Get a rustic rush this weekend

Feeling a tad jaded as a traveller? How about playing cowboy or cowgirl for a weekend? And no, you don't have to take a flight out to cowboy country in America and check into a dude ranch to do so. All you need is a car and a will to go rustic.

Of course, this isn't a new trend. Haryana set the ball rolling "" it identified 13 farmhouses where visitors could do just that. The options offered were many: milk a cow, feed buffaloes, chase chickens, play Little Bo Peep or, if all of the above sounded too strenuous, just catch up on your 40 winks on a chattai.

The biggest attraction of these farms is their dirt-cheap prices. Overnight packages range from Rs 2,000-2,500, all inclusive. Then there are the extras: puppet shows, open air folk theatre, village sports, and song and dance. For details visit www.ashextourism.com/village/haryana/ index.html.

With the world moving away from the sun-sea-and-sand brand of vacationing towards more experimental holidays, India can actually cash in on its roots, and help indigenous rural communities along the way. The ministry of tourism has already sanctioned 102 rural tourism infrastructure projects. With the fillip provided by the UNDP and its $2.5 million budget, this is a red-hot sector at the moment.

Just last month Kerala announced 50 such projects in that state alone. One already established destination in the state is Haritha Farms. This bio-organic forest, an hour's drive from Kochi airport, is a great place to indulge in the fantasy of discovering a secret garden. Prices range from Rs 2,500-Rs 4,000 a night, depending on whether it is a double room or a single, and on the season. However, university students can also pick up special economy rates. For details visit www.harithafarms.com.

Another interesting place to check out down South is the Rainforest Retreat in Karnataka. Located in the heart of the Western Ghats, it offers all that the name suggests "" surroundings of bamboo, banana, coffee and orchid plants with plenty of butterflies, cicadas, and birds. As for accommodation, the Retreat offers two types "" a rustic cottage, and two marginally more luxurious deluxe cottages, all nestled in an organic spice garden.

If these options aren't good enough, there are plenty on the Internet. Just Google them and get a taste of bucolic living.