Of blissful balconies and bashful bulbuls

A review of the Advait Resorts, Mahabaleshwar

Who doesn’t get bitten by the monotony bug every once in a while? My husband and I are no different. Our tryst with a recent bout of ennui in the daily grind pushed me to take immediate action and restore the much-needed balance. And so I made bookings for a resort in Mahabaleshwar on the recommendation of a friend and colleague.

I now write, relaxing on the balcony of our room whilst breathing in the fresh mountain air and soaking in the warm golden rays of the unadulterated early morning sun. This is, without a doubt, the best aspect of the resort-the view towards the entire eastern sky in glorious reddish-pink hues of the breaking dawn over the diaphanous, misty veil on the distant mountains.

Rewind to our journey en route to Mahabaleshwar- well, it wasn’t the smoothest one. We were stuck in a heavy traffic jam with large vehicles and buses cramped on precariously narrow roads. We were completely oblivious to the fact that the place would be thronged with devotees on a weekend that coincided with Shivratri day. Incidentally, the resort location was just adjacent to an ancient Shiva temple – the Mahabaleshwar Kshetra– as it is popularly called. The routes in and around the place were all diverted, and we were driving around helplessly until we finally figured out the accessible route to our resort. By the time we arrived, we were mentally and physically exhausted.

We checked in at 12 noon at Advait Resorts. The reception located at the ground level was nested underneath the central garden of the resort. So one has to climb a dog-legged flight of stairs from the reception to arrive at the upper level that houses the rooms.

We found the overall ambiance of the place fairly pleasant and well-designed. The rooms are spread across 6 double-storied building blocks all set in a semicircle surrounding a fairly large garden space- somewhat emulating the layout of a tribal pagan ritual around the small tree grove in the centre- on a lighter note. The blocks’ layout opens to a valley view of densely canopied tree foliage, some strawberry farms, and the mystique mountains that lie beyond.

We had picked a room on the first floor, and our block was oriented such that the balcony faced the garden on the North and a panoramic view of the eastern sky. One can also view the higher contours on the west that house a more high-end resort property – the Ramsukh resorts, also owned by the owner of this more budget resort. Our room was reasonably spacious and comfortable and was done well with some exposed brick wall accents, well-picked-out lamps, and a few framed posters featuring the biodiversity of the region. The minus point would be the lighting angles, which could have been planned and designed more functionally – the lighting above the dressing mirror cast unfavourable shadows defeating the purpose of the area.

A walk through the entire property opened out different areas of engagement for the guests. Well-landscaped areas with the building blocks woven sensitively around the unbuilt- wrapping around trees rather than overpowering them. The restaurant block of the resort has a captivating frontage of widespread Jamun and Jacaranda trees with soft mauve flowers that make for a charming view whilst relishing the lip-smacking food in the dining area. The restaurant entrance has ornate brackets and columns handcrafted with wood, and the interior walls feature some antique-crafted murals and Rajasthani Jharokhas. There is an attempt to use refurbished wooden furniture throughout the campus. These might have been sourced locally from old wadas or probably from other states. The Advait resorts also have a block designed in a traditional wada style, but we were advised against booking a room there since they weren’t very spacious and did not offer natural views.

The food was another highlight. We had Pithla (a traditional Maharashtrian preparation-gravy made of besan); rice, Naans, and mixed vegetable gravy. All these dishes were prepared to perfection and had us feeling satiated after a heavy meal, sealed off with a creamy spiced glass of buttermilk.

Walking through the resort campus is a pleasant experience. Landscaped pockets dot the property – Some semi-shaded zones and some paved areas under a canopy of trees. Engaging stone and wrought-iron sculptures placed at strategic points add rustic charm and liveliness. A particularly endearing sculpture was that of Ganesha in a relaxed, leisurely pose, as though sunbathing lying with his feet apart and elbows perched on the ground. The central garden also housed some animal sculptures and large-scale Jenga blocks to engage the guests.

A gaming zone attached to the restaurant has table tennis, a carrom board, and a Foos-ball table to give guests options for entertainment. There are mini-treks and guided jungle tours also organised by the resort, but since we were short on time, we did not opt for any of these. Across the resort property, there has been an attempt to bring awareness about the biodiversity of Mahabaleshwar through informational signages about the avian and mammalian species found here. The sensitivity is also demonstrated in how the trees on the site have been preserved, and you catch a glimpse of these small gestures where the roofs are wrapping around trees, making sure they were included. When there is an acceptance that the act of building itself is an act of destruction or invasion, such gestures emerge from a place of humility.

At night, we enjoyed star-gazing outside – a nip in the air, we sat on a bench in the central garden space, and a billion stars appeared up above arranging themselves in riveting constellations. It was amazing how we could still spot so many stars despite the copious amounts of light spilling into the sky. The whole show was ethereal. Overall, Advait resorts offer a refreshing experience at a budget price. The only minus points were the compromise in privacy because of the semicircular placing of the room blocks- which could be a plus if one is into some non-invasive voyeurism; the noise of kitchen equipment emerging from the restaurant kitchen early in the morning- there could have been better acoustic segregation between the service spaces and the guest lodging spaces, and last but not the least- the distant noise of large crowds emanating from the adjacent funfair around the festival, including thumping music blaring from loudspeakers . This wouldn’t otherwise be the case on non-festival days that would definitely be preferable for booking.

Come morning, I am back on the balcony, writing. Bathed in the sun rays, I see glimpses of the bashful bulbuls- red-vented and red whiskered, making quick visits to check for strewn food grains. They make this delightful, almost mischievous call- ‘pick-a-wew-wew’! Oh, and I just spotted a swallow. How she glides gracefully up against the spotless blue sky. How I wished I could prolong my stay.