Done with all the usual weekend holiday locations around Mumbai, we looked for something offbeat, a place less known. And guess what we found! A little over 3.5 hours drive from Mumbai and Surat, tucked away in the union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, is this small slice of paradise, the village Kauncha. Also called Dudhani, it’s nestled on the banks of water from Madhubani reservoir on Daman Ganga River.
The reservoir is huge, there’s plenty of water and what adds to the beauty is… the nature. The farms, the forests, the green!! There are lush green hills all around; the cool waters, the hills, the Shikaras make Kauncha the weekend heaven it is. It’s comparatively less explored, which means lesser crowd, lesser encroachment and more peace and tranquillity.
How to Reach:
By car, it takes a bit more than 3.5 hours from Chembur, Mumbai. I guess it takes about the same from Surat, Gujarat as well. Its closer from Thane and Vapi though. Drive straight till Silvassa, and then a detour.
You can otherwise drive till Dudhani end point and take a ferry to Kauncha. This might be shorter, but then driving is pretty scenic as well.
Where We Stayed:
We stayed at White Feather Glamping Tent Resort. Its bang on the lake, and it’s huge and well maintained. There are air-conditioned tents and cottages, the pool is welcoming and the food is delicious.
There are other stay options too, but very few. As I said, the destination is relatively unknown.
What to Do:
Basically nothing. Kauncha is a quaint village, there’s not much. Don’t miss the boating on the lake, on a Shikara, treating your eyes, body and mind to the flowing waters surrounded by green hills engulfed with clouds. So just sit back and relax.
Silvasa is close by, so there are gardens, lion safari, deer parks, which can be covered enroute your return journey to Mumbai or Gujarat.
Kauncha is a rustic village, thatched houses on green fields look like your childhood paintings come alive. Their walls are adorned with Varli Paintings. And the people speak in a language I heard for the 1st time, ‘Varli’, a combination of Marathi and Gujarati.
Here’s the Facebook link for the resort, it provides their contact as well as booking links. Facebook
Worth a try. Thanks for this out of the way destination Preethi.
Beautiful and at the same time pretty tempting description!