For those who want to experience agro-tourism and want to watch peacocks live, this is the place to be in. It is located about 45-50 kms from the central city of Pune, which should take you about a 1.5 to 2 hrs journey depending on the traffic conditions.
The place opens at 9.30 a.m. in the morning. The charges per head are Rs. 700 per person for adults and Rs. 250 extra in case you also have a driver with you. The Rs. 700 charge includes a morning breakfast, a glass of sugarcane juice, welcome drink, Lunch, evening tea and snacks, hurda party coupon, Rope cycling pass, etc.
We reached around 11 a.m., and after paying, the first thing on the left was the drink shack, where you get the welcome drink as well as the fresh sugarcane juice. After having those, we proceeded to the main dining area, where breakfast was served. The breakfast was Misal Pav and tasted really good. Also, every food item served is unlimited, so you can have as much as you want.
After breakfast, we visited the mini places made inside the resort. A small hut they have made depicts the rural lifestyle, including all the instruments used in the villages by a farmer family. Besides that, they have made a second hut that informs about geography and astronomy. It also has a cutout of Spacesuits with which you can click photos and models of the PSLV rockets and various planets of the solar systems.
Inside they have made a section which is termed as fort tourism. This covers the various forts and details about the same as per the Maratha history. Moving further inside, they have 6 to 7 cottages lined up for people who wish to stay inside in one section. The cottages are plush, and if you wish to stay inside, the charge is Rs. 1500 per person, including everything for day visitors and stay in the cottages and dinner at night. On the other side, they have a swimming pool and rain dance made, one of the zones where you will find many people to beat the summer heat.
Moving further inside, there are the adventure activities. This includes rope cycling, walking over a hanging bridge, and a lovely garden with replica status of various animals like giraffes, lions, tigers, etc. Now, coming to the two points, I felt they could be improved. The first is there are no fans anywhere in the entire area. Not even in the main dining hall and eating in the sweltering heat becomes next to impossible. Secondly, you get to see the peacocks, but that is only after 4.30 in the evening once the sun goes down in summer. So after a point, you might start to get bored. This is only informed once you go inside.
However, apart from this the area and the activities are excellent. You also have a bullock cart and tractor rides, as well as a short magic show in one area of the open ground. There are also beds made of ropes (traditional village styles) for people to sleep. And then you have the hurda party, which has various items such as freshly baked corn, etc.
Overall, the area can be slightly made more comfortable. Still, it is totally worth the experience and a lesser-known but must-visit place if you are in Pune for vacation.
