Travel

Forest Hills Tala – Forest Hills spread over 120 acres is a quiet picturesque retreat tucked away amidst dense foliage and trees and is perched high on a mountain overlooking miles and miles of forest with ample natural resources.

An idyllic setting that is perfect to rejuvenate both body and soul. The perfect hide-away from crazy schedules and cramped spaces, from pollution and pandemonium and the regular stresses and strains of urban living.

This luxury retreat offers guest exactly what they are looking for – be it peace and quiet in a serene location or adventure and fun activities in a healthy open locale. Indulge in the lavish accommodation, healthy yet delectable cuisine and experience an unforgettable indulgence you desire for a truly unique time.

We always provide a homely type of experience to our guests. We always make sure to give them the feeling of “being at home away from home.” Whether you are a solo traveler, or traveling with your friends or significant other, you will always achieve the same level of relaxation at our resort, just like you feel at your own home. The USP aka the tourist attractions of our resort is the organic farm, petting zoo, sunset point which has a beautiful surreal view, and last but not the least we have the ancient Kuda Caves aka Buddhist Caves.

PETTING ZOO – Forest Hills Tala believes “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawaken.” If you believe in this quote too, do visit our petting zoo as our very own “babies”. Birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, hens, ducks, etc., we have the cutest creatures.

ORGANIC FARM – From Papayas to cherry tomatoes we have it all! Depending upon the season, and demand from the chefs; organic vegetables are available on sale for our guests. We absolutely believe in “Let’s Go Green to Get Our Globe Clean” A morning tour of our organic farm is the best start to your day.!

The Campground – Spread over 2.5 acres of land at the highest point of our property, Forest Hills has a camping site for the adventure seeker within you. These tents have all the amenities to keep you comfortable and thrilling activities to keep you on the edge.

KUDA CAVES – Rise and shine! Gear up for a trek to Kuda Caves! Fun + great workout it’s a two-in-one combination!!!

Yoga lovers, get ready to practice yoga in the ancient kuda caves, located amidst the mountains. Get ready to see the view from the top of the mountain peak, which is absolutely surreal! Inhale fresh oxygen and exhale all your worries at the Kuda Caves! Get ready to be acquainted with nature and nourish your mind, body and soul!

Forest Hill Tala believes in embracing the community in many ways such as –

1. Employing the locality – From building the sustainable homes, to organic farming , prawn farming, animal husbandry, and its associated tasks are carried out by the locals. It gives them more than just employment, it gives them a chance at life at from the comforts of their homes.
2. Giving back to the society – The Forest Hills initiative was undertaken with a vision to serve the community better and this change starts young. We provide infrastructure funding, scholarships and amenities to the local school of Ashok Lokhande Vidyamandir, to fuel the dreams of their tomorrow.
3. Building Sustainability for a better tomorrow – From rubble to the grandeur of today, Forest Hills is built in unity with nature. Our homes are made up of laterite, extracted from the lands of Tala. Forest Hills also collaborated with the department of archeology to preserve historical sites, such as the 2100 years old Kuda Caves, that share the mountain with the retreat. Forest Hills hosts a petting zoo, organic farming, prawn farming, vermicomposting, rainwater harvesting and accommodations that are designed in harmony with nature.

Events at Forest Hills Tala

1) Mysa – On 17th November, Forest Hills at Tala pulled out its biggest event, in the form of Mysa. The the2-day music event was curated by Forest Hills, in association with Nariyal Paani & Gently Altered. The fest was filled with 20-plus hours of non-stop music, performed by 12 national and international artists.

2) Fitzup – We hosted a Fitness Monsoon Retreat curated by FitzUp in July 2018 where they had got some 10 celebrities after which they were supposed to sell the same itinerary that they followed at Forest Hills to the general public. We had different type of exercises conducted at our resort

Are you looking forward to unwind + have a adventurous staycation/vacation, Forest Hills Tala is theperfect choice for you.

~Experience ITC Hotels’ timeless spirit of innovation #LoveNatureLivezero~
Delhi, June 3^rd , 2022- Reaffirming its credo of ‘Responsible Luxury’ with a comprehensive focus on sustainability, health and hygiene, ITC Hotels is proud to announce that 3 of its properties in India have been ranked as the world’s top 3 LEED^® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Zero Carbon certified hotels, a first-of-its-kind achievement globally.

ITC Windsor, Bengaluru, became the 1st hotel in the world while ITC Grand Chola is one of the largest hotels in the world to have received theprestigious LEED Zero Carbon Certification. ITC Gardenia has become the third hotel in the world to receive the certification. 

LEED Zero Carbon recognizes buildings operating with net-zero carbon emission and LEED^® Platinum is the highest rating awarded by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). ITC Hotels is the world’s largest chain with the maximum number of LEED Platinum Certified Properties as per USGBC.

From using renewable energy and recycling solid waste to conserving water, actively mitigating   single use plastic and reducing the carbon footprint at every step, ITC Hotels have been delivering luxury experiences with planet positive offerings embedded in product, processes, people & progress. Over 40% of consumable food materials used at ITC Hotels is sourced locally and the properties have adopted infra-red based efficient cooking in kitchen leading to near 20% energy savings.

Living upto its promise of ‘Responsible Luxury’, ITC Hotels launched a path-breaking“WeAssure”programme, adopting highest standards and protocols in health, hygiene, safety and infection control management. For this initiative, ITC Hotels became the first hotel chain in the world to receive Platinum level certification under DNV’s My Care Infection risk management programme. In addition, the hotel group introduced waste segregation methods to achieve more than 99% waste recycling and also pioneered mitigation ofsingle use plastic.

Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Hotels, stated, “ITC Hotels is committed towards sustainability and consistently works to achieve its vision of offering patrons an experience of ‘responsible luxury’. We pride ourselves on the milestones that we have achieved in our endeavour towards contributing to the Planet. Three of our luxury properties have put India on the global stage by being recognised by LEED as Net Zero Carbon Certified hotels. This achievement is not ours alone but of all our associates and guests who believed in us and shared the same value system. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of ITC Hotels in ensuring that we preserve the elements of sustainability. We shall continue in this direction with our promise to Mother Earth.”

All ITC Hotels have organic waste converters with most of them being equipped with Onsite Bio- Methanation plants. The group has reduced the fresh water consumption by almost 50% with strategic conservation, treatment and reuse over the last 5 years. 57% of electrical consumption at ITC Hotels & Welcomhotels is met through renewable sources. These include ITC Grand Chola, ITC Windsor, ITC Gardenia, ITC Maratha, ITC Grand Central, ITC Mughal, Welcomhotel Chennai, Welcomhotel Coimbatore, Welcomhotel Bengaluru and Welcomhotel Sheraton New Delhi, which are powered by renewable electrical energy. ITC Hotels’ current carbon emission level is at 61 kg per overnight guest stay and 58 kg per sqm per annum against the 2030 target of 65 kg and 129 kg respectively. These milestones have been accomplished through implementation of various renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives.

Some of the pioneering eco-friendly initiatives of ITC Hotels are highlighted below:

• The design of every ITC Hotel is based on Green Building guidelines and standards which are energy efficient, utilize renewable energy, conserve and recycle water while taking concrete steps to preserve the eco-system around them.
• The hotels have witnessed up to 20% increased efficiency with the installation of a programmable HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) control called the Automated BMS System
• Key sustainability initiatives are executed in identified hotels. They include in-house production of water with the help of atmospheric water generator, rainwater harvesting, day light harvesting, solar heating, food waste composting, biogas generation and   switchover from HSD/biodiesel fired boilers to renewable electrical energy based boiler for steam application.

All ITC Hotels and Welcomhotels are ISO 14001 Environment Management System and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Certified. ITC Kohenur has received the 5-star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) for incorporating various sustainable practices in building design & operation. ITC Sonar is the only hotel in the world to earn carbon credits under the UNFCCC (United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change) Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.

All ITC Hotels & Welcomhotels have implemented COVID Mitigation in Conditioned Spacein its HVAC system. The advanced oxidation patented technology neutralizes indoor air pollutants, bacteria and viruses. This technology cell creates photo hydro ions and destroys more than 99% of microbes present in the conditioned space. It is an active technology, where the ions neutralize every airborne organic contaminant it locates.

ITC Hotels is also committed to supporting local artisans while reviving and popularising ancient cuisines and is actively engaged in keeping alive India’s time-honoured rituals that promote well-being. WelcomArt, WelcomJawan, WelcomTheatre, Responsible Dining through Local Love, Eat Wisely and Food Sherpa are some of its signature programmes that have defined Responsible Luxury.

About ITC Hotels:

ITC Hotels is the largest chain of hotels in the world, which has the maximum number of LEED Platinum Certified Properties (as per USGBC on June 2020, ). Continuing with its Planet Positive Promise, ITC Hotels launched Sunya Aqua or zero-kilometre water in glass bottles across the chain over a decade back and have taken this lead further and pioneered the mitigation of single use plastic from its operations pan India.

For more information, please contact ITC Hotels
Richa Sharma, 98105 27474

By Freeda Maria, Consulting Editor – Sustainable Tourism, Conscious Carma, As I write this piece for a story on how a barren land, touched by rough summers can be replete with water, all year round. I am reminded of the quote from the famous Amol Palekars’ Hindi film, “Thoda sa Romani ho jaye” wherein ‘Barishkar’ played by Nana Patekar speaks about water (jal).  What better way to emulate the dialogues and the strong scenes that invokes the activist in ‘Barishkar’? He promises to bring rain in a drought affected area for 5000 Rupees. And while asked by a man, if it was real water, his stellar response, shook the audience and created history.  It seems rather impossible to get such a feat of a job done, but there seem shocking stories of how people who did it.
The water story of Grape County is nothing short of a similar effort.
As I sit by the “Deck” (The restaurant of Grape County Eco Resort) and look around I see yonder that it’s not a terrain to have water all-round the year. The summers can get very harsh, dry, and with heat waves hitting you hard.

Read on to know, of the many concerted efforts and the pains to get perennial waters to the confines of Grape County Eco Resort

Synergy has been created to fetch, conserve and preserve water. A well thought through system with months of research; gradient catchment from one pond to another allows filling up of all the ponds and lakes. The resort is almost tucked on slopes, with a stream skirting along one side of the boundary and roads winding through its undulating landscape. Focal points have been identified to allow digging of underground land for water to seep through and remain stored. Connecting mouths and the watershed systems are woven beautifully well, as seen the pictures if you look carefully.

Water has a deep connection to the vision of our place, “Vasudaiva Kutumbhakam” “where all elements of nature co-exist peacefully and interact joyfully”, quotes the Chairman of Grape County Eco Resort, Kiran Chavan.

He adds further, “The rivulet formed a natural source, that was vital for us, we had to keep it perennially water fed and that took care of our water system and our requirement.”

As I continue my conversation with the visionary Mr. Chavan, he relived every moment of their water story and explained vividly the process. “The landscape made it easy,” he says, “we planned to capture rainwater through four phases; in the hills, in the valleys, the plains and through planting of saplings/trees.”  My inquisitiveness rose, my ears grew more alert and the mind couldn’t wait to listen. Mr. Chavan mentioned, rainwater falling on the hills, was collected through the making of contours; which otherwise would ensure the water would run off.”  “The beauty of application of the technique running water must be made to walk, walking waters must be made to stand and the standing waters should be made to enter the sub soil and recharge the water table!” What an enamour.

Check dams were built to capture and store water in the valleys of this landscape and in the plains connecting ponds were dug, if one filled up the other would automatically fill to the brim. Though the distance of the ponds were not close to each other. Nature took course and acted the way it needed to. The most important of all the phases was the planting of 45,000 saplings/trees, the rainwater that falls on the leaves travels through the stem to reach the roots and remains there to reach the aquifers and recharge the water table.

And I pen down the thoughts of Mr. Tejas Chavan, Director and future torch bearer of the future of Grape County Eco Resort, “The most precious resource in today’s time is Water. It is our responsibility to conserve it for future generations. I wish everyone does take some small steps or big leaps towards this effort”. The Lakes at GC, the Bada Talaav (Big Lake), and two Chota Talaavs’ (Small lakes) in the plains store almost 21,000 crore litres of water! Where is the need to depend on outside sources?

Water is Vital, it gives life to a place. The fluid element has healing properties. I see and feel that vibration here at Grape County Eco Resort. As I finish writing this piece, I walk through this terrain to find the lakes full of water, the trees brightly coloured green and the birds singing and dancing to their tunes…a voila we are in the peak of summer.

Grape County is Replete with Water!
To know more, log on to www.grapecounty.in
The article is published in collaboration with Grape County.

By Dr. Freeda Maria

2022 looked promising as people were contemplating little respite, to travel and see some normalcy, with fingers crossed!

But to dire dismay, the news of the third wave of Omicron, the tourism industry will probably have to wait for a comeback like the pre-pandemic times. What everyone is left with is an obvious choice to undertake conscious travel; options that throw good sustainability standards.

The World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) reported that in 2020 a total of 62 million jobs were lost, representing a drop of 18.5% and leaving just 272 million (334 million in 2019) employed across the Tourism sector globally. WTTC also confirmed that Domestic visitor spending decreased by 45%, while international visitor spending went down by 69.4%.  

From dismal statistics that were being strewn, there was still hope for the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality (TTH) business, for the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, (MoT, GoI), had come out with schemes that had one of the best intentions of quality tourism promotion; besides in-bound, the focus was on Domestic Tourism.

To boost domestic Travels, the Government had introduced some of the finest of programs, viz., Dekho Apna Desh, Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) under the Incredible India 2.0 campaign; which not only focused on ‘footfalls’, but spoke of enhancing tourist experience and employment opportunities in a sustainable fashion. These programs had come into existence by 2019 and the Indian TTH eco-system was looking for a phenomenal opportunity when Covid-19 struck. 

Moreover, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) Report of 2019 had ranked India at 34th Position (out of 136 countries) (Up from 40th position in 2017). “India showed the greatest percentage improvement to its overall TTCI score, which has helped it become the only lower-middle-income country in the top 35,” the report said and lauded its natural and cultural assets and price competitiveness.  

From a sub-regional perspective, the nation (India) has better air infrastructure (33rd) and ground and port infrastructure (28th), international openness (51st) and natural (14th) and cultural resources (8th). This meant, that India was in a phase of a phenomenal increase in the number of visitors both domestic and international. With more visitors relying on sustainable tourism products for visitations. Referring to the findings of the research conducted by booking.com, 56% of the visitors agreed to the fact that they will seek out more rural, off the beaten-track experiences to immerse themselves into the outdoors. The nuance of sustainable tourism would be cherished and will become the need of the hour. 

Many states in India are doling out sustainable tourism options viz., states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, in no order of ranking or importance; who have to be leveraged at the State Administration level. 

Gujarat Tourism has gone a step forward to usher in Global certifications and accreditations that will further the cause of Global visitors by encouraging the Tour Operators to get certified under the GSTC norms through the 2021-25 Tourism Policy. This will ensure a thought process change in the way Tour Operators, Hotels and Tourists, will become Ambassadors of Sustainable Tourism promotion. The draft sustainable tourism roadmap of the ministry of tourism has clear mandates to adopt to the GSTC Criteria. The Strategy is yet to see the light of the day.

A recent survey by booking.com shows that 83% of the travellers are to make sustainable travel a priority in the future and over half the global travellers (53%) acknowledged the desire to travel more sustainably as a direct result of Coronavirus. For instance, the TUI group shows a preference for GSTC certified hotels – 9.2 million TUI customers stayed in hotels certified to a GSTC-Recognized standard (81% of TUI’s Hotels) in 2018. Online Travel Agencies (OTA) are developing plans to provide consumers with indicators in search results of certified hotels.

It comes with great respite; an official working group has been launched by GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) to augment the functions of Globally agreed on principles of sustainability in the Indian subcontinent. Global Sustainable Tourism Council was initiated by the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation), and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), USA. It provides for global standards for sustainable travel and tourism; as well as providing international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies.

This apart, the industry players and giants in the sustainability business have made large promises, as major companies set more aggressive targets around metrics like carbon emissions, water, and waste. The year that went by saw great ideas emerging out of industry leaders and governments to go past the pandemic and show resilience. Concepts like travel bubbles, net-zero models, staycations, transformative and regenerative tourism, tourism for communities and circular economy, sustainable gastronomy, decarbonising: all in the context of sustainable travel were coined and spoken of.

Governments were chalking out agendas and plan to tackle this grave situation, considering the employment loss. Some notable initiatives that are worth a mention are the Paris agreement climate emergency and sustainable tourism Agenda, Turismo de Portugal launched Tourism Sustainability Plan 2020-2023, the Swisstainable scheme launched by Switzerland, Utah and its Red Emerald Strategic Plan. 

On 9 November 2021, at the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), UNEP and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) launched ‘A Net Zero Roadmap for Travel and Tourism’ – an ambitious plan for the tourism industry to reach net-zero by 2050. The new roadmap sets targets and benchmarks for the travel industry and offers practical recommendations for businesses on how they can achieve their net-zero targets. This leads the tourism, travel and hospitality businesses to work towards sustainable certifications, ecolabeling and even self-certifications in many a case; thence, keeping the businesses in tune with Global norms.

Moving away from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources could greatly reduce tourism-related emissions. Hotels could and will usher in measures to improve energy efficiency, while new ones will have to be built using sustainable design practices. Airlines can improve existing aircraft technology by retrofitting and reducing weight, which increases fuel efficiency and lowers emissions. The cruise industry can reduce emissions by upgrading existing ships (through HVAC and lighting upgrades) and designing new ships to maximise energy efficiency. 

“Climate action needs a dramatic step-up if we are to have a shot at limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C,” said Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP. “The travel and tourism sector has a big stake in decarbonization because a destroyed planet serves no one’s purpose.” The tourism sector has a widespread economic impact. Its revival and longevity will be critical to ensure its continued contribution to livelihoods and economies – but only if it can be made sustainable.

(The Author is  Consulting Editor- Sustainable Tourism with Conscious Carma and is a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s India Working Group)