I got a quick fix at Della Adventure in Lonavala, where thrills, spills and frills are only a day-trip away.
I’ve never been to Lonavala and back in the same day. It wasn’t, according to me, something you could do under 24 hours and still manage to have fun. But after a one-day trip to Della Adventure, I’ve changed my mind. Located approximately two hours from Mumbai by road and about an hour from Pune, Della Adventure is the brainchild of Jimmy Mistry, the architect who also designed an award-winning yacht for Vijay Mallya.
Explore
Adventure is what I came looking for and adventure is what I got. The heavily-potholed access road to Della isn’t the best advertisement for the place. But I easily overcame my disappointment once I passed through the main gates. Della offers over 86 activities, extreme sports, joyrides, skill games, a spa and even “the world’s biggest and fastest” turbo charge jet ski.
I decided to try my hand at archery and got a brief run-through of the entire process from the guide. My aim was decent enough, but after shooting the fifth arrow, I realised I didn’t have a good enough arm. The bow and arm support are quite heavy.
No arm strength was needed for Flying Fox, in which your waist is secured to a harness while you zip, suspended across a long length of wire. But it’s easier to describe than do – I was unwilling to let go of the ground under my feet. It turned out to be the most thrilling two-and-a-half minutes I have spent mid-air.
Of all the activities, though, zorbing deserves a special mention. Two riders are strapped into a gigantic inflated ball and pushed down a gentle slope for fun. Sure, it’s a predetermined, safe path, but the thrill lies tumbling this way and that as your world is plunged into complete chaos. Don’t try it on a full stomach.
For those with pent-up energy that cannot be unleashed on city roads, Della has nine All-Terrain and four dirt bikes, which you can drive over an inclined oval track for 10 glorious minutes. Looking to get even wilder? Della is planning to organise trails through the neighbouring jungle. And for corporate groups, there are conference and banquet rooms, a 1,500-seat amphitheatre and a business centre.
Eat
With three restaurants and a coffee shop, Della has lots of dining options. I chose the multi-cuisine PNF, named after the first letters of Mr Mistry's three children. The restaurant didn’t have the first two drinks I wanted and the third – sweet and salty lime soda – was too salty. The three-course Chinese meal that followed was nice and the huge helping of dessert made up for my disappointment. I recommend their mud cake.
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| Live cooking at Cafe 24 |
Relax
The only thing to do after a full stomach under a blazing sun was to relax. I decided to try the spa, which has massages and body treatments ranging from Rs 1,250 to Rs 5,000, and picked the Balinese massage. The spa didn’t have a wide enough range of oils to impress a customer, but I loved that there was a compact shower cubicle inside the massage room. I chose mint oil, which they claimed has a calming effect, and an hour-and-a-half later, I walked out feeling completely one with the world.
Stay
At Della, wood is as ubiquitous as frangipanis – both a favourite with Mistry. Luxury tents and time-shared second-homes are already open for bookings, and Della Resort’s luxury rooms will also be ready soon. So if a one-day visit isn’t enough or proves too tiring, just stay overnight.
The luxurious tents at Della Camp is just lovely. It offers perfect views and what's more - a whole lot of privacy for those who are keen on it!
The luxurious tents at Della Camp is just lovely. It offers perfect views and what's more - a whole lot of privacy for those who are keen on it!
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| Tents at the park |
Since the property is huge and everything is well spread out, there are SUVs to ferry guests around the premises. This is a wonderful idea, but it’s hard to overlook the environment damage it causes. I was alarmed to see that an establishment as big as Della didn’t have any trace of eco-initiatives to offset its carbon footprint, nor any request made to visitors in this direction. This is especially worrying when the management plans to keep the place open 24x7.
What was also distressing to see were three tiny, stinky enclosures holding Labradors, Alsatians, Great Danes and St Bernards just so guests could walk them – for a fee! There were at least 12 caged beasts looking vacantly outside. Worse, they were next to a huge group of ducks – their constant cackling making the canines’ confinement even worse. Della is a delight, but they’d win my complete approval if they were more sensitive to the environment. After all, guilt-free pleasures are the best ones.
What you need to know
Address: Della Adventure Park, Kunegaon, Lonavala 410 401, Maharashtra
Phone: (Mumbai) 022-67451400, +91-9870989369, (Pune) +91-8605018362, (Lonavala) +91-2114-260000
Email: info@dellaadventure.com
Price: Entry to Della is Rs 100. To use any of the facilities inside, visitors need to buy a prepaid swipe card, for which there is no stipulated minimum balance. Every activity charges a fee, but guests can buy a combo offer that works out to be more economical.
Rate box
Luxury tents (twin-sharing):
Monday – Thursday: Rs 8000 per night
Friday – Sunday: Rs 12,500 per night
Activities (combo offer per person):
Deadly Three: Zorbing, Archery, Flying Fox: Rs 1,000
Double Dhamaal: Zorbing, RC Cars: Rs 600
Cruel Dual: ATV 90cc bike, RC Cars: Rs 600
Fearsome Threesome: Rapelling, Net Cricket, Archery: Rs 600
Crazy Four: Rapelling, Bungee Trampoline, Horse Riding, Mountain Cycling: Rs 600
Swimming: Rs 250
Yoga and Meditation class: (90 mins): Rs 500
