Balaji Farms and Country Homes is a rural getaway which gives you a chance to enjoy beacon elements of village life - rowing, fishing, planting, feeding farm animals, riding a bullock cart, cycling, star gazing, bird watching, kite flying, meditating, or watching time go gently by.
This location is in a remote area and the road is quite worn out in some places. But once you reach the farm you can feel the calm n quietness that a farm brings with it.
We traveled in a group of 6 adults & 1 kid and had a comfortable stay at the farm.
Though the owner confirmed in positive when we asked him if all the activities mentioned on their website were available, it turned out a big disappointment when we reached there. Bullock cart, ATV buggy, farming, horse riding, round basket boat were not functional. But we enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, fishing at the pond, dancing to music, meditating, gazing at the stars. The Bonfire at night was truly amazing. We spotted lots of birds.There are lots of farm animals & dogs so my son enjoyed spending the day watching them.
The food was homely & nice (specially fish & chicken).The staff was very friendly but laid back.
The owners have tastefully done the decor of the entire farm.
Overall an amazing place to travel with a group. We are feeling all recharged again :)
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Date of stay: January 2015
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Rooms are well maintained, Jal & Prithvi are very nice & can accommodate a large group....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
i went with all my cousins for a week end. a must visit for families with kids, far away from noizy resorts. the sheer fact that there is no TV gets the kids to understand life without the TV and Gizmos. Open space, well equiped clean rooms, inhouse kitchen, lots of free animals and birds, a lovely beautiful quite temple, a small pond, a rivelet outside, this place has everything. I was very happy that some of the mobile network works only after 3pm when the wind sets in. no phone calls, not noizy uncivilized crowd....................Next to Gods own Kerala, this is it.......Gods own Farm. I remembered my childhood in my dad's village down south. the people who build the farm sure knows a way to a wonderful life..... Perfect place during Monsoons and Year end. Srikumar nagarajan
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Date of stay: August 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our third visit to Balaji Farms, and we have visited here once every year for the last 3 years. However, this time there was a complete lack of management by the staff and cottages too looked worn out.
Balaji Farms is about an hour from Mumbai Pune expressway and the road condition is very poor in some patches. The cottages are done up well and the surrounding area is very peaceful and serene. None of the cottages have television set and it kind of gets boring in the evening with nothing much to do. Also the rooms and the dining area are very dimly lit.
We also faced water shortage next day early morning due to no electricity and the fact that the generator was not working. The staff was busy pointing fingers at each other and technician finally arrived after 3 hours. This was extremely inconveniencing as there were 2 other families with children.
I think the farm fresh food – both veg and non-veg was the best part about this place. Breakfast was made to order and the aloo parathas were super. The staff also arranged for a bonfire late evening, which was extremely enjoyable as the weather was quite chilly.
Visited here in the first week of Jan 2015 with family.
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Date of stay: January 2015
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Its a serene farm house. Their cottages are very well designed and amazingly clean.
Food is good.
Service is good.
There is a small pond, where one can boat or fly over it on the rope. Swings and seating is well done. Its very green if u go in the rainy season. I have seen their greenery in better shape previously... Think it needs attention.
There are hot springs close by and the famous pali temple is also accessible.
Take your own transport to reach here.
Overall, offbeat and peaceful. Can read a book or just look around and relax.
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was my first visit to Balaji farm at first week of June. and it was terrible experience i had there.we reached there around 12 pm no one was on entrance,staff dint pick our call and as there are sign of "Beware of Dog" we couldn't dare to enter.when we called main office they told us to press the bell which was not easily visible to us.after that staff came to welcome us.We already booked Jal (Non AC as we thought its a villege place and might be cool in the evening.and there will be lots of big tree Like Hidden villege in shahapur ).when we enter,there is no water supply in our room due to some technical reason. we wait for 20 minuites.after that as there were lot of heat in JAl i told them to that i wish to pay for AC and i am ready to pay extra 2000. But they said that as there was storm last week AC is not working and we are not taking any AC booking.As usual single phase three phase problem. still we decide to stay there on the hope of evening. cant take a little nap due to overheating. This kind of heat we never faced in City also. in the evening we take round around the farm and that 4 hour is only good time there we spent. Staff was good and food quality also awesome. we appreciate that.they asked us what to prepare. Agin at night there is no timepass for us except playing a cards. we are only couple on that day/night in that farm. we tried to sleep but in the night it heated again at least they should provide cooler to customer in each room. the fan in that room was small and only a one single fan in the middle of hall. we couldnt sleep a movement at that night because of heat. the bed is also getting heated. it was terrible experiance. I request you to do not visit there at the summer time.and one more thing if you are a only familly or couple going to visit there please confirm first is there any booking on your date. cause in that whole farm only a single person and his dogs are available to serve you. other staff are from Uddar villege and the went to there villege after our dinner. so think about it how could we spent night there???????
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Date of stay: June 2016
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â dont choose Aakash as it was very small at same rate
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We selected Balaji Farms as our weekend getaway for 2 reasons... 1. its proximity to mumbai, it didn't entail too much of travel (only around 100km from Mumbai, their site has simple & excellent directions) 2. their website promised something different from the other run-of-the-mill resorts especially no-rain dance.
True to our expectations, the place has a different kind of charm. Infact, the more you explore around the place, the more surprises you will unearth. Every cottage has been done up with a lot of planning and passion and is comfortable, the curios and artefacts in the cottages lend them a touch of warmth. The tree house is a strategically located with a river in the backdrop.
Overall we had a good experience at Balaji Farms..The rooms are well maintained, the food was hygienic and straight from their farm and pond, the staff was co-operative, the animals, especially Magic, the alsatian dog, were a a delight. The temple too was serene and we felt blessed.
A few pointers... Its quiet a long walk from the cottages to the dining area especially for senior citizens as the pathway is rough and gravelled, fortunately we could use our car to ferry them to and fro.
The beer bottle and tokri lights are indeed a sight to behold but the lighting is very dim, especially in the dining area and outside the cottages it could have been a bit brighter. The bar area is again nicely done.
The telescope and bicycles are still non-functional..
Food is like home cooked and good but the breakfast menu needs to offer more. Sugarcane juice was disappointing.
Avoid going during the summer months, its way too hot till about 5 pm in the evening.
Do try their zipline...esp if you are weak-kneed, to get over your fear ...its small span, well maintained and the experience is thrilling.
Don't miss the view from the machaan at dawn, the sight of birds (egrets) leaving their night abode for their onward journey is awesome.
Do jump on the trampoline as a family, its fun.
Tip: Looking forward to go after rains or in winter
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Date of stay: May 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â For a family size of 5-6 only 1 cottage is enough Jal or Prithvi but it is recommended you go as...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place is a must do for all city dwellers who are engrossed in the rat race world! Nice to know this place exist in vicinity to Mumbai and Pune - where we're only running a chaotic lifestyle! We came back yesterday and all of us are totally rejuvenated. Thanks to Mr Girish, who showed us every nook and corner of the farm and special thanks to Magic for always taking care of us! There are four beautifully setup cottages - we had the prithvi and jal - both were so wonderful, that we could live there forever! Then there's ample place to walk around, laze around and simply do nothing - connect with Nature and the animals. Enjoyed watching the animals playing and trotting around everywhere! Next time, we go there, we'll choose the Aakash cottage (tree house)!
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Date of stay: September 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â All the four rooms are gorgeous. Aakash is a bit away from the rest of the three.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Located two hours from Mumbai, Balaji Farms is just as the name sounds..... a typical farmhouse with a rural look and feel, lots of farm animals, a village-like setting with ponds, huts, cow sheds, charpois and, of couse, a lot of greenery. But in spite of the rustic setting, the place has been done up well with three modern cottages (each with a unique theme) and a tree house which I would recommend only for a couple since it's a pretty small room atop a tree.
With no TV, the place might get a bit boring for a couple especially in the evenings but would be neat getaway for a day or two if traveling with friends. In case you are an animal lover, you would like this place as there are dogs, horses, cows, cats, ducks, hens etc. My three year daughter loved it here. Magic, the Alsatian kept us well entertained. A friendly, playful dog, he would be seen swimming in the pond or sitting right outside our rooms.
While you can be rest assured that food is fresh (with fish being picked straight out of the pond and cooked), the food in terms of taste was average though the person does come and ask you what your food preferences would be. In terms of pricing, the place is steep. They even charge separately for the AC. Though thankfully for us, it was winter and we did not need one. In fact, being January, the nights did get fairly cold though these guys were well-equipped with blankets.
For kids, they do have some activities like bullock cart rides abd boating in the pond. Overall, I would recommend it for at least a one night stay. It's a very different kind of experience.
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Date of stay: January 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It's one of the most peaceful and scenic place to visit near Mumbai. Loved the theme of the cottages, especially the bar. You get good home cooked food and there are plenty activities to enjoy. Can't wait to be here again.
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Date of stay: October 2014Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked the weekend here going by the great reviews the place has got on this site. The check in time is at 12 noon according to the website but we were told we'd get the rooms only by 2 pm as some guests had chosen extended check-out. We were assured that the rooms would be ready by the time we were done with lunch. However, once we got there (a good 3-hour drive from Pune), we were told we'd get the rooms only by 3.30 pm because the other guests were enjoying their drinks and enjoying a leisurely lunch. Erm, all right then, we'll just stand by in the meantime! We were given one of the rooms (not the ones we'd booked) to rest but we were traveling with elderly people and a toddler - this simply wasn't sufficient. This room also had a leaky roof. We wanted to relax a bit after lunch but were left without proper accommodation. We got one room allotted to us by 3.30 pm but the other one was cleaned only by 4.30 because they were having staff issues that day. This is understandable because the farm is sort of in the middle of nowhere but we were not given a discount in fare though we did ask about it. If the other guests are paying for extended check out and you have to wait for hours together to get the rooms you've actually paid in full for, it's only fair that the proprietor gives you a discount. But no such gesture was made. The lunch was all right but the quantity was insufficient. We asked for more rice and were told the other guests had finished everything. And mind you, there are no shops anywhere nearby so you are dependent on the farm for your food. We were promised tea and snacks at 5 pm. That happened at 6 pm. Dinner though was great and we really enjoyed it. The farm is in a beautiful location and there are a great many animals on it - donkeys, a pony, turtles, geese, ducks, dogs, cows....the dogs tend to follow you around everywhere especially if you are trying to eat. Can be scary for young children and people who are not used to dogs much. The caretaker is a friendly person who was trying to do his best to make up for the lack of staff. We didn't get to do any activity promised on the farm website. We wanted to do the bullock cart ride for the sake of the child who was with us but as it went, we were simply glad we got our meals eventually! The rooms are tastefully done though the lighting could be too dim for some. They have 24 hours of hot water supply - good if you are traveling with a child. Overall though, we felt quite let down by the experience. We've stayed in many other farms near Pune and it's not like we went with too many expectations - if the basics had been done right, we'd have been happy.
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Date of stay: July 2014
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Uddar area.
LOCATION
IndiaMaharashtraRaigad DistrictUddar
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
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