Monteria Village is an eco tourism destination few hours drive from Mumbai. Nestled in a quiet area, but not far from old Mumbai Pune Highway this is a perfect weekend getaway for Mumbaikars.
We visited Monteria Village during the Christmas break for a 2 night stay. Since this was a getaway without my husband I wanted something close by and easily reachable by road, Monteria Village came across as the best option.
The place is a 36 acres huge property that holds a Village, guest rooms in form of traditional mud cottages & huts, 2 pools, a man-made pond, Village fair area, green house, cow shed, Laxman Jhula, adevnture activity zone, wedding lawn, man made cave, vermicompost plant and a farming land.
Day 1 we checked in early by 11am, rooms weren’t ready but we could explore the property and enjoy the activities. The boys choose to splash it out in the private pool meant exclusively for resident guests.
After a few hours we were given a room where we relaxed for a bit and then headed out for lunch. Food is part of the package whether you are a here for a day or stay. It is served in a dining hall that can easily accommodate few hundreds at a time. The food was superb; flavourful meals of great quality. They haven’t compromised or cut corners here. I have seen most resorts give quality entertainment but try to gain profits by serving poor food, but not here. Every time the menu, food and staff impressed me.
Post lunch we explored the village and it’s fair. The village was complete with every kind of shop you might usually find in an actual village; carpentery, goldsmith, weaver, tailor, food stalls, pottery place, barber, anganwadi (preschool), Mahila Grah Udyog. One could give few tasks a try; Nabeel tried a hand at weaving a bamboo basket and Hameed at carpentry. Traditional costumes for hire were also available.
The fair besides the village was also complete with typical “mela” kind of games, a rope walker act, dedicated area to play traditional games like marbles, tops, lagori etc. There were puppet and magic show booths too.
We then walked around the huge property, the place has ample of trees and wherever they could that have set up hammocks and cots under them for resting, giving a complete village feel. The experience is complete with mud pots filled with drinking water at every few steps, one can sip the cool water from them and get refreshed just like in villages. One can hop into a tractor or go for a paid ride in an electric vintage car or the typical village charka.
Dinner was served in a garden area besides the rooms. The place was decked up with subtle lights, food was laid buffet style and for entertainment a movie was played. Post dinner a campfire was arranged in a special campfire area complete with ample seating where one can get cozy with a book or a coffee mug.
Next day the kids got up early and were excited to try out the adventure activities and Boat ride post breakfast. We then spent time in the bigger pool that has a waterfall and rain dance set up. It was then time for lunch and a quick nap.
The boys then headed to the Gaushala ( Cow Shed) to watch the cows being milked. They are fascinated by animals and Gaushala was the only place they frequented ample of times during those 3 days. Nabeel tried milking a cow while Hameed was happy feeding the calves and goats. Gaushala at Monteria houses beautiful Gir Cows; a lot of by products made from cowdung, cow urine, Ghee and Milk is sold to guests.
We explored the green house where Gerbera are grown. Took a quick lesson in composting at the vermicompost plant. Toured the farm and learnt about various plants. Every place has informed guide that helps you understand the process there.
The place has been built and planned thoughtfully to give a complete rural feel. Ideal for a quick rejuvenating break. Foreing tourists will also love this place.
Visitors can buy typical village products, fresh off the farm vegetables, in-house compost, Mahila Udyog products and handicrafts from other villages in a store set up inside the resort.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Monteria Village. It’s an experience unlike any and a better option compared to other picnic resorts. However, to enjoy the beauty of this place and activities offered, I feel a day visit is not enough. Staying a night or two is ideal for nights are calm and the property looks very pretty at night.
Being a Mommy 