Treehouse, Massages & A Lake View: Experience Rejuvenation At This Resort

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What Makes It Awesome

You don’t have to look too far away to escape Mumbai as the Anandvan Resort in Bhandardara is just four hours away with its beautiful and peaceful lakeside view. Surrounded by lush greenery, the resort located at a scenic valley on the foothills of the Western Ghats offers gorgeous treehouses, villas, massages and so much more.

The 14-year-old resort under the maintenance of Mr. Puneet Anand (executive director) feels like an eco-system of its own. It offers lakeview cottages, villas to its patrons in addition to the recently opened treehouses, adding to the charm of this quaint resort. It’s nestled cozily amidst the foothills of Mount Kalsubai (also the higest peak in Maharashtra), alongside historical landmarks like the Arthur lake and Wilson Dam, carried forward from the not-so-forgotten British era. They have suites and villas of all sorts with 16 in total that are up for grabs, and star at INR 22,000 onward, which is inclusive of breakfast, and can accomodate four people. 

Beyond the rooms, there’s a spectacular sunrise view point which can be easily trekked to, an enchanting experience for the early risers. Bhandardara has a lot of trekking trails for beginners or the experienced lot and the best time for these treks, we’ve been told, is as early in the morning as possible to avoid the harsh sun of the hills.

The facilities at the resort are quite exceptional too. From their massive club house (for recreational purposes that has badminton, basketball, and a swimming pool) to their multi-cuisine restaurant, The Oak, we found the resort to be a comfortable stay. If you love Kerala massages and want to unknot the stress of the city life, head to Ayurvan for good body massages (starting at INR 600) Other activities include a guided walk through their organic kitchen (pick out your tomatoes if you wish), fishing at the lake, guided walk through the forest, bullock cart ride, tea/coffee, bonfire and more.

Since it’s a tiny hamlet of a village we really enjoyed exploring the local area. They do organise exciting activities like taking you to the Arthur lake, a nearby temple of historical importance, and introducing you to the fishing community. Overall, we think you will have a very rejuvenating experience at Anandvan (speaking from experience) so you might as well book your stay now. 

Pro-Tip

A heads up for anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs as the resort is spread out along the staircase- so if climbing in an issue, do check ahead about prior arrangements.