Saguna Baug Neral review 2015

We were a bit apprehensive of the cleanliness & hygienic standards of Saguna Baug, having read quite a few scathing reviews on the Net. Let me assure you here that it is 100% clean and hygienic. All over the premises are large circular dustbins and visitors & staff do use them. A round is made by two staff members who collect the trash from each and every dustbin. We were informed that the trash is not dumped anywhere but is taken to a compost spot.

At the Pond House too where we stayed the premises are very clean, including the loo. There were large spidery cobwebs in the corners of the porch, but those are actually useful as they trap the mosquitoes. We also did get a creepy-crawly visitor and a butterfly in our room on one day, but that was to be expected as stated at the website.

To allay any apprehensions, let me give you details: When the room attendant brought our meals, he thoroughly wiped each and every plate, spoon and serving ladle. These were obviously washed and then brought, but yet he wiped them down, probably to ensure it was dust free since it was brought from the kitchen area near the office which is some distance away. Even the tea mugs were cleaned before the tea was poured in them. The porch was swept and mopped daily by the room attendant. The rooms were not swept during our stay there, but this was not really required since they remained clean. On the day of our check out, though, the rooms were thoroughly dusted, swept and washed clean to be ready for the next guests. The bathroom and loo were also cleaned and bed sheets changed. We were waiting on the porch for our transport so were able to see this thorough clean-up process. 

Hence, rest assured, you will NOT get any unclean rooms. In fact, my aunt & uncle arrived early so were taken to the common dining area for breakfast while the Pond rooms were being cleaned.

Since we did not stay in the individual cottages, I cannot vouch for the cleanliness there, but I did see on one of my walks around that staff were cleaning the room of one of the cottages as also the outside area around it.

The service too is top-notch and deserves a separate blog post for itself!

The Bad

The one and only blip we experienced: On the day we arrived, at around 3p.m. when we were taking a nap, a group of day visitors wandered right onto our porch area. I saw them through the window so came out to ask who they were. One lady said that they had been told that they could “check out” the Pond House rooms if nobody was staying there. I pointedly told them that it was extremely rude of them to intrude and enter, considering they could see lot of footwear at the entrance which clearly indicated that guests were indeed staying there. I also immediately called up the office and asked them how they could allow people to come there when they jolly well knew we had booked rooms for 3 days. They apologized and sent a staff member to hustle away the visitors. 

I hope that the owners note this – they could put up a board with a sign to keep wandering visitors out when guests are staying at the Pond House.

The Disappointments

Though we got poha, upma and sabudhana kichdi, other traditional Maharashtrian food was missing on the menu. We hoped to enjoy misal-pav, batata vadas and thalipeeth but not even once these were on the menu and were told these are not made at all. Also, they do have plenty of kokum so why not sol kadi? A pity. 

Secondly, on our third and last day we had wanted to try our hand at archery and rifle shooting & also cycle around. We were told these would be available at 12 noon & to come to the dining area where the equipment for these activities are kept. However, despite waiting for more than an hour and even making a quick trip to the river and back, the person in charge did not show up. We were told initially that he would return from college sometime after 12 but it was a complete no-show. Why is only one staff member in charge of the equipment? Why aren’t other staff available for these activities? Imagine a group coming on a day visit just to enjoy these activities (something not available in a city) and not being able to do so. It would be a wasted trip, wouldn’t it?

Useful Tips

• Wear sturdy footwear for walking around. Definitely no heels!

• Bring along room slippers when staying at the Pond House as you have to remove your footwear in the entrance passage-way. You are not allowed to wear your footwear into the room. Very sensible rule I must say, since your footwear tends to be dirty after walking around.

• Senior citizens are advised to bring along a stick for stability due to the very rough paths.

• Do not forget caps/shady hats as the sun is really blazing down at any time of the day.

• Explore as much as you want during the daylight hours. Once the sun sets, you just cannot roam around anywhere as there are no electric poles around the property except just outside the places of accommodation. This is also a sensible thing the owners have done, as it automatically prevents guests from wandering off on their own, disturbing nature’s residents and other guests, as also the fact that lights would attract mosquitoes.

• Take a torch along. 

• Make it a point to find out in advance timings of everything, whether it is dining, a guided tour of the fields or the activities. That way you can time your visit if coming for just a few hours.

• If you wish to enter the river, you should bring along swim wear or old clothes.

• If you are planning to stay in any of the cottages/Pond House rooms, it is advisable to arrive after 10a.m. as if you arrive before that, you will have to wait in the dining area or office while the rooms are being cleaned after the previous guests have vacated them.

• Most important tip: for plans to stay here, make sure that you book well in advance. Most people prefer the weekends so you are likely to find all weekends booked. When I was in the office to settle the bill, I overheard one of the office staff telling a visitor that all rooms were booked for all weekends right up to May! Only a single dormitory room was available on one weekend in February.