All of us missed the office gossips and the team outings in 2020. Along with our other big plans, 2020 plummeted our Travel Plans and has been a year no one wants to go back to! While everyone worked remotely, some lost touch whereas some grew closer. So, why not take this year a year to rekindle the old team bonds through some team activities? 

Here are 9 resorts you can take your employees to make up for last year and get them pumped up for the new year! These are just a few hours’ drive away from Mumbai and Pune, so they are perfect for your weekend corporate getaways. Read below to check which resort perfectly fits your Ideal Corporate Outing.

Lefarm- Luxury Farmstay

The luxurious property located in Kamshet, Lonavala, is alluring to the eyes at the first glance itself. Carefully positioned on the backwaters of Vadivale Dam, it represents an amalgamation of modern and traditional cultures. Every room gives a panoramic view of the landscape outside, which reminds you of the charming French Highlands.

The villa is built on 15 acres of the private estate with 6 grand bedrooms equipped with the best amenities. The spacious rooms greet you with fresh air and aromas from the farms that breeze through the rooms. They also have a private pristine pool for you to unwind. Additionally, if you are looking for a fresh farm to fork experience, you’ve landed at the right place! Farm trips, lake trip and seasonal Mango Orchards are the property’s major attractions. 

Surrounded by a verdant green cover, placid lake and undulating hilly terrains, coupled with the farm itself, this property is the perfect choice for your weekend getaway.

Highlights:

• Luxurious living and lounge space
• Gorgeous lake view
• Swimming pool
• Indoor & outdoor games
• Organic vegetable farm
• Outdoor barbecue & bonfire facility

Website: http://lefarm.in/

Shambhala

The Shambhala resort in Kamshet will offer you all the luxury with a glimpse of mother nature. The resort name is derived from Sanskrit and translates to a place of peace/tranquility/happiness. This resort has multiple facilities for the guests, such as comfortable accommodation for individuals and groups, plenty of open space to chill, healthy, homely food, pristine lakefront, and surrounding mountains view. The help desk of the resort is available 24×7 and for all kinds of assistance

Highlights:

• Lakeside
• Lake view facing
• Beautiful surrounding
• Modern amenities
• Barbecue Food
• Paragliding Activity

Website: https://shambhalabythelake.com/

Ratna Resort

This beautiful resort is located right in nature’s lap alongside the Indrayani river.

Owing to the variety of choices available in rooms, they have something for every tourist. The resort has an amazing multi-cuisine restaurant that offers delicious food.

Highlights:

• Gaming Center
• Multi-cuisine restaurant
• Swimming Pool
• River Side View

Website: https://www.ratnaaresort.com/

Treasure Island Resort

This resort is located amidst the beauty of Lonavala. This resort showcases outstanding hospitality, plush decor and impeccable services. The resort has a beautiful garden and a pool. They have a wide range of rooms designed for a comfortable experience and ample amenities to ensure that all your conveniences are met.

Highlights:

• Amazing Food
• Garden
• In-house restaurant
• Swimming pool

Website: https://www.treasureislandindia.com/m/

Greenwood

Nested in Lonavala, Greenwood countryside resort is a beautiful property featuring a swimming pool, a great restaurant and breathtaking views. This is one of the best choices when it comes to choosing an accommodation option for a family vacation.

Highlights:

• Swimming pool
• Restaurants
• Mountain view in front

Sereniity

If you are searching for a peaceful location to spend your Kerala holiday, your search ends at the Sereniity Resort. It is at a prime location in Tungarli, Lonavala having a serene and picturesque location close to The Lagoona.

Lots of indoor games and outdoor activities are present.

Highlights:

• Beautiful place to stay
• Breathtaking garden
• Frequent sightseeing of birds and animals

Website: https://www.sereniityresort.com/

Honeybee Resort

If you’re searching for a blend of nature, heritage, culture and foods, you arrived at the perfect place.

The ambiance of the resort and beautiful surroundings make for an ideal location for a get together or any event.

Immerse yourself in the peace and beauty of nature at its most brilliant.

Highlights:

• Gym for all
• Multi-cuisine restaurant
• Swimming pool
• Located at a peaceful location

Website: http://honeybeeresort.in/

Emerald

This resort is set in the heart of the Mavals, just 20min peaceful drive on the Old Pune Mumbai Highway. It is perfectly located in between Lonavala and Pune; away from the hustle bustle of the city, yet extremely accessible with excellent connectivity. This resort has multiple facilities like Laundry service, Free Parking, and Complimentary Breakfast.

Highlights:

• Furnished AC rooms.
• Free Wi-fi
• Multi-cuisine restaurant

Website: https://www.theemeraldresort.in/

Hill Forest Resort

This resort is located near Tungarli Dam and 500m, away from the main market. It has all the basic amenities such as Swimming Pool, indoor games, Wi-Fi, Restaurant. It has a 24hr check in facility. The rooms are quite spacious and beautifully designed.

Highlights:

• All modern amenities
• Close to market
• Free Wi-fi

Website: https://dmhospitalityservices.com/

“Caring for your body, mind and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honouring them.” ~ Kristi Lang

Many of us have grown up watching our grandmothers and mothers devoting their lives to their families, often at the cost of their own happiness. Prioritizing others’ needs before their own almost became a norm for women folks. However, times are changing. Old ways are withering away. Women are now realizing the importance of self-care.

To pander to the oft-ignored needs of such unsung heroes, Harsha Jain, a passionate young woman created a startup called WoFactors. Launched on 11th July 2020, WoFactors was established to spread awareness of Me-Time among women without her having to feel guilty. The startup aims to support, empower, promote & recognize women’s needs & desires.

Everything begins with an idea

A travel enthusiast, graphic designer by profession, and an avid crafter by passion,  founder, Harsha Jain puts out her heart and soul to create and help (‘Enthu-cutlet – that’s what her friends call her for the same reason!)

While working with a women’s health company, Harsha realized the small ways in which women ignore their own physical health and led the campaign to help educate them about the same.

Harsha explains “Physical health -checked. What about their emotional health? This kept me awake for so many nights, till I finally left my job and got down to researching about this”

After speaking to over 300+ women, Harsha realized that in the process of taking care of their homes, families and kids, all these women, be it homemakers, working moms, mompreneurs – had forgotten to take care of themselves. They ignored their own needs and dreams for the longest time possible.

She felt an irresistible and irritating itch to help these women prioritize themselves. She wanted to change their thought process, educate them and create a space for them to help pursue their dreams, hobbies, friendship and much more!

And that is how ‘WoFactors’ was born. A platform to help women realize the importance of ME-TIME!

WoFactors and it’s Wow Quotient

WoFactors provides opportunities to network, learn, support and foster valuable connections, thereby, creating a better everyday life for them and their families.

Every weekend, a network of around 30+ women artists pan India conduct Live classes/ workshops on WoFactors platform. Classes are about learning art, about conversations, networking, therapy, connections & much more. Every time one signs up for a class with WoFactors, they are automatically plugged into a group of other women from the same class along with the instructor. Unlike other ventures, here instructors provide full support post-class.

This simply yet powerful method has helped form deeper connections among women. This makes the entire circle intimate and complete!

So, what’s the plan?

In 6 months, 400+ women signed up with them. Moreover, 20+ expert live sessions, 25+ artists/ instructors pan India, 50+ workshops, 1^st ever Virtual Me-Time Mela for women were organized.
WoFactors intends to be the one-stop solution platform for women to come indulge, learn, share ideas and make connections in the next 5 years!

To know more visit – www.wofactors.com

To read more Startup Stories on The Business Press visit – https://www.thebusinesspress.in/category/startup-stories/

“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Since the dawn of civilization, agriculture has been considered one of the wisest and noblest pursuits of men. Natural farming allows even the smallest and poorest of farmers to practice agriculture with minimal capital cost, minimal water usage and grow chemical-free food.  That’s what makes farming sustainable. In today’s age of cutting-edge technology, farming has undergone a sea change. However the essence remains the same.

Launched in January 1993 by Ranjit Patil and Nina Patil, Umrani Farms is a leading supplier of  Grapes, Raisins, and other Indian Fresh Produce to premium retailers across India and Europe.  They are Fairtrade certified grower-exporters with their own family-owned farms where they grow organic, wellness products such as Sorghum/Jowar, Maize, Moringa and Black Urad, all of which are also used to make bio – pesticides and organic manures of plant origin in Natural Farming. 

Sowing the seeds of change

The story began 26 years ago. The newly-wed couple Ranjit ( MBA , International Business ) and Nina ( Masters in Social Work ) wondered how they could add value to a family hobby, (rather than a cash crop), of growing grapes conventionally for the local market. They noticed how the conventional practice of growing grapes needed a lot of expensive chemicals and huge debts the farmers were incurring due to this.  This made them visit and research how other countries succeed on the world market and confidence that growing “poison free” grapes is possible without burning a hole in the pocket of small farmers. 

Ranjit’s father, then just retired from Maharashtra, Irrigation Department, stood firmly behind the couple as they took up the challenge of converting a drought prone area in Western Maharashtra into green, lush vineyards, along with the local women, as most men had migrated to urban areas in search of jobs. Today, a green revolution has taken place as the entire dry landscape has been converted into mini vineyards. Most of the women who started off on Umrani Farms ( and continue to do so ), have gone ahead and erected their own farms with technical assistance and through Natural Farming, which is widely propagated by the couple.

Umrani Farms : Modern-day take on farming

Umrani Farms is a name that has earned respect and trust of its consumers through decades of hard work. The motto is to serve “Quality without Compromise” through Innovation, Trust & Transparency. It’s known to deliver the best of quality using sustainable Natural Farming and cutting-edge Agri technology as per, industry-leading food-safety and traceability standards.

The products, most of which are internationally certified, are mainly sun-dried and chemical-free as the farm uses locally grown plants to make bio pesticides and organic manures to ensure 100% natural farming. Here sulphur bleaching, polishing , any process which drains away nutrition content of the produce, is a big no-no, so raisins are kept naturally dark brown and black and grains are at their au natural best.

Sustaining future goals

The brand UniGrape is much sought-after in international markets.  Since the last couple of years it’s natural, sun dried raisins are making a mark and the focus is on increasing the range of wellness products through natural farming.

Umrani Farms understands its social responsibility and believes in creating a positive influence on the world that goes beyond the calculation of profit-and-loss. In this regard, the brand organises widespread awareness campaigns and R&D sessions for promoting agriculture among today’s generation.

Signing off, the Umrani team says “We are confident you will taste the earthy sunshine and abundance of nature and positivity we put into our products.”

To know more visit – http://bit.ly/umranifarms

Visit their e-commerce website – www.umranifarms.in

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/umranifarms/

To read more Startup Stories on The Business Press visit – https://www.thebusinesspress.in/category/startup-stories/