A Cosy Tree House Eco Resort in Maharashtra, India – The Machan

The Machan truly exceeded my expectations. If you have ever wanted to live in a tree house as a kid or as an adult, The Machan will make your dreams come true.

A trip with your close friends is always special and filled with fun memories but our stay at The Machan in Lonavala was one of the unforgetabble hightlights of this trip. For nature lovers like me and my friends, this eco resort stood out during our search with its unique offer of a sustainable staying experience in a tree house surrounded by nature.

Directions

The drive to the resort was quite an adventure as there are no boards to guide you, just directions given by the hotel staff, adding to the sense of mystery. Even though this made our driver a little unhappy, it had me and my friends quite intrigued as we drove through the woods, peeping at each turn of the track with childlike wonder.

The Resort

We arrived to be greeted by warm staff at the open styled reception and taken to our cottage which was a short walk from the reception. This resort is truly off the grid, so be prepared to be completely cut off from technology as you won’t receive any mobile signal unless you are lucky to get a connection on some higher ground by waving your phone around.

The resort offers six stunning luxury cottages to choose from, varying in size, canopy height, views and number of rooms. We had booked the ‘Heritage Machan’, which was built on the edge of a wild fig tree using a unique and sustainable design that effectively utilized the available space to house a group of four to six people. You can read more about the resort and its cottages here.

My favorite part

First impressions are always the best and we entered the cottage to be received by stunning uninterrupted views of green mountains and blue sky through the floor length glass. I liked the way the structures were built in and with nature with minimised environmental impact rather than standing out as an eye sore.

I loved the bedroom in the basement or what was known as the ‘Hanging room’, cosy and warm with fireflies dancing outside your glass window to mesmerize you at night.

My Tips

The price is a little on the higher side but I thought it was definitely worth it for the serene experience, architecture, cottage size and being run on 100% renewable energy.

If you are one to be rattled by insects, I would advise being prepared and closing all the numerous windows in your cottage during the evening to reduce the number of insects.

As this is quite a secluded resort, I would suggest planning sightseeing activities during the day at Lonavala or Khandala and to wind down during the evening at your cottage where you can spend some quality time with your family/friends. There are short guided treks around the Western Ghats surrounding the cottages by the staff during good weather, which I found to be quite enjoyable and educational as well.

More about The Machan at – www.themachan.com

Disclaimer: My friends and I visited The Machan in 2014 and the experiences in this blog reflect my personal opinions from my time there. The images pictured here were taken by my friends and I in 2014 and belong to Sustainably Trendy.