Where the good life comes naturally

Three hours away from the city is a getaway called Georgia Sunshine Village where you can unwind over beer and boardgames, go on a trek, splash about in the pool or stay put in a hammock with your favourite book

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
John Denver

This is not the only thing about Georgia Sunshine Village that John Denver or anyone who visits the place would sing about.

Though it seems to be tucked away in never, never land, the cozy retreat is about 5 km from Shimsha village in Shivanasamudram.

The arid and almost scorched land along the approach to the homestay belie that eternal spring resides here.

Leonard and Georgia Hatherell, the owners, welcome you with the warning that mobile phone networks don't work here.u00a0 The efficient service boys take charge of your bags and all you need to do is follow them down the winding track to your cottage.

Eye for detail

The paintings on the walls, the beautiful lampshades, the thoughtful rack to stack up clothes and knick-knacks, and the side table with two jugs of water add up to make the room cozy and comfortable.

The use of wood has been kept to a minimum. The bed and the divan are basic cement platforms, but the soft mattresses ensure that you sleep peacefully. The highlight is, of course, the washroom a part of which has the sunlight streaming in and the blue sky just above. In the evenings, the stars, literally, shine down.

Trek, swim, lounge

Once you have freshened up, grab a book or your ipod and relax on the hammocks or on the garden swing. If an active holiday is what you seek, the clean swimming pool beckons. Towel off, grab a beer and go on a long walk. Rabbits, roosters, sheep, seven daschunds, a labrador and two mutts may follow suit! These gentle creatures are content to watch you adoringly as you trudge along. The hosts tells us that deer are regular visitors, who drop by between 4 and 5 am every day.

Georgia also organises a morning trek at 8am, through nearby villages and farmlands. Avid trekkers will enjoy the trek to Kunderbetta hill and to the Gaganachukki waterfall when it is in full spate. You need to pay Rs 100 for the services of the tour guide.

Food, drink, games

A little further down from Georgia Sunshine Village is a stream where you can indulge in fun fishing (the catch must be returned to the water). The stream is a 1 km trek from the rooms that everyone from a 6-year-old to a 70-year-old can manage comfortably.

Those who prefer the indoors can keep busy with board games or table tennis.

The buffet is a sumptuous spread of vegetarian and non vegetarian food. What makes the meal even more enjoyable is that the hosts are always in attendance to share a story and chuckle over a joke.