Planning a weekend in Bangalore at times can be challenging if you do not want to end up at a pub, watching a movie or driving down to Wonderla, Nandi hills and other close-by places. We were looking for something different and got to know about “Our Native Village” at Hessarghatta, a quaint and serene rural destination at the outskirts of Bangalore city.
Having decided that we would not be staying overnight, we decided to take their day package which was Rs 1200 + taxes per person. The package included welcome drink, lunch and Hi tea. Kids below 5 years are not charged anything and between 5-12 years Rs600 + Taxes. The plan was to reach the place by around 11AM and then leave by around 5PM thereby giving the kiddo a good 6 hours to have fun 🙂
We had booked the outing on a Sunday so as to avoid all the city traffic that you will find in Bangalore during weekdays. We got a bit delayed and left our home at South Bangalore at around 10:30AM, expecting to reach the resort by around Noon. To our surprise the entire Bannerghatta road was jammed till NICE road and it took us a good 2.5 hours to reach the resort, this in-spite of taking the NICE corridor.
The route that we took to reach the resort from Bannerghatta road:
Google maps will suggest taking the Kuduregere Main road after exiting the NICE road. This road was not in great shape till few months back when we had driven to Taj Kuteeram . We instead choose to take the Hasserghatta main road which is in good condition – the route is around 5 kilometers longer but takes the same drive time.
The drive was peaceful and uneventful but for the last few kilometers. The last stretch is through non existent roads widing through the beautiful Hessarghatta grasslands. I had been warned about the road conditions by my friends and hence did not fret. If you are a first timer to this place, you might get worried as to what would lie at the end of this road. A SUV can easily navigate through this road, but considering that I was driving my Figo (ground clearance of Figo is terrible), I had to extra cautious while driving through the rugged cross country road. I will think twice to navigate this stretch with a hatchback during monsoons as the vehicle might get stuck.
Few photos that I took while navigating this stretch
After driving for around 2.5hrs (thanks to the jam on Bannerghatta road), we reached “Our Native Village”. The moment you switch off the engine, you will be surprised to hear the chirping of the birds and the gush of fresh breeze. We were taken aback for a moment and it was hard to realize that such a place existed close to Bangalore.
Our Native village is very close to Taj Kuteeram and bears a uncanny resemblence – most of the buildings were buit using rock blocks. Everything in this place is eco friendly and you will find this theme running all through the resort.
Since it was already 1 PM and having driven for 2.5 hours, we directly headed to have our lunch. We paid our package tariff for 2 adults (they accept credit cards) and walked to the restaurant. We were not offered any welcome drink and I did not bother checking about it as we were starving and looking forward for a sumptuous lunch. The buffet lunch served has decent food, but the spread is limited. Since it was a Sunday, it was extremely difficult to find a table – may be a point the management can look into. Also, the management can think about securing this place with a net, so as to keep the insects out of the restaurant. We had a tough time keeping them out of our food and had to take turns in shooing them away. For the price tag that we pay for a day outing, I think the management can provide a better dining experience.
After having our lunch, we went around the resort and tried our hand on few activities. Few activities like Bullock cart ride was free (was an unique experience, but felt bad for the Bull), but most of the activities like Catapult firing etc were charged. We spent couple of hours and the little one had a good time roaming around the place.
The swimming pool is an eco-friendly swimming pool which is pretty shallow. If I remember correctly it was mentioned to be 3 feet deep and is chlorine free. The concept of maintaining a swimming pool by natural ways is very novel, but not very pleasing to one’s eyes. We did not find anyone using the pool and hence did not venture in.
This is a perfect getaway place if you are visiting as a group. Unfortunately, we ran out of options pretty soon and called it a day after having our Hi Tea. Would I recommend this place? well, this is a very subjective call indeed. As a couple with a toddler, we felt the tariff high and activities limited. But, if I would have been there with my friends I might have enjoyed activities like cricket, Kabaddi etc.
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