“If country life is healthful to the body, it is no less so to the mind.”
Giovanni Ruffini
A Simplified Detox – Farm Stay at Vikramgad, Maharashtra
A bustling city like Mumbai is a showcase of urban living amidst chaos. Long commutes, packed flyovers, and overflowing trains jostle for space with mega-residences. For the travelers, it offers five and seven starred luxury suites, and lodges where an extra suitcase would require bending the walls.
In such a scenario, any traveller who wishes to experience the megapolis but prefers a quiet-paced existence while doing so would turn to a property that offers the best of both. Having made Mumbai my home for 20 years and travelling to it for more than that, I wondered if a scenic, rustic yet modern stay option existed. And so, I turned to the Gonsalves’. Sidney and Desiree run a farm stay in Vikramgad, Wada, under the umbrella of Saffron Stays who in their own words, “unlocked the gates of otherwise inaccessible private vacation homes to families looking for holidays that extended beyond checklists of must-sees and must-dos.”
Desiree and Sidney Gonsalves – A Bio
Dr. Desiree Gonsalves is a Professor of Commerce at St. Andrew’s College, Bandra, and retired as the Vice Principal in September 2020. She is a Part time Interior Designer at a professional level. Sidney is a Chemical Engineer by training. Apart from running a small scale manufacturing unit in Dyes and being part of the family commercial leasing business, he trains and teaches with the Times CSR Teach India Programme for 7 years. As a couple, their passion is the farmstay they run together.
A Simplified Detox – Farm Stay at Vikramgad, Maharashtra by Desiree and Sidney Gonsalves
OK, so how did all this begin? That’s a no brainer. It started with that 5 letter word that is “the root of all evil” ….M O N E Y !!! Surely that merits some explanation. So here goes.
3 ½ acres of partly developed farm land with 2 houses and plenty of chikoo/mango trees to make it a lush property….A 2 hour drive from Bandra, Mumbai…. An ageing father-in-law who was finding it difficult to maintain the place….and so we made the offer. Would his daughter and I be willing to take it over? This was his ‘raison d’être’ so a major part of the “YES” response was definitely emotional. And so began the rollercoaster ride in 2014.
The wife has excellent designing and landscaping skills–albeit expensive. So the money began pouring OUT ! The property looked that much better for it, but the bank balance didn’t. Enter the idea of “ homestays” to generate some maintenance moolah. Enter one of the marketing homestay experts (Saffron Stays) and Voilà–we were off and running. But not before incurring a sizeable “uplifting” expense. That was May 2017.
2 ½ years is enough time to look back and examine. And yes it is working.
- The marketing in this fairly unknown area (near Vikramgad) was a must, and that was an important consideration well handled by Saffron Stays.
- Once the guests started checking in (week end only) we had to get our act together. Training of local boys in professional housekeeping, getting a full-time cook and maintenance of the garden/plumbing/electrical issues turned out to be very important and a challenge for sure. But doable.
- Guests who came in were ‘travel savvy’ so expected a high standard of cleanliness, amenities (pool was a big draw, as was the duck and fish pond), open green spaces, bottled water, great home cooked local-flavour food. Wi-Fi is important too, but erratic in these areas.
- Post this pandemic, guests are pouring in even more–and are looking for a house to themselves and not with just a front lawn attached. That’s where ours scores high–a 5 bedroom cottage (Kenwoods) and a one bedroom one (Elfreda) spread over an expanse of 3 ½ acres of a well-manicured landscape with plenty of shady seating spots… a walking path of over 200 metres too is there for the health-conscious-visitor. Detox-simplified in these oxygenated environs… amid the real ‘TWITTER’ of the birds, that is.
- Guests must remember that this is a ‘Farmstay’ and therefore to expect some rustic element ( like insects or frogs during the monsoons).
- Post covid hopefully the demand will stay, especially when people compare this personalized private holiday to an antiseptic hotel experience.
- And for those homeowners hesitating to take the plunge–dive right in. It will force you to maintain your property and will fetch you returns too. A win-win, methinks.
Well, well, an insightful take on the world of hospitality from the people who run the show. And whenever, wherever in the world you travel, swing by such charming homestays that are not only value for money but offer an experience by themselves.
Note: All images are credited to Saffron Stays.
