Outdoor

Simulator weekend

A luxury weekend, that literally takes you to new heights — Akanksha Tyagi tells us about her experience

Akanksha Tyagi

Posted On Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 10:15:31 PM

A view of the Wildernest resort infinity pool

Capt Gadgil guides Pranav in the cockpit

Group of friends having fun at a pool party

It was in 2002, while I was in Rajasthan, that I last heard a peacock scream. It’s shriek enters, passes right through your heart and mind, and keeps echoing.

I’d always wished to see a peacock here in Pune and thanks to a friend, a visit to the Wildernest Resort early in the morning resulted in just that.

Aww natural
First, I got a guided tour of the resort. I strolled across the very tastefully landscaped gardens, which were fenced with pampered flowering plants. And then... I heard a peacock.

I jumped with excitement like a kid when I was told it was very normal for peacocks to come to the resort’s garden. The whole day was spent amidst nature.

Wildernest is located in such a place that no matter where you go in that large expanse of the resort, you get a picture postcard view of nature. Imagine seeing Sinhagad fort from the open-air restaurant.

Another thing that astonished me was the architecture.

Everything is well thought out. To create a fortified look, the walls, ceiling, floor and steps of the resort have been created using the remaining rubble after they had dug the foundation of the structure.

To give a feeling of the rawness of nature, the rubble has been left unpolished. In other spots, the same stones have been added but polished, introducing a touch of elegance.

We headed to the poolside and the bar situated inside the pool (!) which made me want to have my gang of friends around me at that moment.

I recommend entering the pool at dusk, ordering a drink and just watching the sun set at eye-level!

Before you get carried away, there are talks of an open-air Jacuzzi opening there really soon. It promises a romantic and private setting, especially if you find that the pool is too crowded for your taste.

On a jet plane
As we moved towards the Jeet Aerospace Institute my anxiety began to peak. The resort’s day package includes a joy ride on a flight simulator, which I highly recommend. After all, I tested it myself.

This is the first mobile flight simulator in India and has been made with a vision to motivate, guide and train those who fancy the job of a pilot.

Captain Anil Gadgil and his team impart ground training before you take this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sitting in a cockpit, starting the engine, controlling the entire set up in front of you and finally the take off — everything feels real.

I virtually flew from Pune to Mumbai airport and also saw the Los Angeles airport! There are just no words to describe the thrill, you have to experience it.

It’s tough to narrow down on what I enjoyed the most at Wildernest — was it the bar in the pool, the flying simulator or the peacock’s scream?

Last but not the least, I have to applaud the well-mannered staff at the resort. It feels great to be greeted with an in-sync good morning. I regret forgetting to thank them.

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