travel tales-Our Native Village

Going native…village style!


An hour away from Bangalore takes you to a little hideaway where a motley mix of happy animals make you feel completely at home. Our Native village, an eco-resort, offers a perfect weekend away from the hustle and bustle of city life…complete with farm life and organic experiences, it can also lay claim to guarding a breath-taking little secret…




Our Native village is approximately 23 km from Mekhri circle. The detailed directions to the resort leaves no room for travelers who wish to get lost. As one who is severely challenged when it comes to reading maps, this was a blessing. (Though due to a road block, we took a diversion, adding to a little excitement!).The city’s character changes slowly, and concrete buildings and relentless ongoing of vehicles gives away to open fields and the occasional tutut..ing of a moped. The Government Film Institute is the final landmark before the turnoff into a dirt road. .And what meets our eyes is one of the best kept secrets, right out of the sets of an old western film..


Hidden treasure
There is something hypnotic about land, open land. which stretches as far as the eye can see. The horizon stretches beyond our imagination and one could almost visualize a scene from “little house on the prairie”, where caravans of explorers from yesteryear make their way through the landscape. A grove of the most unusual specimen of trees is the only addition to this landscape. The grove looks like it has been transplanted from some remote part of Europe and adding to the surrealism of the whole scene is a pink and green kite waving in the wind under the hands of a cheerful ten year old. It is spectacular-and we are told that is the last surviving open grassland, commonly used by migratory birds as wintering ground. What is most welcome is the total absence of the plastic trail commonly left by weekend picnickers. Later at the resort the staff tell us of how they do a clean up operation every time they see a picnic in progress. They even make the effort of stopping by and collecting garbage.” It’s not our job officially but we feel it is our responsibility”. Apparently, film crews use the place and leave behind a trail of debris(like tires and shards of glass).


Welcome Natives!
A little mud track takes you right into the resort. The staff at the reception greet us with marigold garlands and an herbal drink. Our four year old has found his weekend playmates. a mother cat and two kittens who don’t seem to mind the intrusion. We are shown into our rooms, which exude a sense of calm. The stone walls, the low mattressed bed with walls adorned with a painting in the local style adds to the charm.





The perfect way to enjoy the resort is barefoot!-It seems to go with the philosophy of the resort-which believes in asking the guests to reconnect with the environment. The ethos of the resort is outlined in a set of “rules” which the guests are asked to follow. Not listening to ear-drum shattering music and respecting the four legged creatures on the farm doesn’t seem too restrictive. And the staff seem committed and well versed with this creed. They take us for a quick tour around the resort and explains the various methods by which the resort runs through recyclable energy. Hot water in the resort is from Solar panels and Gujarat boilers, a system where waste wood is used to generate steam which is used for heating purposes. There is a 7.5 acre organic farm that grows fruit and vegetables and a bio gas plant to recycle food waste. They also assure us that all their soaps,shampoos and cleaners used at the resort are 100 percent organic. The silence in the resort is soothing and is only interrupted by birdcalls, the resident rooster and the occasional moo from the cows at the diary.

Village activities
Lunch followed by a short siesta and we are in time to see :cow milking”-It definitely altered my son’s perception that milk comes from packets!!-A wonderful way to explore the grasslands is to hire bicycles from the resort. The mud trail is fun and its zig zag trails leave us slightly breathless. There is nothing like retiring to one’s childhood, and it reminds us how the years have slipped as we try to race with each other. We stop by the groves and decide to park our bikes and explore it by foot.Watching a sunset seems to be the perfect finish to our day.

We decide to spend the next day participating in the Village activities.The bullock cart ride is the urban version of a mini rollercoaster and we bumble our way through kite flying and gilli danda much to the amusement of the staff. The perfect way to cool off is the natural swimming pool. It took me back to my childhood vacations in our kerala home. The pool is chemical and chlorine free and is maintained by natural filtration devices such as aquatic plants, carbon filters and oyygenators.This is one pool where you swim with the resident frogs and literally feel green!!

Special Friends
What makes a place even more special is the friends one makes.Sugunna,Muthanna and Patch ,the four legged residents are friendly and add to the feeling of a home away from home. And the management style is relaxed and unpretentous and they seem more than willing to share their experiences and their passion for holistic healing practices such as Past life regression. Our Native Village offers a series of programs called “Soul Spa” which range from Yoga retreats to rebirthing workshops.

A perfect weekend getaway hold promise of adventure, space to rewind and rejuvenate and packaged life alternating experiences, which can be dutifully captured on digital camera!-we managed a little bit of each.

It won’t be long before we find ourselves heading back to the village...

For details , visit their website
www.ournativevillage.com









L