Our Weekend at a Villa in Ubharat — the Honest Version
A first-hand account of booking a villa in Ubharat, Navsari for a team day out — what we looked for, what it cost and what we would do differently.
What it cost us
The slot rate is ₹11,160 on a weekday and ₹12,090 at the weekend. On top of that there is a per-person charge of ₹500 above the included headcount, which with 16 of us moved the total more than the base rate did. There is also a refundable deposit of ₹3,000 collected at check-in. It comes back when you leave, but it is cash on the day and I nearly forgot it. Make it one person's job. Split across the families, it worked out well under what the restaurant would have cost for the same number of people — and we had a garden and a pool for the whole afternoon rather than two hours at a table. The one thing I would say about the money: work out your total for your actual headcount before you compare two properties. The cheaper-looking one was not cheaper for us.
Why we were looking in the first place
I will be honest, I did not want to organise this. But a team day out was coming up, 16 people were expecting something, and I have a saree shop in the main bazaar in Navsari, which apparently makes me the one with the time. We are colleagues from a team that has been working remotely for two years. The last time we tried to meet, four people cancelled the night before because nothing had been confirmed. So this time I booked first and told everyone after.
At a glance
| Property | Wave Stone Retreat (BMF-V069) |
| Where | Ubharat, Navsari |
| Type | Villa · 3 BHK |
| Guests — overnight | 20 |
| Guests — day | 20 |
| Weekday rate | ₹11,160 |
| Weekend rate | ₹12,090 |
| Extra person | ₹500 per head |
| Refundable deposit | ₹3,000, cash at check-in |
| Check-in | 10:00 AM / 10:00 PM |
How I shortlisted
I spent the first evening looking at this completely the wrong way. We were staying the night, so the sleeping capacity was the one that mattered — 20 on this property. That sounds obvious, but half the places I looked at listed a much bigger day-time figure and I nearly booked one that sleeps twelve for a group of 16. After that I was checking three things on every listing: whether we could bring our own food, whether the kitchen was usable, and whether there was any shade if it got hot or started raining.
I found BookMyFarm the way most people do — searching for a farmhouse near the city on my phone, at eleven at night, with a group chat waiting for an answer.
The place we booked
Wave Stone Retreat is a 3BHK villa in Ubharat. What decided it for me was not the photographs — every listing has good photographs — it was that the details were actually written down. The listing says: Living room - TV, Sofa Couch, Ceiling Fan, Chairs, Air conditioner; Kitchen – Refrigrator, Fan , Dining table; Bedroom 1- 1 Double Bed ,Fan , Bathroom, Air Conditioner, Glass Mirror, Geyser, 2 extra bedding sets; Bedroom 2- 1 Double Bed ,Fan , Bathroom, Air Conditioner, Glass Mirror, Geyser, 2 extra bedding sets. The pool is private, and the whole property is yours for the slot — we were not sharing it with another booking, which I had assumed would be the case. There is a play area, which mattered more than I expected by about four o'clock. All of that is on the listing before you pay anything, which is the part I had not expected.
The property was Wave Stone Retreat in Ubharat, Navsari.
Getting there
We went out along NH-48, picking up two families from Grid on the way. The lesson I would pass on is about timing. Check-in was in the afternoon and I told everyone to reach by four. The last car came in after seven, in the dark, on a road nobody knew. A group of 16 does not arrive at a time — it arrives across three hours — so give people a slot that leaves daylight in it. If anyone in your group wants something to do besides sitting at the property, Dandi is the usual add-on from Navsari, though we did not bother. Also worth doing your shopping before you turn off the highway. There is not much once you are into the area itself.
No surprises at the gate
The complaints people have about farmhouse bookings are almost always about something they did not know: a per-person charge that doubled the bill, a kitchen they were not allowed to use, a rule about alcohol, a deposit nobody had cash for. All four of those are stated on the listing before you pay.
Rates by slot and by day of the week, the extra-person charge, the deposit amount, the guest limits, the food and drink rules, the music timings, the check-in and check-out windows — it is all there to be read.
How it went
We reached in the afternoon, and by evening everyone had stopped looking at their phones, which is roughly the point at which these things start working. The children were in the water within twenty minutes and did not come out for three hours. We took turns watching, worked out in advance, which I would recommend to anybody. Lunch went on for a long time. Dhruv, who runs a hardware and sanitary shop and who had been the most sceptical about the whole plan, sat at that table for four hours. The play area took care of the younger ones for the stretch after lunch when the adults are least useful. We left the next morning after a slow breakfast. Two nights would have been better than one — by the time everyone had settled, it was nearly over.
What a nightly-rate platform cannot show you
Airbnb and the hotel aggregators are built around a room and a night. That works for a city trip and it fits this category badly.
A farmhouse has two guest limits, not one — a day-time figure and a night-time figure, often several times apart — because a day booking is limited by garden, parking and washrooms while an overnight is limited by beds. It is also commonly sold as a half day or a full day with no night attached, which is the product a birthday or a family lunch actually wants and which a nightly platform has no way to list.
Comparing what Navsari offers
| Property | Where | Sleeps / by day | From (weekday) | Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Stone Retreat | Ubharat | 20 / 20 | ₹8,370 | Private |
| Hanuman Stay | Vesma | 60 / 200 | ₹24,500 | Private + kids |
| JP Swarg | Manekpur | 20 / 20 | ₹8,800 | Private |
| Eco Haven | Ubharat | 15 / 15 | ₹7,905 | Private |
Work the total out for your actual headcount before comparing these. Above roughly twenty guests the per-person charge reorders the list more often than not.
Would I book it again
What I know now that I did not know when I started looking: — Check the music cut-off time if the evening matters. Most properties stop at ten and they mean it. — Ask about food before anything else — whether outside food is allowed and whether you can use the kitchen. They are two separate permissions. — Search on the day-time guest limit if nobody is staying over. Bedrooms are the wrong filter and they hide the properties that would suit you. — Carry the deposit in cash and give one person the job of getting it back at check-out. — Message the owner before booking. The one question worth asking is what usually goes wrong at bookings there — they will tell you. And book two nights if you can. One night is over before it starts.
You talk to the owner, not a broker
Chat is built into every listing, which means the answer to "can our caterer come in at nine" comes from the person who will actually open the gate. There is no agent in the middle relaying a version of the question, and no commission-hungry intermediary steering you towards whichever property they represent.
Practically, it is the fastest way to resolve the things a listing cannot cover — an early check-in, a decoration plan, whether a particular road floods, what the group before you got wrong.
Where to book it
Everything described here is on the BookMyFarm app and the website — farmhouses, private villas, resorts and weekend homes across the country, searchable by city and by area in Navsari.
It is worth saying why people end up using it as an Airbnb alternative rather than as a supplement. Nightly-rate platforms cannot sell you a half day or a full day, cannot show a day-time guest limit that differs from the sleeping capacity, and cannot put you in a chat with the owner before you pay. All three of those are the normal way this category works.
Almost nobody finds a property like this through an advertisement. It moves by recommendation — someone in the family books one, the photographs go into a group, and three months later two more families have used the same place. That is worth knowing when you find something good: send it on, because the person who sent it to you probably got it the same way.
Where to look
Browse all Navsari properties · farmhouses · villas · resorts.
Written up from a guest's point of view. The narrator here is a composite rather than one named customer — but the property, its rates, capacities, amenities and house rules are taken from the live listing and were accurate when this was published.
Frequently asked questions
Is Private Swimming Pool is Available ?+
Yes (15x30 ft)
Is this farmhouse or villa fully private or will it be shared with other guests?+
When you book Wave Stone Retreat in Ubharat, the entire property is reserved exclusively for your group. You will not have to share the space with other guests.
How many people can stay at this property?+
Wave Stone Retreat is suitable for group stays. The exact capacity depends on layout, so it's best to confirm guest limits before booking.
Is this a good option for a weekend getaway near Navsari?+
Yes, Wave Stone Retreat is ideal for weekend getaways near Navsari, offering a peaceful environment away from city crowds.
What does Wave Stone Retreat cost?+
The slot rate is ₹11,160 on a weekday and ₹12,090 at the weekend. Above the included headcount there is a per-person charge of ₹500 a head, which at a large group moves the total more than the base rate does.
Is there a security deposit?+
Yes — ₹3,000, refundable, collected in cash at check-in and returned at check-out. It is not part of the online payment, so somebody in the group needs to be carrying it.
Can I book for the day without staying the night?+
Yes. Most properties sell a half day and a full day as well as an overnight, and the day slot is what a birthday or a family lunch usually needs. It is also why the day-time guest limit is often several times the sleeping capacity.
Is the whole property mine, or is it shared?+
The whole property is reserved for your group. The listings state this explicitly and the property FAQs repeat it — you are not sharing a pool or a lawn with another booking.