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| Amreena Farmhouse |
Amreena Farmhouse, Karjat is a gem of a place in more ways than one. It is located in the rural area of Avalas in Karjat Taluka, District Raigarh, Maharashtra. Follow this helpful photo guide. It is isolated in the sense that it is some distance from the main town of Karjat, but in no way is it some secluded place, though. There are homes adjoining it and helpful locals to provide directions to wherever you are heading from there. The house itself is not only pretty and charming with its joyous colours that give happy vibes, but is a well-designed one with useful features. Enjoy some unique activities too! This review is after a stay in December 2022.
We were lucky to get an opportunity to stay at Amreena Farmhouse during the Christmas season. The stars on the gate's archway, the mistletoe above the main door, the Christmas tree, the tiny fairy lights, and fake floral bunches intertwined with real ones - all the very well-placed decorations made for an extra magical experience.
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| Amreena Farmhouse |
What's inside
It was lovely to step past the gates into the cool shade, and the entrance itself is so welcoming-
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| Entrance |
When I initially saw the plastic chairs in the garden and
on the porch, I wished there had been better ones, maybe wooden, with arms.
Later I realized the benefit because you can haul them around wherever you want
to sit since they are lightweight. The tables, too, are plastic and
lightweight and of the right height.
Inside, the w-i-d-e wall-to-wall beds are an excellent
idea. Three adults or two adults and two kids can sleep comfortably. There is a
couch-cum-bed in the outer room, which would be suitable for somebody who is
not over 5 ft. There are no chairs within the house; here again, a good idea as
it would otherwise clutter up the space and if somebody needs to be
accommodated on the floor, sleeping arrangements can be made.
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| The extra wide sleeping arrangement |
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| Convenient holders above the bed |
The one large wooden cupboard has ample room for the bags and clothes, with the indoor games' equipment on the lower shelves. There are hangars, too (hurrah!), and small hooks that we promptly used to hang our masks, so the S-shaped hooks we had taken along for the purpose promptly went back into our bag. There is a large sturdy table with shelves next to the cupboard as well to keep larger bags and other stuff.
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| Spacious cupboard |
The sunlit bathroom with a splash of colour in the framed paintings was another delight as far as utilitarian
features are concerned. There is a rod within easy reach to hang your towel,
and behind the door a shelf, again within easy reach, to keep your clothes, and
attached to it there are additional hooks to hang wet clothes. There are small shelves
set into the wall to keep your shampoo bottle, one soap dish at the basin and
another set into the wall, and a toothbrush holder. Note- while towels are
provided and there is a bottle of liquid soap on the wash basin, you need to
bring your own bathing soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shampoo, etc.
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| Bathroom geyser and convenient shelf |
There's a refrigerator that is useful to keep back leftover food so that it doesn’t spoil, to be reheated later, and to keep cold water, juice, and other drinks.
A few things inside the home are not revealed here - why put too many photos and spoil the joy?!
What's outside
The utilitarian features continue outside the home, too. For
a start, if there is a group, the extra washrooms outside are a bonus. There is
one bathroom, and two toilets, as well as a wash basin. So rest assured, no
need for a mad rush and quarrel over who’ll go first! They were a bit dusty,
that’s all, perhaps due to not being used for a while when I checked them out,
but clean.
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| Extra washroom block outside |
The pathway that weaves around the garden is flat and makes for a great walking path. The plants, shrubs, and trees are all well-placed, the taller foliage not only providing shade, but also privacy from the adjacent houses. There are blooming bougainvillea, Chiku, and Lychee trees, a lemongrass plant, etc. A tree with small berries in front of the home attracted birds regularly. A few snapshots-
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| Guess which is fake (Christmas decoration)? |
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| High floral foliage |
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| Chiku Tree |
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| Light and colour along the boundary wall |
Like for the interior, I'm not going to reveal some features of the lovely garden. Best for you to discover them yourself!
The downside
The one blip of our otherwise wonderful stay was the
mosquitoes. All the windows are covered from the outside with netting and from
the inside with slats. There is even an electric mosquito catcher, and yet the
buzzing in your ears can annoy you. What’s more, each time the electric machine
traps a winged pest, the thwack will awaken you, whether you are sleeping
outside or inside. The switch for it is also out of reach. The owners do advise
you to bring a mosquito-repellent cream (Odomos specifically), but it is a good
idea to take along an electric Good Knight as well. If you wish, you can
request for the mosquito repellent incense sticks to be lit.
The sound of the trains cuts across the silence and at
night this may disturb your sleep, but I personally did not find it a major
problem. Furthermore, if you are looking for a lot of activities, this farmhouse
may not be suitable for you, and kids may just get bored very fast. You will also
need a vehicle if you wish to visit places like the Palasdhari Dam as it is not
as close to Amreena Farmhouse as one would think because it is not everyone’s
cup of tea to walk for 30 minutes or more.
What you need to learn
With Vaibhav, the manager-cum-caretaker, not available on our first day of stay at Amreena Farmhouse,
we had the other caretaker 'Kaka' and the maid, communicating with us. Kaka
showed us the switches for the geyser, the induction cooktop, and the water
filter. While he could explain how to get hot/cold water from the taps in the
bathroom, he did not quite know how to use the induction cooktop. This was explained by Vaibhav later. Same with the
water purifier. Kaka showed me the switch for it, and said to press the blue
plastic on the top of the tap, but failed to let me know that on the bottom of
that tap is a small blue cap that needs to be removed! Since six bottles of
water were thoughtfully filled up beforehand, that was not a problem, but
again, we understood how to use it only on the second day.
The outer locking system of the gate is also an issue if
you are all stepping out. On the inside, the locking system is easy, but the
outer lock of the gate is tough to open with the key. Even Kaka and the maid
were fiddling with it quite a bit before they could open it. Perhaps it needs
to be changed?
Note here that, despite the aforementioned issues, the
staff is polite and caring, and knowing the local language helps in
communication. Vaibhav is also available instantly on phone and is equally helpful, immediately addressing any issue.
To conclude -
I used the words "sheer bliss" at the beginning. Well, Amreena Farmhouse is a -
Thank you Ameya and Reena Naik for opening your lovely home to us!
How to book your stay
We booked through Airbnb, but you can also book directly
with the owners (the contact number is on FB).
Address-
Amreena Farmhouse
14, 1/7, Avalas,
Karjat Tal.
Raigarh Dist.
Maharashtra - 410201.
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