It isn’t Pune (which by Mumbai travel standard is more than 3 hrs away) or Matheran or Devkund or Virar.
If not these places, where is it?
Any guesses?
Driving towards Daman, a left turn from Charoti Naka takes you towards Dahanu, a small coastal town in the Palghar District of Maharashtra, hardly 110 kms from Mumbai (much lesser from where I reside - Borivali).
The left turn and then the canopy of trees was enough to convince me that I was going to love this place. And I wasn't disappointed!
Right from the turn we took till the farm stay, you will only see acres of green cover with roadside ‘rekris’ selling fruits and veggies. But these veggies look nothing like the ones you will find in the city market – these are naturally grown ones.
P.S. - On our way back, I fulfilled my desire to buy the locally-grown veggies and fruits! You can do that too.
The Farm Stay
YFarms or Yezdani Farm Stay is hidden away in plain sight with a well-crafted art-covered yellow gate, right on the road, which one would easily miss and drive past and would inadvertently have to turn back (happened with us too). As you enter you will see a machan and up ahead you will find a board that read “wildlife crossing” with images of deer (which is fair) and then dogs, hens, roosters and ducks (which I found this extremely amusing and adorable). And let’s not forget the chikoo trees everywhere!
The Host
Anosh, once a hotelier who used to work at the Burj (Dubai, of course!) and decided to leave the glitz and glamour and head home in 2015. The farm that once started as his “preferred hideout away from the crowd” eventually turned into a farm stay that would welcome couples, families, friend groups and even host small-scale weddings where privacy is preferred over a lavish and pompous spread!
A man who has many tales to tell, Anosh is an incredible host who invests in the well-being and comfort of his guests. You will find him sitting with every group and exchanging stories and not once you will feel unattended.
Accomodation
There are two units:
Red House – Has three rooms.
Blue House – Has four rooms with an open-shower concept in one of the rooms (completely safe)!
Instead of immaculate white sheets with spotless white pillows that give the impression of a hotel, the upholstery reminds you of home with its colourful printed sheets and pillow covers. But mind you! Everything is spick and span. No room for error there – the staff and Anosh ensures that this is a non-negotiable aspect.
The rooms also have the tribal Warli Art on the walls that gives it a traditional touch.
Each unit has an adjacent plunge pool which you or even your pet/pets can enjoy (did I tell you they are pet-friendly!)
The Best Part Of The Stay
I am biased towards animals, so would say - the farm animals (I even like spiders so yes, I adore wildlife!) but hands down it is the home cooked Parsi food that Anosh’s mom cooks with so much love.
And the Ravo (Parsi sweet dish) was simply lip-smacking!! You can't miss it for anything.
What Can You Do There?
Relax!! It is enough to get you going there. You don’t have to have a packed itinerary and check all the boxes of all the places you visited.
Walk around the farm.
Watch the locals pluck chikoo and how they clean the sap off the fruits (its tedious business that the local women make it look effortless!)
Chat with the farm animals (because we know “animals do speak, but only to those who know how to listen”)
The Farm Friends
I hope I don’t miss any of them.
Dogs
Ducks
Hens
Roosters
Ram and sheep
Peacocks (but they are pretty shy, won’t come close to you)
Butterflies
The Kind of Crowd You Can Take There
All kinds! Be it family, or friends’ group, or couples – everyone is welcome ALONG WITH PETS!
Other Activities That One Can Indulge In
Warli Art Class at a local’s place.
Watch how pure ghee is prepared.
Buy Warli Art souvenirs!
Head to Dahanu beach, Umergaon beach or Chikhla beach.
Hike to Bahrot Caves – Known as the Zoroastrian or Parsi Cave Temples where the Parsis took refuge after escaping from Iran and stayed there for a period of 13 years! According to local belief they had also brought the “Iran Shan Flame” with them and took it to the caves where the fire can still be seen burning. A testament of Parsi faith in Ahura-Mazda (the Supreme Divinity of the Zoroastrian faith) Bahrot caves is just 8 kms from Bordi town and easily accessible.
Le Marcel Cafe & Bakery - DO NOT MISS THIS CAFÉ EXPERIENCE!! Although not a trained baker but I do know fresh baked items and how they should taste (in my head I have a taste palate like Marco Pierre White!). We bought a whole bunch of stuff – right from patisserie to cheesecakes to biscoffs, and NOTHING disappointed us! My husband who is extremely picky about coffee, simply LOVED the brew there. Hence you should not miss it. It is located on the Irani road, near Dahanu Station.
Best Thing – She has a whole bunch of eggless items!! Vegetarians can have their fill too.
Her biscottis and other items are also available on Amazon!
P.S. – Do not for a second think this a paid promotion! I am vocal about what I like and equally ruthless when the item does not live up to its hype!
Tariff
It is INR 3,500/person/night – Inclusive of lunch, evening tea, appetizers and dinner on Day 1 and tea and breakfast on Day 2.
They can even cater to day-trips so in case you don’t have the bandwidth for an overnight stay this is also a great place for a day-trip with family or friends.
Contact Details:
Name: Anosh Yazdani
Phone: +91 96196 77739
Location: YFarms or Yezdani Farm Stay
You can directly contact Anosh to book your stay and I hope you that with its rustic backdrop, traditional Warli art, warm farm furries, quiet ambience and the starlit sky in the night, you will like this homely farm stay as much as I did!
This article was originally published here.
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