Our Weekend Stay at a Villa Near Lonavala
A first-hand account of booking a villa in New Tungarli, Lonavala for a farewell before a friend moved cities — what we looked for, what it cost and what we would d
What it cost us
The slot rate is ₹22,000 on a weekday and ₹35,200 at the weekend. On top of that there is a per-person charge of ₹650 above the included headcount, which with 21 of us moved the total more than the base rate did. 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
This started with a farewell before a friend moved cities and about 21 people who had not been in one place for two years. I run a hospitality business here in Lonavala, so weekends are the only window, and every idea we had was either a restaurant or somebody's flat. We are a batch of school friends who reconnected on a WhatsApp group, which means a group chat with too many opinions in it. Tejashri, who works in Pune IT, was the one who said we should just book a farmhouse for the day and stop discussing it.
At a glance
| Property | Arabella Villa (BMF-V446) |
| Where | New Tungarli, Lonavala |
| Type | Villa · 5 BHK |
| Guests — overnight | 23 |
| Guests — day | 23 |
| Weekday rate | ₹22,000 |
| Weekend rate | ₹35,200 |
| Extra person | ₹650 per head |
| Pool | 25*12 |
| Check-in | 1:00 PM |
How I shortlisted
The thing nobody tells you is which number to search on. We were staying the night, so the sleeping capacity was the one that mattered — 23 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 21. 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.
Honestly, a friend suggested it. That is how most people I know found the app — somebody books a place, the photos go into a group, and everyone else asks for the link.
The place we booked
Arabella Villa is a 5BHK villa in New Tungarli. 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: AC Bedrooms with Attached Bathrooms; Private Swimming Pool; High-Speed Wi-Fi Available; Dedicated BBQ Area. 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. All of that is on the listing before you pay anything, which is the part I had not expected.
The property was Arabella Villa in New Tungarli, Lonavala.
Getting there
We went out along the old Mumbai–Pune highway, picking up two families from Khandala 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 21 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, Tungarli lake is the usual add-on from Lonavala, 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.
What you can check before you pay
The thing that removes most of the anxiety from a booking like this is being able to see the detail up front. Every listing carries the slot rates split by weekday and weekend, the per-person charge above the included headcount, the security deposit, the platform fee, the day-time and night-time guest limits, the room-by-room amenity list and the owner's own house rules. None of it is behind an enquiry form.
That matters because the questions that actually decide a booking — can we bring food, can we cook, is alcohol allowed, are pets permitted, what time does the music have to stop — are answered on the page rather than after a phone call.
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. Amol, who runs a chikki and food business and who had been the most sceptical about the whole plan, sat at that table for four hours. 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.
Whole property, stated plainly
When you book here the entire property is reserved for your group — the listings say so explicitly, and the property FAQs repeat it. You are not sharing a pool with another family or a lawn with a second booking.
That is a meaningful difference from a room-based platform, where "entire place" can still mean a unit inside a compound, and from resort day-passes, where the pool is shared by definition.
Comparing what Lonavala offers
| Property | Where | Sleeps / by day | From (weekday) | Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabella Villa | New Tungarli | 23 / 23 | ₹22,000 | Private |
| Enroute | Khandoba Temple | 15 / 15 | ₹10,560 | Private + kids |
| Nature Oasis | Khandala | 18 / 18 | ₹23,600 | Private + kids |
| Secret Heaven | Gold Valley | 25 / 25 | ₹13,200 | Private |
| Casa King Casa Queen | Pawna | 15 / 15 | ₹15,840 | 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
The things I would tell anyone booking one of these: — Message the owner before booking. The one question worth asking is what usually goes wrong at bookings there — they will tell you. — Check the music cut-off time if the evening matters. Most properties stop at ten and they mean it. — Tell everyone to arrive an hour earlier than you actually need them. — If you can move it to a weekday, do. The difference is not small. — Take the full day rather than the half if the difference is small. It usually is, and the extra hours matter more than you think. 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.
Booking it on the app
If you are looking for short-term rental vacation homes in Lonavala — farmhouses, villas, resorts or weekend homes — the BookMyFarm app and website carry the same inventory and the same detail. Search by city or by area, filter on the amenities that actually matter to you, read the owner's house rules, message the owner, and book the slot you want.
For anyone who has tried and failed to find this kind of property on a nightly-rate site, it is the closest thing to a purpose-built Airbnb alternative for the Indian farmhouse and villa market — because it is built around how these places are actually rented: by the slot, by the whole property, with two separate guest limits.
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 Lonavala properties · farmhouses · villas · weekend homes · family get-togethers · birthday-party farmhouses · pool farmhouses.
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
Swimming pool size?+
25*12
What does Arabella Villa cost?+
The slot rate is ₹22,000 on a weekday and ₹35,200 at the weekend. Above the included headcount there is a per-person charge of ₹650 a head, which at a large group moves the total more than the base rate does.
How many properties are there in Lonavala?+
We currently list 6 in and around Lonavala, 3 of which have a separate children's pool.
When is the best time to book near Lonavala?+
June to September for the monsoon scenery, October to February for comfort; weekends sell out, midweek is transformed. If your dates can move at all, a weekday booking saves between a quarter and half the rate, which is more than switching to a cheaper property usually achieves.
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.
Can I bring my own food, or use the kitchen?+
It depends on the property, and these are two separate permissions. Some allow outside food but not cooking; some hand you an active kitchen with utensils; a few cater in-house and do not permit outside food at all. Every listing states which applies.
Can I speak to the owner before booking?+
Yes — chat is built into every listing and goes to the owner or their caretaker rather than to an agent. It is the fastest way to settle the things a listing cannot cover, such as an early check-in or whether a road floods.