My first Camping/Glamping trip in the Wild at Ananta Ecotel Resort | Weekend Monsoon Getaway trip 2019

Enjoy the silence of Nature at this beautiful Eco-Village.

Ananta Ecotel Resort

~All good things are wild and free~

I have always been fascinated with the life of backpackers, bikers, wildlife explores/photographers and these aimless travellers who just go out there in the wild and enjoy the silence of nature. Sleeping under the stars, camping in the wild was on my wishlist since a very long time but I never really knew how I would survive in the forest and spend a night in the tent. I didn’t even know about camping rules you need to follow to be in harmony with the nature around you, so that you don’t disturb anything. A week back I was browsing through different adventure activities near Mumbai and I was astonished to discover Ananta Ecotel Resort which is a newly launched eco village resort to experience Wild Camping near Mumbai city.

The entire concept of living with the wildlife, beautiful landscapes and in the heart of nature, really got me excited and I was looking forward to experiencing this kind of adventure. I instantly connected with the resort checked on all the facilities available and planned a visit with two of my gorgeous friends from School of Awakening who were equally enthralled with the idea.

*About Ananta Resort

Ananta Ecotel is a conscious luxury tent resort located on one of the oldest Sahyadri ranges near the spiritual land of Trimbakeshwar in Khodala village, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The resort is surrounded by mesmerizing views of natural landscapes, mountains, forest, waterfalls, wildlife, organic fields of vegetables and fruits, local villages and the area is one of the world’s ten “Hottest biodiversity hotspots” and has over 7,402 species of flowering plants. This earthy resort is spread across 15 acres of land and it’s a huge space where different activities are scattered in different areas. The area has many trekking trails around and is also known for spiritual awakening spots surrounded by all elements of nature, making it a perfect place for healing, meditation and relaxing your mind, body and soul. They have even build shacks for people to have some me time where they can reset themselves. They have camping tents with common bathrooms, luxury tents with private bathrooms and modern amenities, conference room, open dining area with barbecue arrangements, activity area etc…

The place is very peaceful and relaxing and it also has Agri Tourism certificate which basically involves bringing visitors to farms so they can learn, appreciate and experience first-hand agricultural technologies and practices of the community. Because somehow many of us have lost our souls, we may claim that we love our land but we hardly give back to our Mother Earth and hence experiences like this will help us get connected to our roots again. To closely understand these concepts I spoke to Mr. Pallav Nagar who is the owner and founder of this beautiful resort. While talking to him I experienced the amount of passion he had towards building this entire community project where his idea is to closely work with the local villagers and poor farmers to help boost their agricultural produce in this area. He is also working on steps to conserve the resources through water conservation projects and he wants people to come visit appreciate natural beauty, get healed in the natural environment and switch to healthy organic lifestyle. He simply said that he wants to give back to the Mother Earth today so that our future generations can benefit from it.

Wild Camping in most cases can be dangerous e.g. wildlife, crime or risk of severe weather conditions, but this resort just makes it all easy for you and that too in a very luxurious way. Being a Mumbaiker, wildlife for us is limited to surfing through the various Discovery channels, National Geographic’s etc… where you see these amazing power of nature and think how fragile we humans really are. It’s sad that today in 2019 we don’t even have a decent Zoo in the city where we can go relax and really appreciate wildlife and nature. Our unnecessary stressful busy lifestyle has become such that we are only trained to use and exploit our gifted natural resources and instead of using our intelligence and benefitting the mother earth, we are bringing it to a stage of irreversible destruction. Mostly only when we see a long weekend arriving that’s the time we create an escape plan to go back to the Mother Earth which we popularly call as the Weekend Getaway trips. Otherwise, for many people, it’s even difficult to throw their own garbage in the bin, while on the other hand we run - save the environment campaigns.

Finger Millet Crops of local farmers at Ananta Ecotel Luxury tent Resort Khodala Village Maharashtra

How to Reach at Ananta Ecotel Resort?

The best and fastest route to reach the resort from Mumbai is by road. It is approximately 3 hour drive from Mumbai till Ananta Resort at khodala village. You can also have a halt at Food highway and Food hub for quick refreshments. You can even book private vehicle to reach here.

If you wish to book an Uber cab it will be approximately Rs 3000 / Rs 4000.  

Another option is to travel by Train – Rs 150 approx (Bandra – Dadar- Kasara) till Kasara Railway Station and from there you can take a cab or local jeep till the resort, prices of which will vary depending on the time of your arrival.

Do check Google maps depending on your location for fastest route options and also download IRTC app for train updates.

We travelled by car and it was a smooth drive from the Wada – Khodala road which is really beautiful and because of the monsoon season we experienced heavy rainfall throughout the way which was spellbinding and made our journey even more fun.

* My stay at Ananta

After a smooth exciting journey we all received a very warm sweet welcome by the owner of this resort and his team of local villagers. We were first taken in a stunning shack which had natural wooden seats, hammock, resting chairs and catchy welcome sign boards. We were then given a welcome drink which was a scrumptious glass of black tea with a slice of lemon in it. Followed by a great lunch which was prepared by the local villagers. The tea was soothing herbal tea with Indian spices, ginger and lemon. The mountain has been precisely crafted for different activities and you have to keep going doing the hill to find different areas in the resort. For example: at the entrance there was kitchen and shack which was also like a lobby area and conference rooms, pool etc… were being constructed near this area, then you go down the hill towards your general camping, super luxury, playground and luxury tents and then again you go down the hill where you can reach the main activity and dining area. From there you can go ahead for trekking towards the waterfalls and explore other adventure sports.

Me Enjoying my stay at this beautiful Ananta Ecotel Resort

Outside my luxury tent at Ananta Ecotel Resort

There are just endless options available here. Once we reached the luxury tents we were jumping with joy because it was like a dream come true. I couldn’t believe that the tents had almost everything we needed, it had all the modern amenities but there were definitely some rules of camping you had to follow to be safe in those tents. Like we were asked to always chain our tents completely so that no creepy crawly insects enter the tent, also the area has snakes, scorpions, and other wild creatures around, what we heard fox, leopards, and other wild animals. Also, there are peacocks, rabbits, owl, and beautiful birds so it’s always best that whenever you go out you always chain the tents. We had a really nice big comfortable proper mattress, bedsheet and pillow to sleep, our tents also had 2 folding chairs, mirror, water, towel, toiletries and cooler. We also had charging points available to charge our phones or laptops. We had private bathrooms behind our luxury tents, the bathrooms were still under construction but it was like bathing out there open in the jungle :D It was like open bathroom with curtain and modern commodes, there was enough privacy and still you would feel you are in a village.

Me with my friend enjoying our stay at the resort

Me with the owner of Ananta Ecotel Resort, having great conversations

My caring friend with the resort guard dog- Tiger 

My friend enjoying some me time at the trekking point

Art Therapy Beautiful Sacred Healing Arts Clicked at Ananta Ecotel Resort

The tents were weatherproof and have guaranteed protection from moisture, insects, and other unsavory bits of nature. The ambiance of the resort, views, and landscapes was awesome. It had all the facilities we required. The services were also excellent where we really didn’t have to wait for long hours to get our meals as everything was prepared on time and served fresh to us. The owner of this place is a really cool person and extremely friendly, he will share all the knowledge and insights about the place and he will make sure that you have everything you need. You will never feel bored with such an amazing company. There was an old caretaker and local villagers who constantly came and kept a check on us. Initially, night in the tent was little scary, it was very dark and there was this constant buzzing of insects, we had even spotted few wild creatures but if you chain your tents well then you will have absolutely no problem at all. There were even coolers in the tents, I slept really well and the next day woke up to that amazing mystic foggy view. 

Night View inside the tent at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Amazing Nature at Ananta Ecotel Resort 

The super luxury tents, kitchen garden, farm produce of mangoes and cashews, adventure sports, AC conference rooms, tree house, tree tents, machan , etc... are still under construction. We experienced the rainfall, wildlife, nature and even fireflies in the night. The entire place phase 1 is expected to be ready in the next 2 months and by October 2019 the resort is expected to be completely ready with exciting other attractions. This place is great even for offsite meetings, corporate training, and spiritual quest for people looking for inner peace and self-development. When we visited there was already a team who had come for corporate training. 

Beautiful Tents and hangout spaces at Ananta Ecotel Resort

*Weather and Best Time to Visit?

I love Monsoon time in Maharashtra and hence we visited this resort during End of June 2019. The climate was nice and pleasant with moderate rainfall. It was such a great experience, if you visit in July you can spot some mind-blowing waterfalls in the resort itself where you can even sing with thousands of different species of birds around or do bird feeding. This is like an undiscovered isolated area and trust me I feel really blessed to be one of the few who could witness this heavenly sight. The land is red mud clay road and when it rains you will just love the fragrance of the earthy mud. During heavy rainfall trekking in the forest can be difficult hence if you want to go on these long trekking trails then November to May will be the best time for you to visit this place. During this time the temperate drops to almost 12-15 degrees, perfect for bonfire and barbeque.  

Tiger checking out the view at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Beautiful Fig Tree at Ananta Ecotel Resort Khodala Village

* Food at Ananta?

Oh wow, the food is so delicious out here, you will get authentic local village organic food cooked by the local villagers. Enjoy the local Maharashtrian cuisine, there is a buffet for all the meals - bhaakri, rice roti’s, local chutney’s like thecha, dal, roti, organic rice, chicken curries, poha, barbeque treats, etc… try the fresh fruits and vegetables from local farm produce. I would really recommend this place for people who are going through health challenges, you will naturally be eating and enjoying your meals in this kind of environment. Also, you follow nature, hence you tend to sleep and wake up on time, you can get a really good sleep here. I slept like a baby ate healthy food and this time I used to really reset my body. I feel so good even when I have come back from this trip.

Local Village Black tea at Ananta Ecotel Resort - Indian spices, ginger and a slice of lemon

Fresh Fig from tree at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Local Village Thecha at Ananta Ecotel Resort 

* Must Haves and Camping Rules.

The most important aspect of camping in the wild is keeping yourself safe from blood sucking insects around in the forest. There are millions of insects around and they get attracted to light, so our best practice was that in the night we used to switch on the lights which are away from us. You should carry odomos cream and apply it properly during the evening time to keep yourself protected from the insects. I had applied it, so luckily I didn’t get any crazy bites. To move around in the resort we used torch in the night. The tents have lights but we preferred to switch them off and enjoyed the moonlight. One of the most awesome experience was when the electricity went off in the night and all we could see were these fascinating fireflies twinkling like stars. At first for me it was little scary in the night because we could hear creepy sounds but in the end it was all absolutely worth it. Do also wear proper footwear (trekking shoes for the forest and a regular slipper to hangout around the tents) and try wearing clothes which are full length to keep you covered and protected.

Other things you can carry are your essential toiletries and rest is all taken care by the resort. Actually we didn’t really need many things, we had all the basic facilities we needed. 

There are also camping rules you need to follow which you will learn once you reach there. It’s basically the dos and don’ts when you come across wildlife and how you must take care of the tents.

* Activities and things to do at Ananta

There are endless activities, sightseeing and things you can possible do at Ananta Ecotel Resort. It has facilities like Conference Room, Restaurant, Amphitheatre, Hammocks, Library, Bonfire, Barbecue, Playground, Trekking, Play area for kids, Indoor Games, Stargazing, Rappelling, Fishing, Canoeing, Kayaking (water activity – at a site close by) and many exclusive secluded pergolas/huts to enjoy the natural and peaceful environment. For outdoor games they even have a proper playground for sports like cricket, volley ball, football, badminton, Lagori, marbles, tug of war, carom board, table tennis, carom, dart, archery, etc. you can even play board games here. There is also Campfire and music where you can enjoy Ghost stories, Truth or Dare, Singing/Antakshari/Dumb charades, Dance around the fire or Relax in hammock with your friends and family.

Trekking at Ananta Ecotel Resort

For Adventure sports there is Rappelling near the waterfall, Jungle trail at Night, Treasure hunt, Water sports. (Nearby Site kayak and canoeing), Archery in Jungle, Slake Line, Burma Bridge- under Construction, Zip Line- Under Construction. Learn Kayaking, River Raft Boating or just relax by swimming. The life jackets are given to all during water sports adventure. This is also a great place for wildlife photography lovers.

For Stargazing and Educational camps: There is Stargazing for the Astronomy enthusiast. They have world-class telescope for stargazing, Celestron Telesopes, Guided tour of planets, Wilderness Survival techniques, Information about Flora and Fauna, Children Educational Camp & related activities.

For Events & Entertainment: You can check with the resort for Band & Live Music*, Dance floor & DJ*, Rain Dance and local Cultural Entertainment.

Trekking Trails near Ananta:

Discover historic and spiritual locations on your trek to ANJANERIHILL, RAMSHEJ FORT, TRINGALWADI FORT, HARIHAR FORT, DABHOSA WATERFALL, VIHIGAON/ ASHOKA WATERFALL, DUGARWADI WATERFALL, SANDHAN VALLEY, KOHOJ FORT, GHATGHAR DAM,  RATANGAD TREK, KALSUBAITREK, BHANDARDARA CAMPING, ALANG MADAN KULANG TREK, ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY BHANDARDARA, GHATGHAR KOKANKADA,  WILSON DAM, BOATING AT BHANDARDARA LAKE

Overall Value for Money? (Review of Ananta Ecotel Resort)

Ambiance: 5/5*

Service: 5/5*

Staff: local villagers: 5/5*

Hygiene: 5/5* (for jungle standards)

Food: 5/5* (Buffet meals)

Accommodation and Stay: Perfect tents 5/5*

Prices: Depends on the packages you pick

Facilities & Amenities: 5/5* as the place is under construction and we had absolutely no issues in the jungle.

Restrooms: 4/5* this could be a new experience for people and just needs a few fixes. But I enjoyed it :D

*Pet Friendly

*Great for Family Outdoor Vacation

*Great for Backpackers

*Great for Wildlife photographers

*Amazing for Camping in the Wild

*Amazing for Adventure sports and trekking

*Amazing for Spiritual healing, yoga and meditation

*Kids Friendly

*Parking: Available for private cars

*Wifi: A Technology free zone hence no wifi, but networks like Jio and Vodafone work fine over here. Airtel doesn’t work here.

Overall Value for Money 5/5* it was one of the best adventurous experience of my life and even when I was in the jungle I didn’t feel I was missing anything which wasn’t available at the resort.   

To learn more about the Ananta Ecotel Resort visit website - http://www.ananta-ecotel.com/

#BestCampingplacesnear Mumbai #campingnearMumbai #ecovillage #campinginthewild 

#Weekendgetaway2019 #campinginthewild #khodalavillage #Anantaecotel #Travelblogger 
#HotelReviews #foodhistjourney #lbbmumbai #letsguide #googlelocalguides

Featured on Google Friday Favorites
Featured on LBB MUMBAI