Staying near Dhom Dam, Wai

Dhom Dam is built across the Krishna river a few kilometres upstream of Wai. The backwaters spread out between the hills, and the combination of still water and the Sahyadri ridgeline behind it is why people make the detour. Boating is the main draw, and the hour before sunset is when the place is at its best.

It is a genuine day-trip destination rather than a full day out. Most guests go down in the late afternoon, spend a couple of hours, and come back. That works precisely because the drive is short.

Roads in this area are narrow in places and unlit after dark. If you are driving back from the dam in the evening, allow a little more time than the distance suggests.

A lot of people search for a resort near Dhom Dam, so it is worth being straightforward: we are a private villa on a farm, not a resort. There is no reception desk, no restaurant with a menu running all day, and no swimming pool.

What you get instead is a cook who will make you home-style Maharashtrian food on request, a lawn, a BBQ and a bonfire, and farm animals the children will not leave alone. Book the Full Villa Retreat and the whole property is yours with nobody else around; the Basic Stay rate is a single room if you are only two. For most families heading to Dhom Dam for a weekend, that is the better trade. If you specifically want resort facilities, you will be happier somewhere else, and we would rather say that now.

Dhom Dam pairs naturally with the rest of Wai. Menavali Ghat, with the Nana Phadnavis wada and the riverside temples, is a short drive and has been the backdrop for several Hindi films. The Dholya Ganpati temple and the ghats in Wai town are about three kilometres away.

If you have two nights, Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar are both close enough for a day out, and you come back somewhere quiet rather than fighting for parking at a hill station hotel.