NATIVE PLACE

Hi, I'm Astrid Rao, and along with my husband Sanjay Rao, we run the Native Place Guesthouse, a unique ecological retreat in Kamshet. In the late 1990s, we stumbled upon a piece of barren land overlooking the serene Vadivali Lake. With dreams of recreating the idyllic childhood I experienced in the village of Chuim, Mumbai, we began our journey to transform this desolate plot into a lush, vibrant haven. Initially disappointed by the lack of tree cover, we planted native species and nurtured the land, gradually turning it into a bio-diverse paradise filled with native trees, shrubs, and medicinal plants. Over two decades, we built a thriving ecosystem with features like a food forest, ponds, raised vegetable garden, and an outdoor kitchen... With over 25 years of thoughtful observation and gradual change, we've integrated ecological design principles into every aspect of Native Place... Our journey began with the replanting of native trees, the first step in transforming the land into..

Also known as: The Native Place