Native Place is located:
-Mumbai is 2½ hours away via the expressway
-Pune is an hour away via the old highway
-Lonavala, 40 minutes away
-Kamshet, the nearest railway station is 30 minutes away from the guesthouse
Native Place, a unique guesthouse overlooking the serene Vadivali Lake. Just 2.5 hours out of Mumbai city via the expressway, this isolated retreat is the perfect haunt for dreamers, nature lovers and solitude seekers.
Come here to relax and enjoy a quiet nature holiday or to climb the hills and paraglide over hills and lakes, either choice will rejuvenate your senses.
Inspired by the sustainable, ecology conscious homesteads of village India, the Native Place invites you to indulge in nature's glory, relive happy childhood memories and heal your spirit. Visit if you wish to soar like a bird, scale up and down hillsides, wallow in the lake, or simply gaze out at the horizon and the stars.
Accomodation
The Retreat has 3 rooms, a dorm and ample tenting facilities.
Minimalistic decor and natural materials enhance the contemporary Indian context.
Enjoy spectacular views of the Vadivali lake and surroundings hills from anywhere on the property. Recline in a lounge chair on the sit out sipping tea or enjoy a meal on the scenic front deck.
Eating
At Native Place food is of great importance. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared with love and care keeping individual taste buds and palates in mind. A bank of special recipes from all over the country, spanning varied types of cuisine make home cooked meals our specialty. Sanjay’s weekend barbeque is world renowned, on festival days traditional festive meals are served
Activities
Paragliding
Come learn to fly on some of the best sites in the country. Learn at a relaxed pace and progress quickly. We can boast the best weather and flying every day of the long season. If you already are a pilot and looking to increase your airtime look no further.
Multi Activity (for groups)
We have multi activity programs to suit the enthusiastic beginner and the practiced expert. Rappelling, rock climbing, valley crossing, flying fox - dynamic action adventure packages to fill your holiday.
Jeep trip to explore ancient Caves
Visit the spectacular Karla and Bhaja caves built high up in the hills. Beautiful larger than life stone carvings dating back to the 2nd century AD and stunning views all around. See how the monks lived in serene isolation, trace the paths taken by silk and spice laden caravans of yore and gain insights into an adventurous way of life. Beautiful larger than life stone carvings dating back to the 2nd century AD and stunning views all around
Tracking Waterfalls (monsoon activity)
Just a short ride away from the guesthouse, enjoy refreshing water flowing down from the mountainside! , so clean, so refreshing , it must be good for you!
Hill Walking
For the enthusiastic walker, the region offers a wealth of mountains and rock faces. Some can be climbed in a day (there is an excellent peak overlooking the guest house), others will need to be reached and may entail staying out overnight. Imagine it! Hike up the hills to the amazing Kusur Plateau where you can view the entire lake and valley and explore ancient caves, isolated temples and sacred forests.
Visit Remote Villages
Keeping your walking boots on, trek with our guides to visit hill villages. You can tailor your visit to your energy levels and the time you have available. Treks range from an hour or so's hard walking to two or three day expeditions. Either way, you will take away unforgettable images and you will not have to share your experience with the commercial tourist machine!
On the water
Spend the morning on a raft, floating idyllically on the lake to isolated coves and tiny villages. Native Place has its own canoes too. You can also accompany Pushkar our caretaker on his fishing trip. This typically takes place in the evening. If you are lucky your catch will be the barbecue special of the evening.
Eco trail
Expand your horizons scouting through the beautiful rustic countryside. Visit the homes of simple farmers whose livelihood and way of life is based on thousands of years of tradition. Gain insights into eco friendly and sustainable lifestyles that are now slowly gaining respect as we look for new ways to save the planet.
Bird watching
A variety of raptors may be viewed in the late mornings over the guesthouse and at the flying site as well. The sounds of bulbuls, babblers go on all afternoon in the underbrush. Bee-eaters, sunbirds, magpie robins, Indian robins, warblers, swifts, kingfishers, shrikes, lapwings are commonly sighted as are egrets, herons, darter birds and cormorants on the lake.
