Location

Located on a small hillock all by itself, Seven Stays Villa, Udaipur has unparallel views of the Aravalli hills. Located 23 km from the city of Udaipur, it is about 2.5 km away from the sacred Eklingji temple. Being secluded from the city, it is ideal to reach here by private/hired car as public transportation is difficult.

The Property – Seven Stays Villa Udaipur

Ideal for a weekend getaway with a big family or group of friends who want to spend some quality time in nature, chill in the property, do not want to cook, and do not want to explore Udaipur city. 

Seven Stays Villa, Udaipur is spread across an area of 2 acres on an exclusive hillock. This cottage-style villa is developed with European-style architecture with enough space in the villa and strategic sit-out areas overlooking the mesmerizing Baghela lake. The interiors are done thoughtfully with lovely show-pieces and ceiling lights all over the villa. Live indoor plants give it a different vibe and guests definitely feel welcome as soon as they enter inside. The villa has 3 bedrooms with king-sized beds in each and provision of another bed if need be. The owner said that they can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time.

Ground floor: There is has a huge hall with comfortable sofas to lounge around and indoor games to keep the guests busy. A fully functional kitchen with basic necessities ensures guests can cook or request the in-house cook to prepare something. The hot food is served at the dining table in the dining area. On this floor, there is one bedroom with an attached powder room, bathroom, and sit-out balcony with a swing overlooking the garden.

First Floor: A spiral wooden staircase takes the guests to the first floor which has a common area to relax and watch movies on a projector screen. There are 2 bedrooms on this floor each equipped with a king-sized bed, powder room, and attached bathroom. One bedroom has a sit-out balcony with a swing while the other has a bookshelf and DVD library.

The common area opens to a small terrace that has a coffee table and a spiral staircase which further takes the guests to the terrace. The panoramic views from the big and small terrace are absolutely worth renting this property for. It goes without saying that we spent both our evenings on the terrace taking in the lake view, enjoying hot snacks with cold drinks. 

The property has 2 friendly residents dogs and if you are fond of dogs, one can play with them. Their kennel is right by the property garden. We enjoyed playing badminton in the garden. In one of the instances when our shuttle cork went downward, we discovered that the property has its own kitchen garden where they grow vegetables and fruits. Right by the kitchen garden is another small garden overlooking the Baghela lake – perfect for a small, intimate party.

The gazebo is probably one of the star features of the property. Located about 50 meters from the property the Gazebo is the perfect place to catch up on evening tea overlooking the best views of the lake (even better than the terrace). On special request, the property can arrange a barbeque here with drinks.

Food at Seven Stays Villas, Udaipur

We were so relieved to know that there was a resident cook on the premises but unfortunately we only discovered later that all the meals came from their hotel and only certain things were made here like roti, tea, coffee, and some basic snacks. There was a fixed menu that was shared with us. 

The food was typical of a hotel that was high on spice and oil and not like a homestay food which was disappointing. On one of the days, our breakfast arrived at 11 am after many follow-ups. So that day we requested the cook to make Rajasthani Dal-Bati instead of the hotel lunch. Thankfully he had all the raw materials and it turned out to be yum!

The served food is vegetarian with egg options.

Recreational activities at the property

While the property is ideal to simply chill and relax, if one gets too bored of not doing anything, there are plenty of options for indoor and outdoor games. Indoor games include Carrom, Ludo, Snakes & Ladders, Chess, etc. The outdoor games include Badminton, Frisbee, and Cricket. 

One can watch movies on their projector. The flipside to this is that it runs on the old system and a DVD player. The in-house caretaker doesn’t know how to fix it. We spent an hour trying to start it and we’re only able to manage the video. The sound did not come through. The host was requested to send someone, but nobody turned up. Either the system needs to be upgraded with the latest technology or the caretaker needs to be trained to start it so it is easy for guests to enjoy.

Also, there are only a couple of DVDs that are available of the all-time classic movies.

Things to do around the property

Although we had decided not to venture out, the travel bug within us decided to walk around the property which had no crowds in sight. We walked around the banks of Baghela lake and took a stroll on the country roads. 

The famous Eklingji temple was closed due to Covid restrictions but we managed to visit places near Eklingji temple. Thankfully there was absolutely no crowd in any of these places. Be mindful not to crowd tourist areas and maintain social distance. Also wear a mask!

Sustainable practices at Seven Stays Villa

• Thorough sanitization of the property before arrival.
• Use of refillable bottles in the bathroom to store toiletries – shampoo, lotion, and soap bottles to reduce small size plastic bottle usage.
• Use of in-house grown vegetables and fruits.
• Negligible use of tissue paper. There are jet sprays in the toilets and cotton hand towels near the wash basin to wipe hands which are washed and reused.

Summary of Stay

It was a relaxing and comfortable stay at Seven Stays Villa, Udaipur for its cozy style and scenic views. With comfortable rooms, the property is a great choice for families looking for a peaceful yet modern getaway near Udaipur. 

The only downside was the not working of the projector. On the first day, the wi-fi was also not working. And there is no Vodafone network on the hill! 

Contact and Booking

Seven Stays Villa, Udaipur

Village Munwas,

Opp Heritage Girls’ Residential School, Girwa, 

Opp. Lake Baghela, Tehsil, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Email: sevenstaysvillas@gmail.com

Disclosure – This post is unbiased and portrays my experience. I was not given any discount or freebies for this review. 

Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links. It means it adds no extra cost to you if you book through the link but I get a referral bonus which helps me earn a little to keep this website up and running.

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Reasons behind that one perfect shot for the gram/blog

Research

Travel bloggers put in a lot of research before they travel to a particular destination. Self-safety, as well as the safety of the gear they are carrying (which is sometimes a couple of thousand dollars worth), is kept in mind while planning the travel. 

Partnership with local tourism/agency

Many a times, travel to offbeat places is arranged by a local tourism board or a local agency who knows the area well, know the roads well, how to safely reach an offbeat place and even the local language. Rural areas and offbeat places are thus best visited with a knowledgeable agent.

Prior permissions for Heritage sites/temples

Most travel bloggers get permission to heritage sites or temples where traditionally photography is prohibited. It is hence important to be ethical during travel.

Sustainable Travel for 2021

We cannot ignore the fact that the pandemic still exists and may stay longer than anticipated. This is where the role of travel bloggers comes into picture wherein they can inspire their followers and family about sustainable travel, armchair travel and backyard travel. Thankfully, there are already travel influencers influencing during the pandemic. 2021 trends point towards more sustainable travel which includes

Slow travel

Air travel is accountable for about 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and using the railways or roadways is one way to travel long distances without releasing as many emissions. Slow travel also allows people to spend more time in places and really be able to enjoy their experiences. Thankfully a lot of travel companies are realising important issues such as climate change and offering packages for slow travel.

Remote working has also made a lot of difference in people choosing to travel slow, exploring more in more time. 

Deep travel

Gone are the days when visitors only wanted to tick off popular places off the list. Now they want more meaningful experiences which is full of local culture and heritage. They want to enrol themselves into local cooking classes, or yoga or go on local food trails. 

There is an increase in the number of people who want to experience local festivals and visit in peak winters or summers. A large number of people in 2021 would be looking for meaning experience with lasting memories.

Armchair travel

People with ailments or otherwise may decide to stay in till the pandemic is over or till a vaccine is out. Virtual travel picked up during lockdown and it looks like it is here to stay, given the expected second/third wave. 

Backyard tourism

A lot of people are already chucking visiting foreign destinations to explore their own country or even their own city. Backyard tourism in 2021 will reign over the rest with Staycations, nature trails, short drives and luxury travel near home.

There is also a growing movement against geotagging on social media to avoid ruining some pristine locations from overtourism. 

So all in all 2021 looks like a sustainable travel year. How and where do you plan to explore next year keeping all the above points in mind? Let me know in the comments below.

Pin this Sustainable Travel guide for 2021!