Over the years, I have been hearing a lot and wanting to visit this underground cave resort, which is unique in its own way. Recently I got an opportunity to experience it myself, thanks to the fun outing planned by our company.
Guhantara is like no other resorts I have seen or stayed in so far. Situated in the middle of lush green fields, a broken and not so even path takes you to this place. At Guhantara you can experience ecotourism along with several sports and adventure activities.
About the property – Guhantara is a cave themed eco resort stretched over a huge open area. Most parts of the resort are kind of underground including the rooms and the Amphitheatre. And this is something, which makes it different from others.The moment you reach the entrance, you have to pass through a long and narrow tunnel to reach the amphitheatre or the lawn area, which is an experience in itself!
Location- Located on the outskirts of South Bangalore (Kaggalipura), the resort is very close to Art of Living global and Sri Sri Ashram. However you will have to arrange your own transportation in order to reach here as this place is far away from any main road
Ambience- Surrounded by the rock formations, pillars and mud roof, amphitheatre (Rangamandapa) is a huge area overlooking a waterfall (artificial) and a small pond. It feels like you have been transported to Stone Age or couple of thousand years back when men used to leave in caves J. I liked the ambience of this area the most.
Apart from this the lawns are lush green surrounded by the bamboo trees. Passage towards the swimming pool is through stone stairs that gives this area a totally rustic look and feel
Rooms – The moment we entered the room or rather reached the door, it reminded me of popular show, Flintstones, where people use to leave in stone houses. Its like one of the portion of caves is decked up and made into a room. Roof is painted with mud; the entire aura gives a really different feel, which I can’t explain somehow. Bathrooms are really dark. Underground location of the rooms make them really closed (although there is a balcony).I guess not a place for claustrophobics
Activities- Probably this should have been the first point, as this is a perfect place for outdoor activities, sports and adventure activities.
-Recreational facilities include swimming pool, children’s play area, table tennis, carom, cricket, billiards, chess.
-Group games and activities include beach volleyball, archery, rain dance, paint ball, Zorbing.
-Adventure activities include Tunnel trekking, bi-cycle hire, caterpillar (Sling-shot), horse riding, and quad bike rides.
Rain dance, I feel is the biggest attraction amongst the youngsters and everybody eagerly waits for it.
Amenities – Includes auditorium, which acts as a venue for buffet and dance floor also, bar named Madhushala, Agastya Kuteera spa and restaurant. There is a fish spa and massage chairs too! So don’t worry if you get too tired of playing or dancing!
Restaurant & Food – Food served in the buffet during breakfast and lunch was decent
Resort generally provides day packages and I feel it is a value for money deal ! An ideal place to enjoy a fun day with friends and family.
However there are some negatives too, which you should consider while planning your trip!
- Over the weekends, the place is jam packed with people in large groups and you might not enjoy it as much as you can on weekdays.
- Over all I dint find this place to be very hygienic be it washrooms, pools or in general.
- Like I mentioned earlier, if you are claustrophobic, than staying in the resort rooms will definitely be uncomfortable.
What a fascinating spot. Good tip on the claustrophobia. i can imagine for someone who suffers from it would find the rooms intolerable. I love small closed in spots so this would be a delight.
yes its a really nice and different kind of experience. I am a bit of claustro though 🙂 you should plan trip to India !