September was the month we bainstormed to plan the long weekends of december. After extensive research, discussion etc etc. we zeroed in on Wildernest on the Goa-Maharashtra border and Tarkarli - Sindhudurg.
We booked flight tickets for Goa airport and then had Wildernest send over their cab to pick us up.
being Xmas the flight was overfull. We however landed safely without much of a problem and looked for our cab. The cab was a newly painted white ambassador with a chauffeur wearing an army uniform. Intriguing!. However, the next one and a half hour drive to Wildernest was quite an experience through the Chorla ghats. "Chorla" our driver explained is called so because a lot of robbers / thieves used to come here for safety after robbing people.
How to reach -
The resort is 90 minute drive from Goa airport. The nearest railhead is Thivim from where it takes an hour to reach. Thivim is a small station reachable by Konkan railway. An alternate route could also be by road from Belgaum in Karnataka.
The resort -
The resort is located in a densely forested area in Maharashtra close to the Maharashtra Goa border. They offer a complimentary pick up and drop service for a minimum 2 night stay.The car drops you off at a clearing from where you have to board jeeps that take you inside the resort. I understood from them later that earlier they had bullock carts that took you inside the resort to give a rural feel, but that has been discontinued.
The resort is constructed in a way as if it a part of the jungle itself.There are no borders, no fencing and you could practically lose yourself in the jungle if you took an off-beat path inside the resort.
The resort has everything made up of wood. The restaurant is made up of wood so are the cottages (loghuts).Resort offers Forest view and valley view cottges. We stayed at a Valley view cottage called "Bakul" that offered a fantastic view of the valley below. A view of the waterfalls and dense green below was alluring.The cottage had a sit out area as well. The sitout had support of logs from the base giving it a feel of sitting on a "machan" overlooking the valley. Facing the west, it also offered fantabulous views of the setting sun and the various colours; hues of orange and fiery yellow that come with a clear sky.
They offer several activities like a village tour - giving a rural feel, mehndi art, treks to waterfalls and sunset vista points, birding, rural folk dances, wildlife films etc.
The first day was thus spent exploring the resort and watching the sun set from the balcony. It was so deathly queit everywhere; we could practically hear a leaf fall off a tree onto the ground!The loghut was practically invisible from the pathways. There was a narrow clearing among the dense shrubs/trees that had stairs that led to the loghut. You could not make out from the pathways that there are loghuts hidden away behind the trees.At night the jungle becomes alive. Very dim lights were used near the ground to light the tracks.That was all that was there. We needed a torch at times to see what lay ahead of us.
The first evening they had a gazal programme and treated us to some amazing gazals by some singer.
The night also brings with it all kinds of noises. All kinds of insects, noctural birds like the owl, and rustling of the leaves were the only noises you could hear. Nothing else!
The resort also has an awesome Infinity swimming pool that gives you a feel that the water drops off the cliff into the valley. Amazing!.The sunset again off the swimming pool was an amazing experience - a photographer's delight!
The next day was spent trekking to the waterfall - a 45 minute one way up and down trail.
Food at the restaurant was okay. Typical Maharashtrian/Konkani cuisine nothing else. There is no room service as well so you always have to walk to the restaurant to eat. Nothing else is available as well beyond the specified lunch dinner breakfast tea hours.The facility also has a rustic temple as well as a lot of wood carved logs at most places.
Time passes really slowly in this place. And you feel like dozing off all the time. It is so quiet so natural so peaceful.And so green as well. No fear of the jungle - no life threatening animals around, but it is a paradise for bird watchers and naturalists.They also have birding treks early morning and maintain logs and book of the various species of fauna sighted there.
This place is a lot better than what you expect. Its a fantastic couple of days off into the realms of nature. I recommend this to anyone who needs a short break from stress filling lives.
