONTACT prathamesh.samant@maachli.in/ 9637333284 (WhatsApp)
WOODLAND BUNGALOW
Kodagu, Karnataka
This three-decade-old family-owned plantation bungalow sits amid a lush coffee plantation overlooking wetlands and lakes.
MUST DO Walk to the lake, bird/ animal watching, plantation walk, bonfires, visit the Nagarhole National Park (15 km away)
CONNECTIVITY Driving distance from Mysuru / Mangaluru / Bengaluru
RATES Rs 6,500 per night
CONTACT Woodlandbungalow.in/ email vikram@woodlandbungalow.in/ 9845831691