What: Live in a tree house, The Machan, 20 kms past Lonavla, call +91 8080877420 or visit www.themachan.com, Rs 10,000 a night including breakfast and dinner.

Why: Newly opened Machan boasts four gorgeous, eco-chic tree houses that rise 40 feet above the lush Jambulne forest. Bpb loves: glass-walled hanging rooms, outdoor baths, and 360° views, which compensate for the lack of room service, air conditioning and fancy food.

When: You need to let off some neem.

Trading one big city for another, we escaped Mumbai for a weekend in Kuala Lumpur, complete with shopping sprees, Starbucks coffee, and dazzling views of the Petronas Towers. But even surrounded by massive malls, drowning in flavourful ramen soup and dizzy from the heady pleasure of shopping at Dior, we didn’t forget about you. Here are our recommendations of what to do in KL, a metropolis slick with oil money and urban cool.

Eat

KL features a ton of international chains, including Chili’s, Burger King and – lo and behold! – California Pizza Kitchen. But the city’s indigenous food scene is just as vibrant. Street corners all over the city have local kopi tiams or coffee shops that serve like Nasi Gorang and drunken noodles, fast and on the cheap.

What: Nine day road trip to Bhutan, Roadtripper, view the Facebook page here, call Rahat Nathani on 9833282400 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , price on request.
 
Why: Because once you go yak, you'll never come back! There's nothing like driving through the Himalayas in the spring. Handle a 4x4 on hairpin curves and take in the snow peaks during a riverside camp. The newly launched Roadtrippers does customised vacations as well.
 
When: April 24 to May 2. Early bird discount for those who register before February 15.

Step into India’s subconscious. On level one is the all-consuming tamas guna, opulent and erotic. On level two, the active, passionate rajas guna. And balanced perfectly on level three is the minimalist, ethereal sattva guna. Best part is that if you can shell out the moolah, a “chakra” elevator will take you straight to the highest level, usually reached by only a few evolved beings.

This 21st century shortcut to nirvana and more is on offer at Le Sutra, Mumbai’s newest spiritual art hotel.

Chamber Made

Every room at this brand new property tells different stories - philosophical, historic, religious, mythological - expressed spectacularly through specially commissioned art installations. Ingeniously, these also double up as furniture. A Star Wars light saber-style Trishul for instance, pointedly reminds its guests of creation, maintenance and destruction, but also serves as a coat rack. The edgy damaru art piece that symbolises conscious and unconscious states is also a bedside table. And the exquisite chairs, corresponding with the themes of each room, could easily be mistaken for pieces of art.

Of Chairs, Chakras and Chakli

Unveiled earlier this week, Le Sutra has opened only its Sattva floor, with Tamas and Rajas waiting in the wings. This last level features Shuddhi, Prakriti, Nirvaan and Mandala rooms. Our favourite is the earthy Nirvaan chamber with a Buddha fresco, a Dove and Hand cupboard that keeps your mind in check, giant Khadau slippers that prevent outflow of energy and a Sanchi Stupa Chair that will help attain a Bodhisattva state of mind. Divine!

It’s amazing how much attention has gone into the interiors of this little hotel: a see-through panel in the elevator displays seven body chakras as you ascend; a living tree outside the Prakriti Room is fitted with multi-coloured wooden parrots; soya chakli and other healthy treats grace complimentary room trays.

A Room With a View Point

The Indian art themes and exotic in-house services – face reader, chakra cleanser, yoga teacher – may seem gimmicky, but one look at the rooms and you’ll know that the hotel is deeply thought out and researched, and is much more than a tourist trap.

If EM Forster were alive, he’d agree that Le Sutra could inspire another Room With A View. Or at least one with a view point.

Getting there: Le Sutra, Union Park, next to Olive Bar and Kitchen, Khar (W), call 26492995 or www.lesutra.in; bookings start after a month, Rs 7,500 to 9,500 per room.

Storming the Castle

All of last week was a battle of stress vs. rest. Bitter war waged on from Monday to Friday, with R&R finally coming out on top and a fort conquest to boast of. Jubilant, we left our Blackberrys in Bombay and drove out to Fort Jadhavgadh, a heritage hotel about four hours from the city.

The Spoils of Battle

This awesome resort, built in 1710 and perched in the Saswad hills 2,500 ft above sea level, has everything you’d expect from a big, drafty castle: open courtyards, menacing dungeons and thick stone walls. Guests also have access to an antique museum, rooftop dinners, deer parks, full-service spa and emerald blue pool. Best of all, the bar has a kick-ass happy hour from 4 pm to 8 pm. This could, we thought while sipping on some royally good martinis, quickly eclipse Amby Valley as the place to jet off to around Mumbai.

Peace Treat(y)

We were booked into a premium room but sweet talked our way to one of the four luxury suites at the fort. Air-conditioned tent top? Check. Four-poster bed? Check. Antique dressing room? Check. Three-section bathroom with ridiculously large bath tub? Check. Balcony with a (gorgeous) view? Check. Suite!

Memories for Monday

Unfortunately, we’re back in Mumbai now. Looks like stress might emerge triumphant this week, but the sweet taste of victory remains.

Getting there: Packages start at Rs 5,500. For more information and specials call 02115 - 305 200 / 202 780 or log on to http://fortjadhavgadh.com.

Bpb readers’ astrological prediction for January 11, 2010: Your career and love life are on solid footing, making this a good time to take a vacation. And even if they’re both hitting rock bottom, vicarious travel is definitely on the cards. 

It’s written in the stars. Grab your passport and head to Cafe Goa tonight, where a bunch of globetrotters will unpack pictures, videos, music and memories from interesting journeys at a traveller’s Show & Tell. If you don’t have a sojourn story of your own, you can just hang in the audience – the event is free and the cheapest way to go around the globe and back. 

As midnight approaches, we recap the biggest lifestyle trends of 2009 and ring in the New Year.

Back: Avowed urbanites dipped their toes into the wilderness, gingerly participating in daytrips with fishing clubs and luxury camping in Mumbai's backyard.

Forth: Go faster, further, higher. Connect with Himalaya organises exploratory treks to remote, astonishingly beautiful destinations high up in the mountains, with fluid itineraries, unmarked trails and few luxuries. No showers, no cabs, no Blackberry service. Can you handle it?

Getting there: Visit www.connectwithhimalaya.com or call Gaurav Punj at +919833829240, trips start at Rs 8,000 per person.

What: Pairs of Shoes collage postcards by 420, to order email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , approximately Rs 300 for a set of four.

Why: These funky postcards feature countless, quintessentially Indian motifs including BEST tickets, MRP tags, and pin-up girls on firecracker labels. For these, Akhila Krishnan is taking orders until January 10, while on break from her Masters course at The Royal College of Art in London.

When: You want to send a Mass mail.

What: Paperworks, F-2, Pinto Arcade, DB Marg, Panjim, opposite Panjim Gymkhanna, call (0832) 2425841.

Why: Earn your hippie points at Paperworks, where all the stock is made from hand-made, locally produced paper. You can record your trip on their super cool stationery while chilling at the Miramar Beach nearby.

When: You want to leave a paper trail.

What: The old, the new and the born-again on Goa’s food scene – Hotel Kinara, Chimbel, on the “low” road between Panjim and Old Goa; Ernesto’s Bistro, Mala, 49, Near Fontainhas Post Office, Panjim, call 09823015921; L’Orange, near Magnum Resort, Candolim Main Road, call +91 9970173606.

Why: Our best find - Prawns Rawa and Crab Masala at the half-hidden, local dive Hotel Kinara. And new in the Latin Quarter, the food at Ernesto’s Bistro is as beautiful as the old house it occupies. We suggest you go with Ernesto personal recommendations: pork ribs and steak. Finally, L’Orange has a revamped menu focusing on local cuisine, spices for which Chef Asheen’s mum grinds by hand. Wednesdays are Goa Festival Nights.

When: You want a taste of beaches and cream.