Our 9-acre property, with gorgeous views over Thokarwadi Lake, a reserved forest, and the Western Ghats, occupies the entire western slope of a small valley. But throw in the adjacent lake shore and the reserved forest (with its family of langurs inhabiting the old “aadal and wild fig trees), and we have many more private acres at our guests’ disposal. Well past the monsoons, a gushing stream at the bottom of the property flows past paddy fields, making for a perfect, natural, private pool. Further upstream, a natural spring bubbles out from under a rock, shaded by a virgin forest. While we do have over 200 fruit trees and a large vegetable field, we have kept much of the property in its natural state, to encourage the proliferation of the various birds and small mammals which inhabit the area.

 

The wild fig tree – umbhar in Marathi – is ubiquitous to the area, and our property is no exception. There is one just off the verandah, one shading our well, and several others scattered across the property.