An eco-friendly resort set amid organic farms near Bengaluru, Our Native Village seeks to take travellers away from the din of urban sprawls and back to the rustic charm of village life while promoting environment conservation with its activities. The resort maintains an eco-friendly approach towards tourism based on “the five basic pillars of environmental conservation–earthly architecture, nutritious food, energy and water conservation and proper waste management”.

The 24 deluxe rooms here have been built using sun-baked clay bricks and are dotted with murals hand-painted by indigenous artists from across the country. Solar heaters are used to heat water for bathroom use, and the resort is 90 per cent powered with solar energy and biogas turbines.

The restaurant at the resort sources its ingredients from local farmers and the property’s organic farms, and the landscape is irrigated with harvested rainwater. The restaurant specialises in authentic Karnataka cuisine; North Indian and Continental dishes are also served, and there is a separate ‘kids menu’ that offers pasta, sandwiches and noodles.

Not only is the resort pet-friendly, it also encourages guests to meet its own farm animals, including cows, goats, rabbits and poultry. As an internal policy, the resort takes in abandoned puppies and kittens from the villages nearby and encourages travellers to adopt them.

The activities on offer include village routines like milking cows, riding bullock carts, pottery and farming. Our Native Village takes tourists back to a carefree childhood with games like gilli-danda, spinning tops, kite flying, cycle-tyre racing and taking aim with catapults. Or one could just spend the afternoon in a natural pond and the evening singing and dancing around a bonfire. Introverts love the quiet spaces peppered in the region. One can go for a bicycle ride or a nature walk in the area around the resort, or find a charming book in their mini library and soak in the rustic surroundings.

The resort offers peace of mind coupled with avenues for physical wellness. The health services offered here feature Ayurveda therapy in the spa, Kalari yoga, and traditional dance workshops in association with Nrityagram. Call 9901233353, 8041140909 or email [email protected] for reservations. For more info, see ournativevillage.com.