Picnic to Rustic Retreat

On Sunday the 22nd Oct, the day after Diwali, we went on a picnic to this beautiful nature resort called Rustic Retreat, nestled in the unspoilt hills of North East Goa. Around 50 kms from Panaji, close to the lovely forest town of Valpoi, Rustic Retreat provides a fantastic getaway just an hour from the city.

We hired a bus, filled it up with 30 odd relatives, and one dog, and off we went.


We started off at the resort with some refreshing pineapple sharbat, and then went off to the stream for an hour of bathing and frolicking in the chilly waters, then shifted to the pool for some polo. An awesome lunch of chicken masala and fried fish, with fresh mango and icecream, was followed by a relaxing 45 min long body massage in a small hut by the banks of the stream (Sorry, the pics are censored :)).


I did a bit of Steve Irwin with this beautiful creature...




... but this one was best left in it's bottle!





This tree-tent was simply awesome! Very cool, and very very relaxing to sit inside its dark interiors!







And check out this bathroom - open air, in the company of plants, an experience in itself.






Tired but refreshed, by 5.00 we wrapped up an awesome day with some refreshing chai, and returned home - a game of dumb charades keeping us engrossed, making sure we didn't feel too bad about having to end the day!