Travel special: 6 amazing weekend homestays around Mumbai

Wersquove known it for a few years and now surveys confirm it Homestays are here well to stayA recent look into countrywide statistics by HolidayIQ a travel and holiday information portal found that homestays form 13 per cent of total accommodation of the top 50 emerging tourism destinations of India And with good reason too A personal touch and the warm comfort of homecooked meals are what make them a popular option among travellers in search for an experience rather than a destinationHere are some of the best homestays around Mumbai that you should keep your weekends free forDeogadh the Homestay Pawna115 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Rs 3250 per personmin booking 6 max 15Go there for A stay in an ecofriendly home Annabelle Ferro who lives at this ecofriendly home with her family lays Down the rules this is not a resort donrsquot expect a pool or airconditioner Remember you are staying at someonersquos home This is also not the place for stag groups and those craving a party If you still think itrsquos the place for you it comes highly recommended Itrsquos where you spend a quiet weekend and go away with ecofriendly tips Ferrorsquos residence boasts water harvesting garbage recycling and ground water recharge PS Donrsquot miss head cook Mirabairsquos tamda rassa and thecha or the special feast she prepares during Ganesh ChaturthiDetails httpswwwfacebookcomDeogadhDhun Heta Panchgani250 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Rs 1500 per person per nightGo there for The historyBuilt in 1914 by an Englishman named Henry Couldrey Dhun Heta stands on Table Land Road in Panchgani In 1942 bought over by Manijeh Patell The homestay is now run by her daughter Heta Pandit The furniture at this 101yearold cottage is from the early 1900s and in a corner of the dining hall is a wash basin mdash the sort used in ships Donrsquot wash your hands here though Itrsquos an artefact Therersquos also a refrigerator from the 1940s that once used to run on keroseneDetails httpwwwstayindiacomBroome Farmstays140 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Rs 4000 per cottageup to 4 persons per cottageGo there for A weekend in the woodsLeela Broome an author of childrenrsquos fiction runs the place with her husband Ashok a tea planter and lsquogentleman farmerrsquo What we liked was that when we called Broome she said ldquothe network is terrible hererdquo That and the promise of nature walks through organic rice fields and eightacre fruit farm is worth it You can either cook your own food or opt for packed sandwiches and fruit for lunch and hot fusion meals for dinner Sounds like a picnic Two warnings Pets are not allowed And mosquitoes are problem Carry a repellantDetails httpbroomefarmstayspuneblogspotinVelas Village245 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Rs 400 per personGo there for Enjoying village lifeTherersquos no denying that what brings the tourist to Velas village is the Turtle Festival Every year the threatened Olive Ridley turtles lay their eggs on the beach and when they hatch the young ones crawl back to the open waters Since 2006 the Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra has worked towards conserving the Ridley turtles ensuring that they return to the sea unharmed bringing hoardes of environment friendly tourists to the village Whatrsquos unique here is that instead of assigning one villagerrsquos home as a stay the locals take on guests by rotation Basically the entire village is a home stay Meals are therefore basic delicious and a community activityDetails httpwwwsnmcpnorghomestayvelasinSerene Couplersquos Retreat160 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Rs 7000 per night onwardsGo there for A passionate holidayNot often are spaces built only for couples Therersquos usually a lot of ambient noise meaning other noisy guests This property however sells itself as a retreat for two only The singlebedroom cottage has been built overlooking the Khadakwasla lake Spend your weekend reading a book on the hammock or enjoying each otherrsquos company in silenceDetails Call 9930234555Niwant Sagar Srivardhan190 kilometres from MumbaiCharges Price on requestGo there for Lazing on the beachDespite being a city built by the sea we never enjoy the beach If an endless horizon is your weekend dream head to Srivardhan The homestay is built along the Konkan coast and boasts a machan But it is not operational during the rains An Arabian sunset with the fishermen casting their nets more than makes up for itDetails Call 9821681163