Every time I think back on my first ride to “Our Native Village -Soul Spa Eco Resort” I crack up. I had been all over India for almost a month giving seminars and speaking at conferences and even though I was traveling in the first class style that I prefer, I was still starting to feel the wear and tear of India travel.



I was excited about my next adventure, staying at an Eco (as in Ecological) resort in Bangalore. I was more than ready for a spa experience after spending a very hectic and fast paced week in Baroda with not less than 1 million people who had come from all over the world to celebrate one of the Masters I had interviewed on a previous trip to India, Hari Prasad Swamiji.



I was tired, my nails were a mess, my hair was dry, “Yup” the spa week was just what the doctor ordered!



“Are we almost there yet?” I asked my Hindi speaking driver who had picked me up at the Bangalore airport.



“Ek minute more” he said. And continued driving for what seemed like forever.



Getting farther and farther out into the country, I panicked as I watched the bars on my cell phone go up and down. A few minutes later, I asked the driver, “Are we almost there?”



“Ek minute Madam.” He said once again.



The driver then pulls onto a dirt road and heads into what feels like total wilderness.



Concerned, I once again look at the bars on my cell phone. “Go figure!” I say to myself as all 4 bars on my cell phone are still there!



After a short drive on the dirt road, I see this beautiful building in the distance. As we drive to the front entrance, not less than 4 people greet me with the most loving and warm welcome.


“Welcome to Our Native Village” they all chime in unison.



As Susheel, the Resort Manager of the eco spa gives me a tour, I am completely blown away. The meeting room has all of the high tech conveniences any 5 star hotel would have.



Susheel explains that C.B. Ramkumar, the director and founder of the eco spa’s vision was to not only create a wonderful place of rest and rejuvenation from the hectic pace of daily life, but also an environment that was in tune with nature, where everyone would once again feel connected to the deepest part of their soul and remember their connection to Mother Earth.



He explains that the “pool” that I am looking at with all of these beautiful green reeds growing in it is the first “eco” pool in all of India. “I can swim in this?” I ask.



“Of course” he replies. ‘We have the regions first 100% natural chemical-free swimming pool. This pond-style pool has aquatic plants that feeds on all the dirt and sediment, carbon filters to further cleanse the water and oxygenators to keep the water fresh and circulating, so it is safe even for a baby to swim in! I hope you brought your bathing suit” he smiles.



As she leads me to my room, Kapila the Brand Manager, explains that the resort has 24 deluxe double and twin rooms which have hand painted murals by tribal artists from various parts of the country. As I walk into my room I am overjoyed at its spaciousness and beauty. I am immediately aware at how grounded I feel just standing in the room.





“Everything is natural. 100% cotton linens, silk blinds, the walls are clay, which keeps the room naturally cooled” Kapila says. “Are you hungry?” she asks.



“A little” I reply.


~



“Perfect!” I say as I finish off the second helping of some of the tastiest Indian food I’ve had all month.



“I think I need to take a shower, do you have hot water?” I ask. “Of course!” She laughs. “You can be assured of getting hot water in all of the bathrooms 24 hours a day since we use solar water heaters and for back up, we also use Gujarat Boilers – boilers that are built in the same principle as the village heaters that use fire wood to heat the water.”



“Ok, forgive my ignorance, but what makes this a 100% eco resort? ” I ask.



“Well, we generate most of our electricity ourselves. We use a wind-mill and solar panels that generate electricity, which is then stored in a bank of batteries to which the resort is connected. We also have 2 bio gas plants, which are fed with a mixture of de-oiled cakes, chicken waste and food waste. The gas produced is used to fuel a generator and is also used in the kitchen instead of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).



Most of the water we use is rainwater. We harvest rainwater from all the roofs of the resort and also have ducts in the ground to collect the rainwater that flows through the property. This water flows through a network of pipes under the ground, and all the water is filtered, and then stored in a large underground tank.



All the construction is eco construction. All the bricks used for the construction were made on the site. We used the soil that we got when we dug for the foundation, mixed some stabilizing material into this and made the bricks on the site. The bricks were sun baked and then ready for use.



All the waste on the resort is processed and reused appropriately – all waste, except plastics that we send out to a recycling unit. Some of our food waste goes into our bio gas plant, some for composting, all paper waste is used for the bon fires and our Gujarat boilers, all black water – which is the flush water in the rooms, goes into leech pits that convert the waste to manure over time, all grey water – water from the showers and hand wash water, goes through reed beds and is used to recharge the ground water, all kitchen water is used for gardening and for our bio gas plants, etc.



Most of the vegetables are grown organically. We have a 7.5 acre organic farm where we grow a large variety of vegetable and fruit for you to enjoy at the restaurant. So you can be certain that not only are the food organic, it is also very fresh.



All the soaps and shampoo in the rooms are 100% natural, chemical free and handmade exclusively for Our Native Village.



All the other cleaning products we use at the resort are chemical free. We grow a wide variety of herbal and medicinal plants. These we use frequently in our kitchen and Ayurveda spa. Growing this ancient flora is part of our aim to revive indigenous traditions and to protect the surrounding eco system.



“And one other thing Janet” Kapila beams proudly, “Our Native Village has been awarded the ‘Highly Commended Best Small Accommodation’ at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards for 2008 given out at the World Travel Market, in London. There were over 1000 entries for this prestigious competition and 283 nominations in the Small Accommodation category alone which is said to be the toughest to compete in.”





After 1 night at “Our Native Village” I cancelled all other plans of travel in India.



After an incredible nights sleep, I said to myself, “Janet, why go anywhere else when you’re staying in heaven!”



To find our more about “Our Native Village” go to www.ournativevillage.com

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