Living in Mumbai you’ve limited options for the weekend getaways. I’ve done multiple rounds of the usual suspects – Lonavala, Matheran, Panchgani, etc since I was a kid. So when Food Bloggers Association of India asked me to accompany 9 other bloggers to Aamby Valley for a quick weekend getaway and to know what we think of the place, I jumped at the opportunity and said yes!

Arriving at Aamby Valley after driving for 3 hours was very pleasant and welcoming. Aamby Valley city  developed by the Sahara India Pariwar looks beautiful during monsoon. Spanning over 10,000 acres, Aamby Valley City offers everything one needs for premium living. It is very well planned and maintained with world-class infrastructure and facilities.

The roads and paths are so clean. Walking on the roads, frequented by the buggies (kinda like golf carts) taking the occupants of different chalets from one place to another inside the valley, feels relaxing and pleasant. Major points to the travel desk to manage and run all the transport and commute of the occupants within the valley.

My room at the Aussie chalet was big, beautiful and had a pretty cool balcony with a mesmerising view of the cottages and the valley beyond. The Aussie chalets are 2 storey cottages with 2 independent rooms, each comes with a bathroom and a balcony. There is also a little wooden swing in front of each of the cottages.    After checking in in my room, I freshened up and headed to Woodpecker for a scrumptious buffet lunch.

You have to be there to understand how much effort must go into making the wonderful spread of buffet we ate at Woodpecker. We also met the chef who personally took time to interact with us, explain us the work that goes on behind the scenes or rather inside the kitchen. The restaurant changes menu everyday of the week and rotate it in a way that no 2 Mondays or any other same day will have the same menu!

After lunch we changed and headed out to the Wetlands. As the name suggests, it’s all about water sports and Aamby Valley offers lot of water activities. I tried the Jet ski which was thrilling as the rider sitting behind me kept turning it, bumping it against the water and turning at steep angles. It was fun!

We also tried the speed boat which ensured that water is sprayed on all of us. We also got to kayaking and kept wandering off in the water enjoying the tranquility and the serenity offered by the huge expanse of the lake.

As this was not enough fun, we gathered in the Aquabus for the complete tour of the lake. Yes, the bus that drives on the road and floats in the water. The ride/ drive was indeed very soothing. Apart from these, there are Pontoon boats, Pirate ship for themed private parties, waterfall safari during monsoons and more to be enjoyed at Wetlands.

We were supposed to watch the Fountain show in the evening but we were so happy at Wetlands that we overstayed there and missed the fountain show. But we got enough time to got ready for dinner which was at Namak – The Indian specialty restaurant. It is by far one of the best restaurants that I’ve been to. From the food to service to ambience, everything was impeccable. Here’s the detailed review of Namak.

It was well into the night when we bid adieu to the chef and the staff who were there to serve us till we were bursting with joy and our tummies with delicious food. Needless to say day 1 at Aamby Valley was full of fun, food and frolic.