Experiencing The Land Of Sapota At The Chikoo Festival 2019

When we think of taking a weekend getaway from Mumbai, we either think of a staycation or places like Lonavala or Mahabaleshwar. While we get immense serenity from these destinations, we tend to miss out on experiences that can soothe our soul. One such getaway is at Bordi where you can nestle on the ground and gaze into the night sky; surround yourself with blooming flowers; or take a walk in a chikoo farm and feel the crunch of the leaves under your feet as you lose yourself in nature’s bounty.

The Bounty Of Bordi

On a weekend getaway to Bordi and an aim to attend the Chikoo Festival 2019, we were mesmerised with the culture that surrounded us. We rested in a luxury hotel, Treat Beach Resort after our arrival and after refreshments, headed on to a lovely star gazing session. Once going through a small patch of jungle trail, we reached the campsite and were treated to vegetable popati. A native Maharashtrian delicacy, popati are vegetables or meat cooked with spices without any oil for several hours in an earthen pot. The smoky aroma and delicious taste gave us the rustic feel that one can’t even come close to in a metropolitan. The star gazing session that followed was mesmerising and full of knowledge. One can tent out here at The Jungle Farm as well but we headed on as our dinner which was arranged somewhere special.

We dined at Hill Zill Wine Resort next to which the Chikoo Winery is located. Yes, making wine out of this delicious fruit is possible and Fruzzante makes ciders too. We tasted the original chikoo cider as well as the variants like Starfruit (Jiva), Mango, Pineapple and Spice Garden (our favourite). While we got to taste the ciders with our sumptuous dinner, we got to learn about its making the next day. Resident Winemaker Vikas makes the entire process sound so easy but there is so much technique and effort that takes place in making these ciders.

After this wonderful winemaking process we learnt about the fruit itself. The grafting method is used for growing chikoo in Bordi and it is quite interesting to learn the process. Floriculture too is big in this region and you’ll be surprised to see the size of the roses, orchids, and a variety of flowers. Another speciality is the bonsai garden where all the trees that we know of are in their miniature version and are amazing to look at. The chikoo farm for us was a child’s playzone as we not only learnt what all happens as the fruit grows, but also managed to fill our pockets with ripe chikoo.

Chikoo Festival 2019

Our first visit to the chikoo festival was a special one as we loaded up of chikoo products like toffee, chutneys, pickles, milkshake powder and what not. The festival was nothing less than a fair and we enjoyed the beautiful sand art, the wafting aroma of local food and the stunts by the Bordi folks. The enthusiasm of the locals and visitors was quite alike as they took part in Warli painting, took notes at the special cooking masterclass and of course taking hundreds of selfie. A quick dinner at our hotel marked the end of our eventful weekend after which we were tired but so gratified. The colours of Bordi and the festival are going to stay etched in our memories until next year when we revisit and make some more. On that note we encourage you to visit Bordi especially during the Chikoo Festival 2020.