Far, far away from the maddening crowd, dust, pollution and smog, lies a picturesque, eco-friendly luxury bouquet resort Forest Hills Tala in Tala, Raigad, which is 160 km away from Mumbai and Pune. I had never heard of it before but Yashna Advani, the very warm and friendly PR and marketing representative, convince me to go for myself and check out this pet-friendly, nature lovin’ resort.
So one fine Monday morning, my family and I along with our Pomeranian Champ, are whisked away from the madness of city life, to this lovely resort in the hills. The four-hour drive through the black tarmaced road to the resort barring a few crowded areas closer to Mumbai, is amazingly beautiful as the route is dotted with trees and verdant rich greenery. The air too is revitalising and our first glimpse of Forest Hills Tala Resort, way up on the green hills almost shrouded by fluffy clouds, make us gasp with awe – it is picture perfect.
A brief tryst at the gorgeous reception with a high log ceiling roof reminiscent of Thai décor, manned by some very helpful staff and the charming Manoj, lead us to the Valley Café at the next level.
Since it is almost lunch time, we settle down to have a very tasty lunch at the cute cafe beside the azure swimming pool, high up on the hills and the view is indeed breath-taking. Our little dog too is served an amazing bowl of hot food made by the chef, which he gulps down in a matter of minutes.
We are put up at the next level, at the Blue Indigo villa and as we clamber up the speckled brown cobbled steps, a sprawling emerald green lawn win our hearts more so our little dog who joyously races up and down on it – he has never seen so much open space. On the other end, there is another beautiful villa which has an amazing view of the craggy hills and a narrow river. We are told there are many levels which have different villas – all with some great view.
Our Blue Indigo villa is truly amazing. The floor is done up in indigo blue – hence the name – and the huge room has a large master bed, a small dining table with chairs, blue settees, a fabulous floor-to-wall leaning mirror, which make us all look very good and a very luxe bathroom. The windows with pretty drapes open up to the greenery all around. There is a pretty veranda outside too.
Since I had come to see more of the resort, I am driven to explore the cute organic farm at this eco-friendly place. The Forest Hills Tala resort believes in sustainable living, and it’s a farm to fork system as they grow everything from papayas to cherry tomatoes. Yashna informs us further that depending upon the season and demand from the chefs; organic vegetables are available on sale for the guests too. Nice!
From there, I go to the adorable petting zone where rabbits, goats and emus are present. The air is rejuvenating and the brisk walk around make me feel more energetic. After that, high tea is served with yummy pakodas and samosas and as we gaze in wonder at the hued brilliance of the setting sun misted by the silvery drizzle of the rains, we sigh with pleasure. This is indeed sheer bliss!
And as we sit in silence ensconced in between the hills, dells and the blue backwaters of the Arabian Sea, we feel a deep sense of peace connecting with nature. The hours pass fast and as my little dog gambol joyously on the lawn running helter skelter, we sit at the verandah of the villa looking with awe at the beauty all around. But the day is not over as yet. Two of the service boys – Akshay Malli and Nitin Pawar decorate our little dining table transforming it artistically into a romantic candle light dinner. It is beautiful and the food is amazing too. Sleeping on the master bed in this serendipity ambience is truly awesome.
The next day, I am to explore the famous Tala Caves but because of the rains and the heavy mist, I am unable to go. Of course, there are sports activities there which including archery, rifle shooting and ATV biking – all very exciting.
Lunch is at the Valley café which again include a sumptuous buffet spread – both veg and non veg. There is ala carte too if you want to choose your own menu. My dog too gets a bowl of wholesome food from the chef.
I am then moved to the beautiful Hermitage Zinnia Villa which has its own little swimming pool with a tiny diving board in the balcony. The room is spacious and the view outside… of the hills reflected in the blue of the seas, is to die for. A fun fact: each Hermitage villa is named after a particular flower, example Hermitage Zinnia – because the interiors are designed with zinnia flower theme. Hermitage has three flower-themed categories – Jasmine, Zinnia and Marigold.
My next stop is the spa where I get a wonderful long over-due pampering session by an expert masseur.
It is International Yoga Day and the resort has organized eminent yoga expert Bhakti Mody to have a session with us. Yoga with Bhakti is fun – and she makes us go through some elementary yoga asanas, which surprisingly, I manage thanks to the soothing encouragement of Bhakti. The session ends with nariyal pani, fresh from the organic farm.
A little tired, I go back to my villa only to find a candle light dinner set up for us again. The food this time too is amazing. After a great dinner, I call it a day and sleep like a baby.
…The next morning, it is time to leave this beautiful place and with a heavy heart, we say adieu to Forest Hills Tala Resort with the promise that we will definitely be back soon.
Indeed, the two-day get-a-way to Forest Hills Tala was invigorating and sheer bliss. The food, mouth-warming and the service was amazing. Nestled within nature, this place is absolutely delightful. Definitely recommended!
