We buy them at upto INR 400 a kg but did you know the farmer sells them at less than INR 50 to dealers??? Read about our camp stay experience at "Alphonso by the lake".
For all those staying in Bangalore, what do you do on a weekend after working your ass off from Monday to Friday and sometimes even half day on a Saturday? Do you spend your evening being exhausted and tired at your cozy home? Do you go out partying with friends? Do you go on a movie date or get involved in some pyjama party at home? Naturally after spending few hours at your work place it gets too late for anyone to go on a weekend getaway!!
Being in this maddening corporate world, we have faced this situation a lot however unlike most, we don't sit at home with a drink or go out partying. We are travel freaks and any opportunity to hit the road always excites us. When such situations arise instead of being in this noisy city, we head down to one of our favourite weekend getaway destinations, which is 100 km from Bangalore - a small hamlet near Krishnagiri called Nachikuppam.Nachikuppam is a village in Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu State. A village which is known for its mango plantation. Hold your breath coz I am not talking about any other mangoes but the most delicious Alphonso. Managed by a group called Linger, this property is called "Alphonso by the lake" nestled in a 60 acre mango farm and surrounded by beautiful hills. As you drive into the property you cannot miss the acres of mango, coconut and vegetable plantations in the vicinity.The first thing that attracted us the very first time we heard about this property was it's name. Sure enough when we reached the place we could not take our eyes off from hundreds of mango trees which surrounded the property. We could just pluck them and eat as much as we wanted - WOW! These are the luxuries we can never enjoy living in the city.The drive to this place is quite scenic. Tall green trees cover the road and the farm lands around make it even more beautiful. The property is a perfect place for those who are looking for camping and adventure and for those who love spending their night under a star studded sky.The property does not have any rooms but what it offers is even more exciting. Army style tents fixed under a shed with wooden cots for a comfortable sleep- a complete feel of camping in the hills. There are some hammocks for you to lie on while flipping the pages of your favourite book along with a chilled one by the side. We suggest you carry small speakers, your favourite book or games to while away your time here. The Linger group's theme is Do Nothing and that's exactly how we spend our time here. We laze around, take naps, play games and spend time next to the bon fire. We never really missed the telly or mobile phones during our stay here!! That's the beauty of this camp site.Another thing that we love about this place is their food. The cooks are from the neighbouring village and can come up with some very unique dishes. Right from the dal, veggies to the non veg, everything had a very authentic local flavour to it. The heavy lunch can be followed by a walk by the lake, a hike to the hills, or a lazy satisfying nap on the hammocks under the Imli trees. Evening snacks usually consists of bhajjis, tea/coffee, or lemonade followed by a live BBQ.Nachikuppam has so far been one of the best places we have been to. It's close to Bangalore, cost effective and a complete value for money. A perfect place to escape the hustle bustle of Bangalore city and a great way to spend your weekend amidst hills and open sky staring at the stars.This unique camp gives you an opportunity to camp amidst a beautiful mango orchard, observe the village life, and spent the evening by the lake! A place which we call our perfect weekend getaway.