Found a Resort near Pune, Mumbai
Weekend Spot Alert!. No, it is not in Lonavala, Pawna, Khandala, or Mahabaleshwar. This place is not so known and secluded from the city crowd. Be ready to be amazed by what this place and property have to offer.
Casuarina Resort Park, Bhor, located 50 km from Pune, is popular among puneites and known for its scenic beauty. You will find many locals hiking, trekking and cycling around the mountains and river. It is a very common activity to do around Bhor. A city which is strategically located with Agri lands, and manufacturing companies, also serve as an educational hub for many students across Maharashtra.
Fun fact: Popular movies Jugjugg Jeeyo a 2022 Hindi-family comedy-drama directed by Raj Mehta and produced by Dharma Productions was shot in this resort.
About Casuarina Resort Park:
More than 100 acres of property, Casuarina resort park is an amazing weekend getaway option located in Kurunji village surrounded by Bhatghar backwaters. Be ready to explore this infinite property with unique stay options and with the latest amenities in a rural setting.
Casuarina Resort Park is an idyllic property which will keep you awestruck for some while when you reach it.
Experience unique stay options from cottages, tents, bungalows and villas adjacent to Bhatghar backwaters and lying on the foothills of Rajgad fort. One day is too less to explore the entire property, you will need at least 3 days and 2 nights to properly soak in the panoramic beauty of calm waters and Sahyadri mountains. With so many varieties of stay options, Casuarina Resort Park is a mix of both constructed and nature homes offering an experience which you will never forget.
Commute and Location:
Centrally located between Pune and Satara, Bhor has great road connectivity from both cities. 50 km from Pune and 215 km from Mumbai, it is a great place to spend your long weekends with friends and families.
Roadway: If you travelling from Mumbai, it will roughly take around 5-6 hours. And if you travelling from Pune, it will hardly take around 2 hours to reach this destination.
Railway: If you planning to travel via train then you will have to get down at Shivajinagar railway station, and then take a ride from the station to the property which can be a hassle. It will take another 2 hours to reach the property once you reach the station from your source destination.
Buses: The state bus service caters to the commuters of Bhor and connects them to other parts of Maharashtra quite easily. You can access MSRTC buses from Mumbai to Bhor for 200 Rs per person.
Airway: If you travelling from other states in India, the best option is to get down at Pune airport and either rent a car or hire a private car for the Resort Park.
Rental car options- Revv or Zoom car
Best time to visit:
There is no specific season to visit Bhor, but the best time to visit is in monsoons and winters, the weather is amazing during this season.
If you plan on monsoons you will find the most picturesque view of green mountains, with beautiful waterfalls crawling down their way through the valley. If you plan the stay during winter you will find a completely different environment with rustic mountains and a calm lake.
Both the season offers a different view of the resort park, summers can also be fun here.
The ideal temperature during monsoon is 22-23 degrees Celsius. With heavy to moderate showers in a day and cold breeze. Whereas during winter make sure to carry your warm clothes because the temperature drops to 12 degrees Celsius.
Accommodation and common areas:
Casuarina resort park is a farmland community with eco-friendly homes.
The architecture of all the stay options will showcase contemporary modern style with eco-sensitive materials. Making use of bamboo, woods, clay, and stones, these stay options are real glories in a peaceful setting. If you looking for something different amidst nature and undisturbed from the activity then you must visit this place.
Stay Options:
Swiss tents:
We stayed in a fully furnished luxury waterfront and forest swiss tent, with a perpetual view of the Bhatghar backwaters. It is the best blend of the luxury of a resort and the warmth of nature. A perfect combo indeed.
The best part about this tent where it was fully equipped with an en-suite bathroom, toiletries, power backup, water supply and more.
You will find luxury once you enter the tent, the staff has maintained the property so well, it is clean and so well organised.
Others:
You will also find bamboo cottages and container homes as a unique stay option. This is similar to the Swiss tent with the same amenities and facilities for a maximum of 3-5 people.
Signature Villa:
Those who wish to opt for a fully furnished lavish villa with 2 or 3 bedrooms are also available. If you are a group of 8-10 people then this is the best option with a unique design and additional requirements.
This signature villa features large plot areas, spacious rooms, and innovative design concepts. Signature villas are specially curated keeping in mind eco-sensitive materials like stone.
Bungalows:
Another option is 1BHK or 2 BHK bungalows, with valley views. You will find concrete mini bungalows with fully furnished rooms, kitchenette, bathroom and veranda.
Another amazing option for a maximum of 4 people is a 1BHK option. This planned infrastructure facilitates superior design and quality ensuring comfort, security and peace.
All these stay options are scattered across this 100 acres of property and can easily be distinguished on the cluster map.
They have a common area like a clubhouse and activity zone, kitchen and dining area and children’s play area. As the property is huge, you will need your car to move from one end to the other- the clubhouse is near the reception and kitchen area. The clusters are scattered around the mountains at a distance of 500 meters to 1 km.
Once you enter the main gate, you will be asked to park the car near the reception where the clubhouse and dining area are. While your room is getting prepared you can enjoy your meal and later check in your room. This will save a lot of time and you can avoid the run from up and down.
Price Details
OVERNIGHT STAY
CHECK-IN: 1.00 PM | CHECK OUT: 11.00 AM
Breakfast: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Lunch: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Hi-Tea: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Dinner: 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM
The cost for a couple for one night is 8k including all the meals. Though you might find the price on the higher side but trust me once you reach the property you will feel that you are getting a lot at the said price.
You can also get a discount if you reach them out directly like how I did, for one night I got a 400 Rs discount and the total was 7600 Rs.
Activities & experiences:
At the clubhouse, you will find various indoor games like chess, carrom, foosball, table tennis, card games, and more. Other outdoor activities can be listed as, Volleyball, Football, Cricket, Lagori, Badminton and more.
They also have a few adventure activities like zipline, rifle shooting, and rope challenges like- Vertical Net Crossing, Burma Loop, Horizontal Net, Swinging Bridge, Vertical Net Crossing and Wooden Obstacles and more.
Note: Because of the monsoon they have halted the zipline which will resume post-rainy season.
Other listed activities are Bird Watching, Nature trail, Waterfall Mini trek, Pottery, Bamboo handicrafts, chasing fireflies, star gazing, Open air movie screenings and more. These activities are subject to particular seasons and groups of people.
One of the key attractions of Casuarina is that it is near Rajgad Fort which attracts lots of tourists over the weekend. You can opt to trek the fort or also Rohida Trek which is nearby.
They also offer additional activities for group tours like Paddy Field, Fishing, Tractor ride, Devrai Village Tour, Nursery Visit and more.
Tourist Places Near Bhor
Torna Fort, Rajgad Fort, Rohida Fort, Kalubai Temple- Jogwadi, Bhatghar Dam, Baneshwar Temple
Meals:
You might be taken aback if I say the food here is wholesome. Generally, we find the resort food to be typical north Indian or international cuisine, but this resort offers a completely different food experience and taste.
Be ready to try some of the scrumptious Maharashtrian authentic dishes like steaming hot mini vada, Zunka Bhakri, bharleli Vangi, shengdana chi chutney, sheera and more. Make sure you try these amazing freshly cooked dishes while they serve them during lunch and dinner.
The kitchen mesh is connected well with the dining area, so the buffet is all set and serves warm food to the guests. They make sure the food is freshly cooked and warm. The package will generally include breakfast, lunch, high-tea and dinner.
For breakfast, they will have a good variety of Indian and English options. For the 2 days we stayed we got Poha, Upma, Idli Sambhar, Paratha, kokum sherbet, tea-coffee and more. In English, we had cereals, muesli, and fruits as an option. They had an amazing variety of breakfast to pick from.
For lunch, they mostly preferred keeping veg dishes along with egg curry as a non-veg option. All the dishes are cooked keeping in mind the hygiene factor. Even during monsoon, they managed to keep the dining and mesh area cleaned and dry.
During snack time, they served us hot vadas & bhajiyas along with tea and coffee. And for dinner, they had more options in the non-veg category, both days we had sukkah chicken and curry chicken in the main course along with salad, papad, rice, chapati, bhakri, dal and one sweet dish.
About safety:
The entire property is gated well with security cameras and staff taking care of each cluster. The staff is really friendly and always ready to help you with any queries or needs.
The place is well accessed by a car, you can drive to any part of the cluster once you know the way. Make sure to explore the Aqua zone, it is an amazing island surrounded by backwaters.
You will find network issues once you reach there, you can have great access to high-speed internet while you at the dining area, but once you pass that to your rooms you will not find a network, which was a great experience for us, as we actually could enjoy the place and not getting distracted by calls or messages.
About the innholder:
This entire property is owned by 4-5 partners, who have invested themselves in giving a rural experience for the guests. Right from the property to the food you will find everything so authentic and cherishing.
This entire property is managed by the gangotree team who looks into giving an immersive experience to the guests. The team was so experienced and helpful that they even managed us to get a room on such short notice. My experience with this place was remarkable and would surely visit again along with friends and family.
If you are looking for a weekend getaway or holiday, Casuarina resort park is a great destination. That’s not all! Affordable and location make it a hotspot destination, as well.
