For me, travel is more than just going somewhere new and ticking off famous attractions. It is more about visiting places where I can interact with the locals, eat authentic native cuisine, and basically, try out all the unique things that place has to offer that I probably won’t get to do, eat or see anywhere else.
If you have the same mindset when you travel, then you, my friend, are a fan of something called ‘experiential stays’. Encompassing everything from the rooms (tent, machan, cottages? The possibilities are endless!) you choose to the activities you will try, an experiential stay is something you should definitely try (if you still haven’t).
To give you an idea of everything it includes, I’ve hand-picked some of the experiences that you will only get at V Resorts. Sit back, read along and bookmark this for your next vacay.
Chai Style
Enjoy your tea in a boat.
Love having your tea ‘with a view’? Then a hot cuppa in a gazebo smack in the middle of a lake might interest you. Or maybe, sitting in a boat on Sattal Lake, enjoying your kadak chai with the serenity of the mountains to give you company? If either of these sounds like your kind of thing, then a boat tea service in Sattal, gazebo high tea in Kashid or sunset tea in Wayanad are the experiences you should add to your list when visiting these properties.
Romantic Dinner Under The Stars
Enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner either by the sea or under the stars
Cynics be gone – candlelight dinners will always be romantic. But if that is too cliche for you, how about doing it differently? For example, dining under a clear sky filled with stars, instead of at a conventional high-end restaurant. You can opt for this at various V properties, and the choice of cuisine depends completely on you.
Grape Stomping in Soma Vineyard
Freshly picked grapes being stomped at.
Sample finest wines in Nashik
If going on vineyard tours and sampling different kind of wines is your thing (I know I love it), how about you complete this experience with a fun sesh of grape stomping at V Resorts Soma Vine Village?
Not only do you get a tour of the entire winery, but you also have the option of buying the wine bottles you love the most. Woohoo! PS: The sommelier at this resort is a master of wine; you’ve got to see it to believe it.
Pottery Making
Clicked in the village of Pachdhar, Pench
There is something about creating art from absolutely nothing, even if you’ve never done it before. Ever seen ‘Ghost’ and wondered what it would be like? Well, I can’t promise you Patrick Swayze, but interact one on one with potters in Pachdhar, one of the oldest pottery villages, located close to V Resorts Mahua Vann Pench, and you’ll see for yourself.
Village Walks & Lunches
Local kids goofing around. Clicked at Mandawa.
Interacting with locals (especially children) is one thing you can do at a lot of V Resorts properties, be it in the small village Tikker near Narkanda, or the Rajasthani town of Mandawa. Step out during the day, explore the by-lanes of the nearby villages, talk to the locals and have lunch cooked by one of the villagers – when it comes to experiencing our culture, there’s no better way than this.
Nature Walks
Nature walks are equivalent to therapy.
Waking up amidst lush greenery and not going for a nature walk is simply unacceptable. Especially if you get to spot tall pine, deodar trees, or walk on pristine beaches. Case in point would be V Resorts in the hills and of course, one of my favourites in South India – V Resorts Bohemian Masala Varkala.
Open-Air Movie Screenings
A still from our recent movie screening held at V Resorts Farm Stay Delhi.
When you stay at V Resorts Farm Stay Delhi, you not only escape from the hustle of the capital, but also get to go on bonsai walks and guess what, watch movies on the big screen. A really big screen.
Hand-Block Printing Workshop
Wood mounted blocks for hand-printing of patterns on fabric.
Apart from exploring the magnificent Amer Fort and shopping in Bapu and Johri Bazaar, there are various workshops that you can attend when in Jaipur. Start with the hand-block printing workshop, located just 500 meters from the resort. Plus, you get one meter of cloth complimentary from V Resorts, yay.
Create some interesting patterns under the guidance of the locals and you’ll have a great souvenir to take back home.
Puppet Show
Traditional and colourful puppets used in the puppet shows.
Ever watched the famous puppet shows in Jaipur? Organised all over the city at different tourist attractions like the City Palace and Hawa Mahal, watching the colorful performances is definitely something you won’t want to miss. Ask our staff at V Resorts Adhbhut Jaipur to help you with the timings and other details.
Riverside Trek & Barbeque
Enjoy your barbeque beside a river
Trekking is an experience in itself, especially if you’re get to soak in stunning views of the mountains and valleys all around you. When you book a stay at V Resorts Midwood Breeze Dehradun, do go for these small riverside treks, after which, you can sit back and relax while our staff prepares a delicious barbeque for you.
Well, there you have it folks! Experiential stays aren’t the future, they’re already right here. So what are you waiting for?