I absolutely love traveling with my friends and family, especially this time around the year during the Holiday season where the weather is stunning and the festivities around us brighten up our lives!
However, all my energy goes down the drain just by a simple thought of shortlisting locations, planning itinerary, making bookings, coordination and most importantly and even more challenging - being mindful of everyone's likes and dislikes. I found the perfect getaway near Mumbai which takes care of the checklist and will made my group a happy bunch!
Let me introduce you to - Song of Life County, a destination villa resort fashioned like a Scotland County spread across 7 gorgeous villas situated in Mulshi which is only 3 hrs of a drive from Mumbai and about 1 hour from Pune. What is so special and why am I going Ga-Ga over it? Read on to find out:
1. Thematic Villas
There are 4 different categories of Villas in this property, we stayed at the Regal Villa which is an incredibly 5BHK Villa accommodating upto 14 people. It's gated, built in colonial style, two storeyed and has a mesmerising view from all the rooms.
The view of the mountains is outstanding and perfect for Sunsets! It has 2 terraces, spacious living room, dining area (look out for the gorgeous chandelier here), a semi-equipped kitchen and an elegant wooden stairway. The entire villa is Instagramable! It feels like living in a Pinterest feed of gorgeous home aesthetics.
2. Perfect getaway for a large group of family and friends
It's one of those resorts where you can get all the amenities of a high end luxury hotel and still have the ability of accommodating 10-15 people under the same roof in their stunning villas.
Those late night parties, fun sleepovers, movie marathons can also happen during your stay here, you don't have to call it a night early and can actually catch up for as long as you want.
Pro-tip: Carry microwave popcorn bags since each villa has a semi equipped kitchen, butter popcorn and a movie with lots of fun conversations was how we spent our late evenings!
3. There is something for everyone
One of the best things about Song of Life County is that it's a great place for a family outing which can include all generations and they are all going to be thrilled! There is a gorgeous pool for everyone who is looking to take that dip and chill, there is a massive gaming room with a bunch of fun games like, air hockey, carrom, table tennis, pool, foosball, etc.
There is a promenade waterfront with a view of the mountains which Is ideal for evenings when the sun is setting, lots of space and greenery. There is play area for children where I promise every kid is going to happily spend hours until they have to be dragged out.
There have bicycles, badminton racquets provided on request. And lastly, there are 4 absolutely comfortable and relaxing swings in the property which was my favourite part, you could spend hours by reading a good book, listening to music or simply just admiring the gorgeous property while you slowly sway in your swing throne!
4. Lip-smacking meals ALL Day!
This property serves Vegetarian food and has a buffet system for all 4 meals (breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner). There is no ala-carte or room service. The food is served at their restaurant - Harmony which has indoor and outdoor area. The food across all meals are exceptional, not just the quality and taste but I was also super impressed with the variety they were able to offer.
There was always a curated menu combining of Indian, Chinese, Continental and Italian. There was emphasis on appetizers, salad, main course and dessert. It was always a well thought menu and the food quality was definitely up to my expectations. The breakfast would consist of two main dishes, fresh fruits and two bread options. High tea was 2 snack items and of course tea and coffee. If there is something I assure you then it's definitely going to be the fact that you aren't going to have any time to be hungry. There's lots of good food and an even better staff taking care of that.
5. Heartwarming hospitality
The PPPL Hospitality team at Song of Life County is super welcoming. The entire property is managed by the PPPL Hospitality team which manages many such stunning properties and as veterans in the event planning and hospitality industry, they also have some wonderful arrangements for intimate weddings at Song of Life County.
How to get to Mulshi? Things to do enroute ...
The most convenient way of travelling to Mulshi is taking a road trip, it's one of the safest ways too amidst the pandemic. We booked ourselves a chauffer-driven car from Savaari, a chauffer-driven car rental service in India.
It only takes a couple of minutes to book yourself a chauffer-driven car at an affordable price. Once we made the booking, we were in for a hassle-free experience both ways of the trip. The chauffer arrived on time, was an expert and knew the roads at the back of his hand. Savaari services as many as 15 lakh routes across India.
On our way back, we even stopped en route to try Lonavala's Famous Vada Pav and take a quick stop to shop handcrafted crockery at an affordable price.
While I am writing this, I could not absolutely stop thinking about how wonderful our time was here and I cannot wait to plan a trip again!
5. Heartwarming hospitality:
The PPPL Hospitality team at Song of Life County is super welcoming. The entire property is managed by the PPPL Hospitality team which manages many such stunning properties and as veterans in the event planning and hospitality industry, they also have some wonderful arrangements for intimate weddings at Song of Life County.
How to get to Mulshi?
Things to do enroute
The most convenient way of travelling to Mulshi is taking a road trip, it's one of the safest ways too amidst the pandemic. We booked ourselves a chauffer-driven car from Savaari, a chauffer-driven car rental service in India. It only takes a couple of minutes to book yourself a chauffer-driven cab at an affordable price.
Once we made the booking, we were in for a hassle-free experience both ways of the trip. The chauffer arrived on time, was an expert and knew the roads at the back of his hand. Savaari services as many as 15 lakh routes across India
On our way back, we even stopped en route to try Lonavala's Famous Vada Pav and take a quick stop to shop handcrafted crockery at an affordable price.
While I am writing this, I could not absolutely stop thinking about how wonderful our time was here and I cannot wait to plan a trip again!