Sometimes, all we need is a quick weekend getaway to reset from the week gone by. If you've got tired of driving long distances just to be able to take a break from the city, we've found a new camping café in Hyderabad that organises overnight stays every weekend, in the midst of lush nature.
Ariko Camping Café is housed in the Woods at Shamshabad—the world's largest Miyawaki forest. The weekend here starts on Saturday evening, where you check in around 6 PM so you can enjoy the sunset while sipping on refreshing welcome drinks. As the night progresses, you're allotted tents around their super cute boho-chic camping space done up with bamboo lamps and breezy net canopies.
With warm lights, comfy seating and rustic dinner tables set under canopies, Ariko Camping Café has a super relaxed vibe even as live musicians belt out Indie hits. The food is awesome, complete with a buffet set up and live counters dishing out pizzas, pastas, and barbecued meats. They also have a coffee counter serving craft coffees, milkshakes and ice cream. We liked that all the serveware here is either reusable or fully compostable. They eliminated plastic water bottles too, replacing them with cute glass bottles.
While you walk under the stars eating your fill from the barbecue section, you can also kick back and watch a movie at their open-air movie screening space. We loved the set up here with comfy floor beds and camping chairs with a mini beach set up for kids, complete with toys. The camp also has electric buggies that can take you around the property.
Tents are set up with beds, blankets and pillows, and are roomy enough for two. We visited the space during peak summer, and were thankful that they had desert coolers all around. During winters, Ariko Camping Café hosts dinners by a crackling campfire (and of course, great live music.)
Wake up early the next morning, and you can walk or cycle around the property to spot native and migratory birds. We recommend carrying binoculars if you're a bird watching enthusiast. The breakfast is buffet style-too, with Continental and South Indian food, coupled with great coffee and live counters for dosas and omelettes. We recommend visiting the mangrove at the property, it's what summer dreams are made of!
We like that the experience here is comfortable, fully safe and not too far away from the city; you can even get here via cabs easily. If you like camping but can't be bothered with organising the logistics, just drive down to Ariko Camping Café for a weekend of fun.