Bonding with nature, rejuvenating amidst efficient hospitality and savouring wholesome cuisine is what I experienced during my stay at Jakson Inns Phaltan located in Maharashtra. On arrival at the hotel, the welcome drink of fresh sugarcane juice was refreshing. After a smooth check in to our deluxe room and a hearty breakfast at Green Bean which is the multi cuisine restaurant, we were ready for sightseeing. The itinerary had already been emailed to us and there were no last minute hiccups.
Jakson Inns Phaltan is pioneering the concept of country tourism in Maharashtra. As we drove to the grape farms, the sight of lush green sugarcane and jowar fields on the way made me realize how in our hectic urban life, we forget to enjoy simple pleasures. The grape farm itself was another such simple yet essential delight. The sight of hundreds of Bangalore Purple grapes laden in myriad hues of green, purple to hints of blue, the explanation of how grapes are grown, harvested and sold to plucking some myself was an experience I will cherish.
Post lunch, another unique experience awaited us- an evening admiring the Pusegaon Windmill Project. The scenic drive to get to the windmills, the sight of the majestic windmills themselves with their huge blades swishing in the breeze, the sunset and us watching all this comfortably seated munching on sandwiches, pasta, cookies, tea time cakes and drinking watermelon juice was picture perfect.
If the windmills awed us, my foot reflexology therapy at the Kundalini treatment room of Jakson Inns Phaltan was one of the best I have experienced. Dattu, my visually impaired therapist, expertly activated the pressure points on the soles of my feet and massaged to remove my pent up stress, improve my blood circulation and relax me.
Apart from foot reflexology, there are head, neck and shoulder massages to choose from. Dinner was a wholesome Maharashtrian thali full of flavours. Fulltoon Bar offers spirits and interesting cocktails and mocktails including sugarcane mojito and wheatgrass martini.
The next day, I explored Jakson Inns Phaltan which is India’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified platinum hotel which means right from the construction material to its operations, it’s all done in harmony with the environment. Out of the 74 rooms including deluxe, suites and ADA, I was impressed with the 4 single lady traveller rooms equipped with a camera and intercom at the room door for safety. For these rooms, the housekeeping as well as room service is done by women.
Junction which is the boardroom, Maratha which is the banquet hall and a gym are the other facilities of the hotel. I learnt that there are around 30 sightseeing options that the hotel can arrange for you ranging from temples, forts, waterfalls, dam, lake, Kaas Plateau which is a UNESCO Biodiversity World Heritage Site to vineyards, museum, royal palace, farms and fields.
Taking darshan at the almost 800 year old Jabreshwar Mandir dedicated to Shiva, the Ram Mandir of Ram who is the Gram daivat of Phaltan and the Phaltan Rajwada or royal palace were a prelude to visiting an organic farm where sugarcane, maize, Bengal gram and toor dal were grown. After check out, as we headed to Pune I had already begun to miss the country side and friendly hospitality of Jakson Inns Phaltan.
Jakson Inns Phaltan
Plot No.398/6,399,400,
Near Cummins Mega Site,
Lonand Road, Phaltan, Maharashtra
Telephone: 02166-227676
Khursheed dinshaw
