Camp Cherry Farm, Ramtek - Part 1

‘Sir, Do you really wish to do the  Sindhuragiri Trek ?? !!!’ 😲

I said, 'Yeah, I've to…..that’s why I’m here for…..' 😀

It was ten o'clock at night.

The place was Camp Cherry Farm from where the trek was to begin….

And here I was surrounded by young people eager to go on the trek…..

This is my first time on a trek and to be honest with you I really liked it….

Ramtek, a historical place in Nagpur district is revered by everyone in the region. I have already written a blog on Ramtek a few days back. You can read by clicking here

Karpur Bawdi is a scenic Hemadpanthi style temple complex behind the Ramtek Fort temple.

During numerous visits to Karpur bawdi, I have witnessed lot of pre wedding shoots. The structure, the surroundings, the forest in the background gives it an ideal place for such shoots.

Just adjacent to it is the Camp Cherry Farm, a soft adventure camping site !!!

Slowly but surely, this site is gaining prominence for the sheer pleasure one gets while staying here. The place has lots of old mango trees which adds to it’s beauty. The best thing is you only get entry on invitation. So no unwanted visitors who are looking for fun and frolic.

As soon as you arrive at the camp, you are mesmerized by the positive aura here. You visit here during rainy season or during winters, there is a lot of green around. From the camp you can see the dense forest on the other side and beyond that upward you can see the fort temple. 

The overall landscape of Camp Cherry Farm will give you positive vibes.

But what is so special Camp Cherry Farm?

Maybe this place is one of the options for you to spend time in close proximity of the nature.

This may be true to  some extent… .. 

But we also have many resorts around in the forest ?? 

So why give this place more importance than others?

Let me put this in simple words… .

This place does not fit in the context of being called a resort, so these are some of the  points that make it a most preferred go to place for families

• Here you can enjoy soft adventure sports
• There is a trained team that helps you in enjoying these games with a smile and in a safe manner
• There is a dormitory  but the stay in the tent is strongly recommended
• Because of the safe environment ideal for kids and senior citizens
• There are toilet and bathroom with water supply (with hot water during winters)
• The scenic surroundings are a favorite of all families
• Everyone loves the delicious Maharashtrian cuisine here
• The word of mouth publicity is strong 
• There is plenty of options for short treks near the camp site. You can go to Karpur Bawdi, even to Khindsi Lake, watching the sunrise at Khindsi is a great experience, you can also trek in the forest at night with an experienced person
• Just sitting under a tree and chatting can happen here (a power nap under the tree works wonders ) 
  
• An ideal place for Stargazing as you have a telescope at your disposal
• An ideal place for bird watching. You can also observe birds near Khindsi lake
• The past 8-9 months have been taxing and boring for everyone due to Covid19. Since October month, many families have opted for  Camp Cherry Farm without going too far from the city. The only reason behind that is the discipline followed here. Here you can enjoy yourself  for sure by keeping a safe distance from others.
• Each family is given a separate place and due care is taken while having meals.

I’ve been writing  about Camp Cherry Farm for the past few months but finally had the chance of going on the moonlight trek last week. 

My friend Prasad Vaishampayan was accompanying me. We reached Camp Cherry Farm by bike. 

Had an enjoyable day with a short trek to Karpur Bawdi, walkaround the camp site, an evening trek to Khindsi lake for bird watching were the few activities to mention here. We were equipped with binoculars which helped us in tracking the Black bucks on the other side of the lake.

It was a great pleasure seeing the enthusiasm of the boys and girls getting ready for the Sindhuragiri trek after dinner. We left at 10.30 pm and returned at 5 am. It took 5 to 6 hours to complete the 16km trek and the praiseworthy part was every participant completed the task. Just wait for the experience of that trek in the coming section. 

It was also my first experience !!!

It takes a trained team to run any project. Camp Cherry Farm is based on the delicate theme of 'experiential tourism'. It is mandatory to have a trained manpower  in such place with pre-defined responsibilities. 

Amol Khante and his colleagues Gajanan Rindhe, Ajay Gaikwad, Manish Makh, Shirish Deshmukh and others have been putting in lot of efforts for the past ten years here. It has become an ideal  project and an important Responsible Tourism destination.

If you wish to visit the Camp Cherry Farm  in Ramtek, you just have to drop in at their office at 'Vishnuji Ki Rasoi' in Nagpur and do the booking !!! 

There is so much more to say about the concept of this project… .. just wait for another read in the next part !!!

Amit Naseri

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