Gratitude is a serene haven that is very special to us & has been created with a lot of love & thought, keeping with our sensibilities of aesthetics, comfort & eco-friendliness. Ours is an idyllic country house set on 5 acres of land in a pristine location. It overlooks the Andhra lake, has mountains in the back drop & has a private waterfall in the monsoons. We open the doors to our home to like- minded nature loving people who like to disconnect & appreciate quiet slow conscious living.
The space
IDEAL FOR: 1. Couples looking for a romantic getaway 2. Women travellers. 3. People who love being amidst nature, in a serene environment. 4. People with creative pursuits who would like to work in a quiet and inspiring space.
NOT SUITED FOR: 1. Families with children below 12 years, the elderly (due to uneven terrain & steep walk to the lake/ waterfall), large groups OR people who need steady Hi - speed internet
2. People who like loud music /party, buffets/ room service or who want services offered by professionally run resorts/ hotels.
NOTE: Alcohol / loud music/ parties are not permitted.
Non- vegetarian food, room service is not available.
Men-only bookings will not be accepted.
Only Jio network is available and WIFI is unreliable.
Simple local meals vegetarian (without dairy)on a SET MENU basis are available at extra cost. Details are below.
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We open the doors to our home to like- minded nature loving people who like to disconnect & appreciate quiet slow conscious living.
Instead of a resort style villa with amenities which can at times have a standardised impersonal feel, you will find a serene, beautiful, comfortable home with character and a story in every corner. We also have a small rustic rock pool area to relax in :)
The remote rural setting comes with its challenges of erratic electricity, limited internet, lack of trained local manpower and close by market but we hope it makes up with waking up to bird songs, the cool constant breeze, the beautiful expanse of the lake and mountains, its pristine location, and the gurgling of the waterfalls. We have used a lot of natural materials such as wood, bamboo, cotton, coir, terracotta, lime and stone.
We are 140 kms/ about 3-3.5 hours from Bombay ( Santacruz west) & 57 kms / 1.5 hours away from Pune (Baner).
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Each room is themed around a colour and is named after a tree which has flowers of that colour. Bauhinia is an evergreen tree with orchid like purple/ pink fragrant flowers. Bauhinia, our signature room is located on the 1st floor (need to take stairs). It is a large 290 sq. ft room with a king sized bed, writing desk and comfy sofa. All the furniture is solid wood and 50% percent of it is recycled wood. The ceiling is high accentuated with trusses and the flooring is earthen terracotta tiles.
The bathroom is done in earthy tones with real stone and terracotta tiles and has all the amenities one needs to be comfortable.We generate most of our energy via solar power and compost our wet waste. We also have a traditional copper wood- fired water boiler for heating bath water when the electricity is erratic as solar power is not sufficient for electric geysers.
For dry waste and plastics there is no garbage disposable option so we take it back to Bombay where we are based and send what is possible for recycling.
We request guests to carry minimal or no packaged food or drinks and be responsible about the waste they generate.
Water and electricity are scarce resources and we use them judiciously.
There are many things to do while you are at Gratitude other than relaxing with a book and gazing at the vistas around. You can also book a 1 hour nutrition coaching session with me to understand how to get closer to your health goals. A detailed guide book will be provided on booking confirmation/ request.
Guest access
They have exclusive access to the terrace which has a wooden swing, a board games and books as well as a DIY tea/ coffee station. Also they can access the rock pool and can walk around the property as well as the private waterfall and lake.
I shuttle between Gratitude and Bombay. My family and I live on the ground floor and work from here when we are at Gratitude so the porch and living area on the ground floor is not for guests' use.
Other things to note
• There are no proper restaurants or places to eat at hence we provide simple, local, wholesome vegetarian (without dairy) meals on a SET MENU basis at set times. 1 lunch (the day you check-in), 1 snack, 1 dinner & 1 breakfast (next day), available at Rs. 1200 per person per day and has to be paid in advance at least 2 days prior to your visit. Driver accommodation & meals available for Rs. 700 per day.
• Last minute requests / changes cannot be accommodated as ours is a remote place with the nearest market for provisions and produce being 40 minutes away.
• Only JIO mobile service is available. Sim cards of other service operators won’t work here. We have WiFi & it works well most of the time but can be unreliable at times and not relied on for high speed or for work- from- home. Can bring JIO dongle as back up.
• Electric supply is not constant and there are frequent power cuts. We use solar power to maintain a steady supply of energy but there can be interruptions. We have intentionally not installed a generator to avoid use of diesel as well as the resultant pollution and noise.
• We have recently gotten Air Coolers fitted. Our staff will show you how to use them. We don't have A/C’s as solar power does not give us enough electricity to run A/C’s.
Air coolers work well in places which are not humid and dry but their cooling is not comparable to A/C’s. They will keep you comfortable in the afternoons when it gets hot.
• There are many local festivals, religious days during the year as well as some celebrations in the nearby village and that they may result in music being played by the local village folk. These are unpredictable and not in our control so if you happen to be there on such an occasion, it can be disturbing.
• Our land & its surrounding has a rich biodiversity and there are creepy / crawlies around. Bugs, geckos, frogs, spiders are at home here. There have been stray instances of snakes being spotted around the property too. One needs to be mindful of that while walking around during early mornings and after dark and be particular to keep doors and mosquito nets shut at all times.
