LOGISTICS
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MAP:  Here is the Google Maps link to the farm. https://maps.app.goo.gl/aqUbWjHppLEzRECn6 . It’s very accurate. No need to ask anyone for directions. Just follow the map and it will lead you right to the entrance of the farm. There will be a wooden name board with the word, ‘Vaksana’ at the entrance. Take the small mud lane that leads you inside the farm.

WHATSAPP LIVE LOCATION: When you start from your home, please share the WhatsApp LIVE location to my number (9841597744). Make sure to set it to 8 hours duration and not the default 1 hour. The live location will help us know when you arrive and we will be here to receive you in person.

CHECK-IN: The check-in time is 1:00 PM

CHECK-OUT: The check-out time is 10:00 AM the next morning. We kindly request you to help us with adherence to this time.

WIFI:  To access WiFi, choose “PICO 5G, TANG 5G, NEST 5G” and use the password admin1234. It’s remarkable that a farmhouse in the middle of a remote farm situated in a small village is able to get fast Internet.

FOOD:  Lunch is served around 1 PM, dinner at 8 PM, and breakfast at 9 AM.

Food is available at the cost of Rs.1000 for lunch, dinner and breakfast.
Coffee and Tea is available at Rs.40 per cup. Special freshly made juices from flowers and fruits harvested from the farm are kept in the fridge. They are Rs.100 a bottle. If you want to take the bottle with you, it will be Rs.150 per bottle.

FOOD PREPARATION: All the cuisines are prepared by my Mom (Kasthuri Ammal). She does this with a lot of love and affection. You can read her story here. https://www.cntraveller.in/story/run-by-two-grandmas-this-tamil-nadu-homestay-offers-farm-fresh-food-and-plenty-of-stories/

SELF-HELP : At Vaksana Farms, we believe in the policy of self-help. Once you have eaten, we kindly request you to wash the plates. This is because unwashed plates will attract lots of ants into the farmhouse.

NO PLUCKING: We thank you for NOT PLUCKING any fruits, vegetables and flowers. Please kindly advice the kids as they may not be aware.

SALE: We have placed the fresh produce that is available for sale on a table just opposite to the main farmhouse. You are welcome to purchase our fresh produce. This will help meet the financial needs of running the farm.

TOILETRIES: Please bring your toiletries kit with you. Please ensure to pack your favourite brand of toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb etc.

SHOPPING : Just 2 km from our farm is Rettanai village which has all the things you might need. Grocery shops, Vegetable shops, Doctors, Pharmacy, ATM, Petrol bunk etc.

GAMES: We have a bunch of indoor games to keep you entertained. Playing Cards, Uno Cards, Scrabble, Chess, Ludo, Snake & Ladder etc.

We also have traditional village games such as Bambaram, Thayapass, Undigol, Kitti pullu etc.

You can pick any of these from the main house where my parents’ stay. We request you to return them back to the house with everything intact once you are done playing. Thanks.

SAFETY: The farmhouses have really large windows. They are disproportionately large. They don’t have iron bars. This is consciously done to maximize the views of the beautiful greenery outside. We advise our guests to exercise extra caution. It is recommended to keep the mesh door always closed.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER: We have a fire extinguishers for emergency use.

TORCHLIGHT AT NIGHT: When you step out at night, always do so with a torchlight. The light on your mobile phone should suffice. Never step out at night without a light. There are the occasional snakes and scorpions and it’s best to exercise caution. That said, it is quite safe. We have been living at the farm for the past 12 years and never had an incident (touch wood).

WHEN IT RAINS: We request you to close the glass windows when it rains because the water spray starts coming inside. Thanks in advance.

SERVICE: We are not hoteliers. We are farmers. This is not a resort. It’s a home. We do not offer service or luxury as a resort does. We want to set the right expectation. That said, we serve from our hearts. You will get our well known southern hospitality.

BUGS & INSECTS: JJust like you can expect to see fishes in the ocean and birds in the sky, expect to see bugs and insects at the farm. It’s their natural habitat. We are living in their space. Hence, we advise you to always keep the doors and windows closed. This is even more important at night as many of the insects get attracted to light. We recommend turning off most lights and just use a single light after dark. This is to reduce the insects that get attracted to lights.

PLASTICS-LESS ZONE: We are striving hard to reduce the use of single-use plastics at the farm. You can help by trying your best to avoid bringing in single-use plastics. Also, when you are walking around the farm and find plastic waste, kindly request you to pick and put them in the dustbin in the house.

NO ALCOHOL: Safety is the prime reason why we discourage alcohol consumption in the farmhouse. There are steep stairs, low barriers on the mezzanine floors and barless windows. We don’t want any freak accidents. Thank you for your understanding.

NO SMOKING: We discourage smoking inside the farmhouse. If you must smoke, we request you to step outside the house. Thanks again for your understanding.

POWER CUTS: There tend to be frequent power cuts in the village. That’s why we have an inverter with decent battery backup. The backup power is given only to important necessities like a few fans and lights. The ACs will not work. If you feel stuffy, please open the glass windows (while keeping the mesh windows closed) so that there can be nice cross ventilation.

CARE: We put in a lot of effort, love and sweat to build the farmhouses. We encourage you to treat this as your own home and take good care of it. We would appreciate if you can leave the place, nice and tidy, the way you found them when you checked in. We thank you in advance.

DAMAGES: In case there are any damages to equipment or glass panes, it’s only fair to pay for the material, transport and labour charges, just like what we would do in our own home. The best is, of course, to avoid any such scenario! 🙂

ACTIVITIES AT THE FARM
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SWIMMING: We have two large ponds filled with natural rainwater. These are excellent for swimming or just wallowing. It’s good fun. The water does look muddy because of the clay soil but it’s great for swimming. The water depth is 6.5 feet depth thanks to good rains. For kids, we have tyre tubes for floatation.

FARM ANIMALS: We have cows, calves, goat, sheep, pony, rabbits, guinea pigs, fan tail pigeons, chickens, guinea fowls, turkeys, ducks, puppies and dogs. You are welcome to tend to them and feed them.

If you want to become instant friends with both rabbits and the pony, we encourage you to bring along a bunch of carrots 🥕 so you can feed them.

BEST TIMES: Early mornings and evenings are the best times at the farm.

PLACES OF INTEREST
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Here is the list of places nearby worth visiting.

AKKARAI KALI AMMAN TEMPLE: A quaint, unassuming temple that is sandwiched between two rivers. To reach the temple, one has to cross the river. That’s what makes this very unique. Under a large banyan tree is a large standing Kali statue and another in a sleeping position. https://maps.app.goo.gl/VidiAomFc53eUCE99

MAILAM TEMPLE: This famous Murugan temple is about 10 km away. It is situated on top of a hillock. https://maps.app.goo.gl/7kjjsAgSC3xw54Fx5

FOSSIL PARK: This is only one of two fossil parks in India which has tree trunks that are millions of years old.

CHENJI FORT: The old historic fort town is about half-hour drive away. If you are a history buff or have children, don’t miss the two iconic forts on top of the hills. These make for excellent treks. https://maps.app.goo.gl/AFsceysqJwJpZTcM7

VEEDUR DAM: A large water body that used to be a darling for film shoots in the 1960s. Thanks to heavy rains this year, the dam is completely full and it is a sight to behold. https://maps.app.goo.gl/zsDWJCXyBKjXBZk17

AUROVILLE: The international township and Pondicherry are about an hour’s drive from the farm. https://maps.app.goo.gl/jQX99LZ6CRrRRQUw6

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ABOUT US: Vaksana Farms is a family-run venture. 12 years back this was a barren wasteland. The farm has very heavy clay soil which is not suitable for growing trees. We put in an enormous effort as a family to improve the soil and painstakingly nurture the farm to the shape it is today. Do watch this short video documentary about our farm. https://youtu.be/9syWknet-OI

Here are the names of key people involved.

KIRUBA SHANKAR (me). www.Kiruba.com/bio

Mrs. KASTHURI, my Mom, loves taking care of the farm.

Mr.SIVARAMAN, my Dad. Loves tinkering with machines and cars. The shed behind the original farmhouse is his playground.

KRITHYA, my elder daughter, is working for an IT company.

KALPITHA, my younger daughter. She’s in her second year of college. She’s an animal lover.

The caretakers of the farm are Sekar and Santha who live in the outhouse at the entrance of the farm. They are absolutely wonderful people.

CONTACT NUMBERS:
Kiruba : 9841597744
Sujani: 9841282266
Sivaraman (Dad): 9994710137

Regards,
Sujani Kiruba Shankar
Kiruba Shankar
CEO,Business Blogging Pvt Ltd
Past President, Professional Speakers Association of India

+91-98415 97744
Kiruba@Kiruba.com
www.Kiruba.com
www.Kiruba.Pro
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