Review: Revelling in rural luxury at Maharashtra’s Saj By The Lake

The resort is located where the rolling gold of grassy slopes meets the bluest of blue lakes. We find that the team here is dedicated to helping us explore the best of Malshej, a unique destination that combines natural beauty, history, adventure activities, as well as curated luxury experiences.

Saj by the lake 4 — *The resort’s location between the mountains and the lake is ideal. Image: Courtesy Saj By The Lake.*

You should see it in the monsoons. It’s so lush and green,” says the bellboy helping us with our luggage. The red brick buildings stand out against a brilliant blue sky, bursts of white and fuchsia bougainvillea blooms line the picturesque pathways, sunshine yellow railings and windows frame a vast manicured lawn dotted with birds such as colourful coucals, masked shrikes, and pristine egrets, and beyond, a dreamy landscape where striated mountains meet an azure lake. I’m sure it will be beautiful in the rains, but Saj By The Lake, and Malshej Ghat where it is located, are both absolutely stunning even in early spring, when we visit.

Saj by the lake 1 — *Our lake-view room has all the creature comforts one wants on vacation. Image: Courtesy Saj By The Lake.*

The property, which boasts 39 luxe rooms across three categories, excellent dining and drinks, a swimming pool, and a spa, also has a lavish staff-to-guest ratio. And, while we are very pleased with our spacious lake-view room — with classy on-trend décor, top-class fittings, skylit shower, stylish make-up mirror, and a generous balcony — what is especially great about Saj is the quality and variety of experiences it offers. Resort Manager Ram Kishore Rao is passionate about giving guests a memorable visit to Malshej.

Saj by the lake 16 — *The ‘brick village’ architectural concept is rooted in the local even as it feels very international. Image: Courtesy Saj By The Lake.*

Salt of the earth

One of the big ways that Saj connects guests with the best of local culture is through its restaurant Maati Baani, which serves up the most delicious, authentic provincial fare. But don’t write it off as just another average Maharashtrian or Indian menu… the type of food that the kitchen team of this earthy eatery conjures up is beyond phenomenal.

Saj by the lake 5 — *Authentically local and delicious food at Maati Baani is a revelation. Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

Chef Arun Pansare is a magician who transforms even usually boringly blah vegetables such as doodhi (bottle gourd), suran (elephant foot yam), and eggplant into the most delectable dishes with the use of the right masalas and techniques. He also whips up Chinese preparations so that guests are excited at every bite. And the fare for those who eat meat and poultry is just as fabulous, if not even better. Throughout our stay, mealtimes are as much a voyage of discovery as the activities on our itinerary!

Saj by the lake 6 — *The setting for our culinary explorations has some interesting design elements too. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Love by the lakeside

On Rao’s recommendation, we set off for an evening jaunt that takes us through sun-dried fields of gold, past ancient local shrines, right to the bank of the lake. After a short ride across in a hot pink boat, we are ushered onto a private island where the team expertly sets up a picnic.

Saj by the lake 3 — *Getting there and setting up is half the fun! Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

Hot tea and coffee, cool juices, sandwiches, and cookies, are brought out from the seemingly bottomless picnic basket, as we loll luxuriously on a mat, our feet stretching towards the rippling waters of the lake and our eyes feasting on pretty little flowers, iridescent insects, and the delicate sunlight dappling our limbs. A strange moment to be told by the boatman ferrying us across: “You should see it in the monsoon. It’s so lush and green.” But we are too wrapped up in the magic of Malshej to respond.

Saj by the lake 7 — *The happy hues of Malshej. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Saj by the lake 8 — *Couldn’t imagine a more pleasant place for a picnic than this private island on the lake. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Cosy cornered

As we are here by invite, the team has us trying out all their temptations. They have set up their ‘cosy corner’ private dining option, which is a profusion of flowers, balloons, candles, creating a romantic nook under a sprawling jamun tree by the poolside. The pool, which has colour-changing lights, adds to the mood. Chef Pansare pulls out all the stops with a course-by-course meal, which has us in raptures.

Saj by the lake 10 — *A ‘cosy corner’ indeed! Their romantic private dining set up makes for the perfect date night. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Saj by the lake 11 — *From soup to dessert, every course is enjoyable. And right, Chef Arun Pansare flanked by members of Saj’s capable team. Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

Trek it easy

To work off all those calories, we are clambering up the hill nearby the next morning. According to the guide from Saj, it’s not that ‘critical’, although he does add, “You should see it in the monsoon. It’s so lush and green.” Even if we don’t have the much-touted waterfalls and mist around us. we do manage to make a wonderful morning of the easy-to-medium route, making some furry four-legged friends along the way, and returning right in time for their fabulous freshly cooked breakfast.

Saj by the lake 9 — *Malshej is well known for several treks of varying levels of difficulty that one can undertake. Ours was a fantastic way to greet a spring morning. Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

WFV = work from verandah

While the wifi currently works best at the resort’s reception, we are able to get decent connectivity on a Jio network, as there’s a tower nearby. Conducting video meetings from the spacious and comfortable balcony is a breeze, except for the magnificent sweep of Malshej before us, which is more than a little distracting. We actually take the next one inside so we can focus a little better! The thoughtfully placed in-room treats — jars full of cashews, almonds, and raisins, make the mid-meeting munching quite delightful.

Saj by the lake 2 1 — *There’s a majestic armchair and a comfy day bed that one can use to lounge around indoors on hot afternoons with the air-conditioning on. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Rooted routes

While we are tempted to head back to our cosy bed for a sumptuous snooze, the team encourages us to head out and explore instead. They send over some hot coffee and snacks to get us going and we are just so glad we do! Within two kms, our car is on one of the most scenic roads, one which our driver tells us leads into the mountains where you can visit Lenyadri (a Ganesha temple and Buddhist caves). But we are entranced by the stretch we’re on. On one side is the wide expanse of the lake, its edges alive with water birds. On the other is a pretty patchwork of fields. “You should see it in the monsoons. It’s so lush and green,” says a passing shepherd, as his flock of fluffy sheep nods and baas in agreement. This is where migratory, pink-tinged flamingos stop by when the rain turns the soil into tempting mud flats, so I’m quite sure the locals aren’t seeing it through rose-tinted glasses. But it’s beautiful right now, nevertheless.

Saj by the lake 15 — *The Malshej magic manifests in every season. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Of temples and trails

We visit an ancient cave, propped up by ornate pillars carved from the rock face. Nearby, the tough trail to Harischandragad, one of Maharashtra’s most inaccessible yet spectacular forts, winds to the top of the ridge and beyond. We walk across rugged terrain to the ancient Nageshwar temple, a small but elegant shrine built of black basalt. Its size seems to belie our guide’s claims that nearly 1.5 lakh devotees visited it on the last Mahashivratri. People believe that this temple with intricate stone carvings, not too far from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s birthplace, Shivneri, was built by the Pandavas. But, of course, Maharashtra abounds in rock-cut temples and, as a rule of thumb, any structure older than 500 years and of unknown provenance is ascribed to the Pandavas.

Saj by the lake 14 — *The ancient Nageshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has thousands of devotees. Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

We follow the flight of a kingfisher to a pristine pool nearby. Majestic bulls, wayward cows, mischievous goats, and obedient sheep, as well as the dogs and humans accompanying them, all stop for a sip. The black, craggy rocks surrounding the pool are recognisable as the material for the caves and temple we just visited, just as much in tune with the land. The hay on the rolling plateau seems like a giant springy golden mattress. The surrounding mountains give the plateau the feel of an endless and timeless amphitheatre. Save for plastic bottles, and the clothes we wear, this could well be a 15th century masterpiece. As we head back, the setting sun paints the water of the lake a surreal saffron.

Saj by the lake 15 1 — *The landscape and livestock seem straight out of an old painting. Image: Priya Pathiyan.*

Bonfire of the banalities

While our souls are sated, our tummies are rumbling. Which is fortunate, as Chef Pansare’s team has set up with a banging barbecue and bonfire on the lawns. Fortunately, this is an experience that can’t elicit the usual “You should see it in the monsoons. It’s so lush and green” comment! After a quick demo of his signature Maratha fried chicken infused with ‘kala masala’ and deft stove skills, we settle back under the clear, starry sky with well-made cocktails in our hands and attentive yet non-intrusive service at our elbow.

Saj by the lake 17 — *Fire gives a sense of security and wellbeing that is probably imprinted in our DNA! Hot food cooked over coal and punchy cocktails complete the picture at Saj By The Lake! Images: Priya Pathiyan.*

A procession of vegetarian and non-vegetarian tikkas, kebabs, and perfectly marinated grills make their way from the barbecue into our plates and thence onto our very pleased palates. After a while, our appreciative oohs and aahs slowly taper off into a satisfied silence, with only the snap, crackle, and pop of the fire in front of us. This glowing silence and absolute absence of small talk… this is the serenity that city slickers crave, the thehraav that script writers try to capture in the most moving movies. This is our most treasured takeaway from Malshej and Saj By The Lake.

Monsoon and more at Malshej

Malshej, a ghat (pass) in the Sahyadris, is perched at an average height of 700 metres above sea level. Located close to the borders of the Pune and Thane districts. Just 130 kms north of Pune and 154 kms northeast of Mumbai, it is easily accessible by road and rail from both cities. We have been here several times before, including when the nimbus clouds boomed across the plateau and the freshly greened mountains were awash with hundreds of thundering cascades. Nature’s drama was certainly worth witnessing then. But, for us, the grass glowing golden in spring and summer under that brilliant blue sky has its own charm. Which is why we have been telling every single person who says, “You should see it in the monsoons. It’s so lush and green,” that they should realise what a wealth of natural beauty Malshej boasts throughout the rest of the year as well. And now that there’s such a lovely luxury resort like Saj By The Lake to start one’s explorations from, I’m pretty sure I’ll be visiting this spot in different seasons (except the height of summer) quite often.

Saj By The Lake

Rooms & Suites: 39 | Restaurants & Bars: 2 | Cuisines: Indian (and sometimes Chinese) | Tariff: Starts from ₹8,500 (Room with Courtyard for two on weekdays) | Prices per activity (per person): Trek₹150; Farm trail ₹200; Picnic drive ₹800; Island yoga ₹800; Island picnic ₹900; Cosy corner: ₹1,500 | Address: Karnjale, Malshej Ghat, Junnar taluka, Pune district, Maharashtra 412409 | Contact: +919503950360 | Website: Saj By The Lake | Instagram: @SajByTheLake.