Diwali vacations call for a special day out with the kids. We had our long awaited day trip visiting a lovely farm followed by a picnic by the lakeside. Here are some glimpses of the day out with kids.
Thangavel Date Plantation
When we came to know of a cutting-edge farm near our city, we had our minds set on visiting it along with the kids. The Thangavel Farm and Date Plantation is an innovative and modern farm near Nagpur. Upon reaching the farm, we were pleasantly surprised to hear melodious Christian music playing on the loud speakers. We soon found out that the owners practice Plant Music Therapy!
The owner Mr. Thangavel, along with his family, breaks all the stereotypes and makes an excellent example for the kids. The Thangavel family experiment and improvise on their farm by implementing modern farming methods. Away from the city crowds, they have built an enviable life. Along with their progressive and state-of-the-art farming techniques, they stay connected to every advancement in the field of technology including an impressive social media presence. It isn’t surprising then, that celebrities from Bollywood actor and land-owner Ritesh Deshmukh to the High commissioner of Mauritius, are among the ones to visit the first-of-its-kind date plantation in Central India.
With our host Shona Thangavel
The date plantation is a novelty, but the kids also loved other plants new to the area. The strawberry patch and the mushroom farm were a hit. And what surprised us most of all was the Dragonfruit and the ‘Black Guava’. Shona Thangavel, our host, welcomed us graciously and took us through her farm. I will let the pictures speak further of our lovely visit.
The fun of a road trip begins as soon as the city limits are crossed.
Reaching the Thangavels farm was a 30 minute drive from Nagpur.
Plant Music Therapy
Daddy’s Little Supergirl enjoying her first farm visit 🙂
Black Guava Tree – Seeing these for the first time ever!
Chinese Lemons
Under the Banana Tree
Cucumber Plant
Grape Vines
Shona Thangavel showing us the Strawberry and Broccoli Patches
Dragon Fruit Plant
Date Palms at the Plantation
The Thangavels bring the date plants from Glastonbury U.K, acclimatize them in Rajasthan for a year, and then transport them to their farm.
Enjoying the Farm Life
Frogs!
Kids Role Play at the Farm Tractor
‘Sultan’ – The Horse
Picnic by the Lakeside
We had planned to proceed to the popular ‘Bor Dam’ ahead, for our picnic lunch. But thanks to our friendly hosts at the Thangavel Farms, we came to know of a lovely lake just ahead of the farm. The ‘Bhivkund’ lake and dam was much more quiet and serene. Since the kids were not ready to leave the farm earlier and it was almost lunch time, we decided to take our lunch there. Everyone agreed unanimously that Bhivkund made a lovelier picnic spot and we had the place almost completely to ourselves!
Lakeside picnic and lazying
After the lunch of homemade poori-bhaji, fruits and Diwali mithais, the other members of the family lazed around in the shade of the tree. Grandma put the baby to bed (Yay! God bless Grandmas!) and Mamma-Papa went exploring with the older ones.
But before heading out in the sun, don’t forget the sunscreen!
From hats for the day time to jackets for the evening, Moms have to pack a lot for a day trip. But do not forget a sunscreen! Toss one in your handbag and keep applying it whenever you are out of the car.
We collected river stones and wild flowers, spotted chameleons and an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ rabbit hole :). Past picnickers seemed to cooked in a real traditional style, giving us a major complex. Well…some day!
Once we were all refreshed and rejuvenated, it was time for some fun in the water.
The tree seen in the picture is a favorite spot for taking pictures as we saw all other picnickers (there were only a handful of them and they left very soon) taking pics and selfies here.
The kids had a great time splashing their legs in water and tossing stones in the water.
By kids, I mean ALL of them – the youngest the most of them!
On to Bor Dam
Well fed and relaxed, we now proceeded to Bor Dam. Bor Dam is fairly popular and the place was crowded, even though we reached very late. We all agreed that it had been a great idea to stop at Bhivkund for lunch, but we did not want to miss the beauty of Bor Dam too 🙂
The road to Bor Dam winds between ghats and jungles. You need to stay equipped with a camera here!
The Picturesque Road to Bor Dam alone is worth the visit.
The Indian ‘Langur’ monkeys never disappoint. You are sure to spot a few on any road trip 🙂
The Bor Jungle is famous for tigers and other animals, like all jungles surrounding Nagpur. You can opt for a Jungle Safari and also stay at the Guest House overnight.
We were in time for a beautiful sunset at Bor Dam.
More Fun in the Water!
It was only 6.30 when we left Bor Dam, but the jungle roads were pitch dark, this being the onset of winter in India!
The experience of driving through the Jungle roads was completed when we stopped for coffee at a shop in the middle of nowhere. Google Maps told me that the place was ‘Kavdas’.
Closer to the city, we stopped at a Dhaba for a sumptous dinner which was the grand finale of our memorable day trip.
A visit to a farm is hands-on education for kids combined with a lot of fun. My 11 year old returned with a lot of information in her head. The last I heard, she was telling her friends about Strawberries being harvested in December (and that she visited a farm that was recently visited by Ritesh Deshmukh…lol!). My 5 year old enjoyed a glimpse into the farm life, natural scenery around the lakes and leisurely family time. He also weaved a spooky story about a ‘Haunted House’ near the bare tree at the Bhivkund lake.
And my 20 month old enjoyed meeting the friendly farm dogs, other farm animals and splashing and throwing stones into the water! And not just for the kids, really. Adults get to learn a lot too! It was not only a much-needed break from city life, but also an excuse to leave work behind and solely focus on enjoying with the kids. With family members to take turns with the kids, such trips are also a great way for Mommy and Daddy to re-bond with each other!
Hey…..I got to see Black Guava tree and Dragon fruit plant for the first time ya!!! And car selfie, collection of river stones….great ideas!! You guys seem to have a great time together…and the Dhaba picture made me feel to go there myself!!!! amazing!!!!!!!!!
Wow this has to be my favourite post till date for its cuteness, I too have heard about the black guava first time and seen the dragon fruit plant first time too, it’s really a great idea to take kids to such a farm and I am surely going to find out one in Hyderabad too, loved the post dear 🙂
Waoh u always do great job..