It’s 10 in the morning. I’ve taken off from work for a few days, and decided to head out of town. As is the case with pretty much everyone in the world these days, I’ve been in one place for the last 9 months. It’s not been particularly frustrating. I’m fairly happy being home. But it’s also good to get out, and explore places. A change of scene is good once in a while. This trip, then, was long overdue.

We didn’t want to head out too far, and this place kind of hit a sweet spot. Why Rhythm? I’d heard from more than one person that the hotel is the perfect staycation location. The place is peaceful, has well appointed rooms, and a gorgeous pool and spa. Not to mention the food is great. All the things you want on a short staycay.

The hotel did not disappoint. We had a Banyan suite to ourselves. Large enough to house 4 adults, our room overlooked the swimming pool located at the centre of the hotel, in the courtyard. The room had a bedroom, a large and spacious bathroom, and a living room. Both, the bedroom and living room came with a TV. The living room also had a dining table, and small kitchenette of sorts. Tea was always at hand, and you know I love tea! I also loved that that the living room had an attached balcony. Sweet, winter sun flowing into the room.

After grabbing an afternoon nap, we decided to head out for a drive, and spot the sunset. We drove an hour out towards Aamby Valley, and found a spot overlooking the valley. It had been extremely hazy the last few days, and this meant the sun set into the haze, and not in the valley. Nonetheless, it was a peaceful end to what had been a pleasant day. Sun set, we waited it out for the stars to appear. We spotted Mars, then Saturn, then Jupiter. Very soon, the sky had started to glitter. There was a slight chill in the air too. It’s moments like these you want to get out of Bombay for. Star lit skies that have become al but invisible in the cities we live in.

Eventually, we headed back to the hotel. One of the reasons I liked getting back to the hotel was the food. We must’ve had 6 full meals while we were there. And not one of them was disappointing. There was a proper spread on offer, including Indian food, some continental dishes and some Oriental cuisine too.

On the next day, we had a late start. Had a sumptuous breakfast and spent some time by the pool. While the pool was unusable due to Covid restrictions, I do appreciate that they had maintained the pool, and it was being cleaned regularly. The pool is centre piece of the hotel. The teal waterline gives it a calming presence. I also love the gazebo by the pool. After a relaxed morning, and an afternoon nap (what are holidays for anyway), we again headed out for a drive in the evening.

This time to Pawna Lake. An hours drive later, we had arrived. The sun was just about to set, so I quickly took some shots from the shoreline. This lake was a proper find on this trip. What a beautiful place to spend time at. I’d love to come back at some point, and spend a longer amount of time there. But for this trip, I spent about an hour by the shore, watching the sun go down, in what turned out to be an amazing sunset. What a place! What an evening!

That night, we headed back to the hotel, and had a delicious dinner. Post meal, we went down to the gazebo by the pool, and spent the evening there. It truly was gorgeous! The kind of family time you only get when on vacation. The kind of time you can only spend when there is an abundance of the same. The kind of time you cannot manufacture. It only happens with time.

This weekend was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of Bombay. Ten months of being cooped indoors wasn’t as bad as it sounds, but it definitely made sense to get out for a few days. If you’re in the same boat, then I would recommend sneaking out to Lonavala for the weekend. And maybe consider Rhythm as a place to stay at.