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Infinity pool exclusively for us
Wedding anniversaries are always special. Whether its your
first, tenth or may be more. Each one deserves a special celebration in your
own way. So lets take you to a luxurious journey of our 3rd anniversary
celebration at Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa in Maharashtra.
Best Time To Visit
Dec-Feb and During Monsoon
Places visited
Situated in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa not just offers an exclusive luxurious experience but also has India's finest retreat for spiritual well being. We received a warm welcome at the concierge and made our way through the long passage towards reception. It was a magical walk with the view of lush green trees, mountains and mellow music in the background. From the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city, this place is just few hours away and a perfect gateway for complete seclusion and serenity in a most luxurious setting.
View from the lobby
When it comes to fitness we are not the best at it, so we were surprised with the wellness programs that they had to offer and it ranged from minimum 3 to maximum 21 nights. At Dharana you can chose from a varied personalised wellness programs to improve your lifestyle, metabolism, detox and lose weight. With its luxurious tranquil location and mainly with the Dharana wellness program it is very famous among film stars. We did had Reitesh Deshmukh dining behind us at the restaurant but unfortunately didn't manage to take a picture :(
We stayed at the Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa for 2 nights but didn’t book their wellness program. Can you imagine exercising, eating nutritious food and no sweets? So basically it’s them telling you what to do and what not to eat on your anniversary ;) Thanks but no Thanks! We are pretty sure the Dharana wellness program would be a true rejuvenation journey and would love to try some day. Although we did visit to explore the organic restaurant, The Green Table and the Tea Room where you can get a variety of herbal teas.
Fresh Herbal Tea (Ginger, Lemongrass and Honey) at The Green Table
The property is spread around huge 300 acres. Villas are generously spread out and privacy is guaranteed if you are travelling as a couple. As we arrived well before our check in time, we planned to have lunch first at the Terrazzo restaurant and later go to our King Deluxe valley villa. There are Tata Nano cars to take you around the resort and are just a phone call away. You can also explore the resort by foot and is the best way to experience the nature and it’s beauty.
King Deluxe Valley Villa with Private Balcony
Our Villa had a private balcony with outdoor seating and spacious bathroom with outdoor shower. We decided to spend the evening at Terrazzo Bar on the patio that had beautiful views of the Western Ghats and enjoyed our tea as the sun went down. They also have a Mountain Bar that offers uninterrupted views of the Sahyadris but their fresh stone baked thin crust pizza is what got us and dinner was sorted :)
The stay is quite expensive as you pay quite a bit for the villa but what we realized was, not matter what room you choose or how much ever you spend, it was all about exploring the surrounding with their planned activities rather than just relaxing in your villa. If you are more of a trekking person than you will definitely love their forest walks, mountain treks and hikes that start at 7am every morning. Resort staff will guide you in these tours and may take around 1:00 - 1:30 hours. You can enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains from the top, walk around and experience the sunrise. What if you are not a trekking person then one of the things what we would recommend is having breakfast in the villa balcony just like us : ) Also don’t miss the rest of the activities that takes place through out the day like cookery class, pottery class, yoga class etc.
Activity planner
We spent our afternoon at the Mountain Bar to catch the stunning views of the mountains and how could you miss taking a dip in the infinity pool. I believe due to low occupancy and it was the start of the week, the bar and pool was exclusive for us. This was the highlight of our stay and something we will remember for a long time.
As we visited in November, the weather was just perfect to spend your time at the pool with the sun shining above you and at the same time you feel the coolness in the air.
Infinity pool at Mountain Bar
While waiting for food at Mountain Bar
The staff was very polite, skilful and friendly. When we went back to our villa after having dinner at the Terrazzo Restaurant we received a lovely surprise from them. Bed was decorated with flowers and a dessert was waiting for us. We were definitely not expecting that and absolutely loved it.
Beautiful anniversary surprise
Lovely dessert surprise
Transportation
We were travelling from Mumbai and it took up to 3 hrs reach there. You can take the exit from the expressway at Lonavala at then further take right at Kumar Resort and continue further. But it’s a long route and the ride is quite bumpy. What we recommend is to continue on the expressway after Lonavala and in about 10-15 mins look out for a police station where you turn left and then follow the navigation. This way you skip the traffic in Lonavala city and go along the beautiful scenic views of Pavna lake.Pro-tips
With regards to booking your villa, you can opt for the cheapest one, as mentioned earlier it’s all about exploring the nature and it’s beauty outside.Click the link below to enjoy our travel vlog about our visit to Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for more exciting travel vlogs.