This farm homestay, tucked in the serene Konkan region is located in the beautiful Parule village, Sindhudurg district and offers a lovely tropical paradise away from all the hustle-bustle of the city life.
The name of the homestay is derived from the word ‘Maachli’, a term for the huts made by a farmer to protect the farm and his produce. Maachli gives you the opportunity to unwind in the lap of nature. Engage in the melodious chirping of the birds, or the various plant and flower varieties! Come, grab your favourite book or perform Yoga, meditation or any other specific art/technique that you have learnt, or interact with the hosts – the Samant family.
Being a son of the soil, the owner Pravin Samant (a chemist by profession) has his own mango, coconut, betel nut and spice plantation. He makes sure that no tree is cut while selecting a place to build the huts or Maachlis. He cherishes his beautiful childhood memories and experiences of staying in a Maachli. His wife Priya Samant is the alchemist of the finger-licking food served at Maachli – she is always ready to share the traditional cooking methods and recipes! Nagesh Samant, the patriarch, maintains the farm with great care and experience. Prathamesh Samant is a nature enthusiast, and helps guests plan their itinerary and takes them for treks and walks while enjoying a great conversation with him. Shriya Samant, spouse of Prathamesh takes care of the day to day housekeeping and makes sure the stay is amazing and smooth.
Maachli delivers the experience of nature homestay which is a great platform to explore a regional culture and connect with the people of the village. The farmstay offers a great microclimate – it delivers the experience of staying amid dense plantations. The weather is always pleasant as the huts are surrounded by coconut and betel nut trees.
Thick plantations and the stream which flows through the farm leads to the creation of a microclimate which is distinctly different from the climate outside the farm.To portray the theme of abundance, every Maachli cottage is named after the constellation that witnesses maximum rainfall of the season.
Architecture
The Samants have adopted the vernacular architectural style that is designed based on local needs, availability of construction materials, and reflecting local traditions. Maachli also has an innovative feature of cross ventilation. The cottage has a stainless steel net set up on all 4 sides (front, behind, and both sides).
The air in the bottom goes up as the structure is very tall and the same is replaced by the fresh air from both sides. This process creates a pleasant channel of the air within the cottage. The area of a typical Maachli cottage is 338 sq.ft and its supplies include 2 bath towels and 2 soaps.
The Maachli Cuisine
The guest can feast on delectable Saraswat cuisine Priya Samant strives hard to revive the old forgotten recipes of Saraswat cuisine. The ingredients, methods, fresh spices from the garden, the understanding of the science of storage and the chemistry of fire and earthen pots is altogether an experience for the visitors who love food.
The menu is designed keeping in mind its ethnicity, medicinal value, nutritional value and natural diet. In the dining area called ‘Pavhner’, food is served on leaf plates. Earthen pots are used to serve food. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food are served with the best combinations considering the availability of the same. All the vegetables served here are organic and grown in the village itself. The Chool (mud-stove) is used to cook food which imparts a distinct flavour to the food.
Things to do
Plantation tour: A guided walk through the dense tropical plantation of coconut, betel nut, spices, banana, and mango. You will also be introduced to the beneficial medicinal plants.
Sunset hike to the beach: The beach trek gives you an opportunity to hike through the stunning biodiversity of the plateau, undergrowth, coconut groves, mango orchard, hills, and small jungles. When en route to the destination, you have to ascend and descend two hills and make your way through the small village societies. The magnificent view of the beach on the way is not to be missed. Apart from the splendorous biodiversity, there is also a small ancient temple.
Pottery experience: Visit the pottery village and try your hand at pottery under the guidance of an expert potter in the village. You can also buy different pots made by the potter.
Kille Nivati Beach: As the name suggests, Kille Nivati is a fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Kille Nivati beach is a secluded cove with a beautiful stretch of white sand and the blue sea to complement it.
Bhogwe beach and Khavane Beach are the other nearby beaches.
