Mumbai, This Eco-Friendly Lakeside Homestay Is Only 3 Hours Away!

For some, dark ominous clouds, cold pellets of rain, and thundering clouds are a recipe for disaster. But when you’ve got the magnificent Tungi mountains, a gorgeous lake, egrets soaring through the sky, wild flowers and just pure, untouched greenery stretching across a vast expanse, the weather simply becomes a bonus. This exact sentiment is shared by the owners of Deogadh The Homestay, Annabelle and Clement DeSylva, who began building this eco-friendly marvel back in 1998!

Located in Thakursai Village, Maharashtra, it was built using local materials from the stone quarries, that blend in perfectly with the natural landscape. To maintain their au naturel habitat, they even set up their very own rainwater harvesting tank! Initially, they even functioned without any electricity — until they had a set of twins. Today, the house has all the amenities one would require, excluding air conditioning. This is justified, when you consider how splendid the weather is, especially in the monsoons.

Currently, they say their main aim is to ‘create many happy family memories’, which is why they only take in family and friend groups of 6 or more. Their rates go up to INR 4000 per head, for a 24 hour stay at their home. All your meals are included (breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner) and are made by an in-house Maharashtrian cook who ensures every guest is truly satisfied with her home-cooked meals.

A lot of their ingredients are sourced from their own backyard from trees they’ve planted years ago. If Annabelle is around, make sure you ask for the mangoes if they’re still in season. Those are a local speciality! Be warned, you won’t be able to stop at just one. If you’d rather just spend the day than a whole 24 hours, there are options available—including a pizza or BBQ party, if you’ve got enough people for it!

If you’re looking for the same albeit more adventurous and less expensive experience by the lake, is another little homegrown initiative of theirs. A short walk from their homestay, lies Camp Deogadh. The campsite has been carefully built keeping in mind an artistic sensibility whilst being close to nature. With clean English style toilets and showers, an organic farm which serves it’s produce, a fully functional cook house and BBQ grill, and state of the art tents, all against nature’s beautiful backdrop. Bird watching, swimming, and trekking are some of the activities you can do here. In the future, they plan on introducing an organic workshop at their camp, taking people through the process of growing your own garden!

Annabelle and Clement are warm and welcoming, eager to ensure their guest’s every need is taken care of, making for the perfect break. Both sites are ideal for those looking to simply relax and get away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Pack a book or two, and unwind over the weekend as time begins to slow down by Lake Pawna.

If you’re interested in a cosy weekend away at Deogadh The Homestay, please visit their page to make your bookings, here.

However, if you’d rather sleep under the stars at Camp Deogadh, please visit their page here.