Holiday by the Lake

Overlooking Lake Arthur, Anandvan Resort in Bhandardara is the perfect hideout for those wishing to leave the humdrum behind, discovers Devyani Nighoskar.

- Devyani Nighoskar

Huge cobbled steps lined with trees, a wooden bridge arching over a pond, a wishing well on a grassy patch—is this what the stairway to heaven looked like? Yes. Anandvan Resort helped me reacquaint myself with Bhandardara or the valley of treasures, literally translated. The resort was quaint, yet lavish, with rustic exteriors but earthy and soulful interiors. The three-and-a-half-hour drive from Mumbai had taken us through rocky, winding roads. Greeted by windmills, I had spotted the ramparts of the Wilson dam and the shimmering Lake Arthur in the distance.

Overwhelmed by the scenic surroundings, I gazed at the lake’s blue waters from the window of the Garden Cottage. With one air-conditioned bedroom, a living room and a private garden, this was my home for the next two days. The dark grey stone walls had not prepared me for the homey interiors. I was surrounded by colours which brightened up my mood. The resort also housed two- to four-bedroom luxurious villas. There were four Tree Top Nests, with balconies overlooking the treetops.