Samata is a real nature experience hidden in the jungles of Goa. One's patience and acceptance of nature will certainly be tested. Go there with an open mind, an open mind to face power cuts in the middle of the night, find room's infested with red massive ants and be ready to face it on your own, because the new management of Samata retreat is there to ensure that you handle the issues by yourself. Think of it as a summer camp, or training camp. When you are constantly told what you can and can not do, and what time you should be eating your meals, and if you are late for them, get ready to be scolded. Get ready to be scolded if you ask for water in the middle of the night, get ready to receive attitude if you "dare to enter the kitchen" for simple things like salt, get ready to be on your own in the middle of the night, when you need to drag your suitcase to the upper room, because there is no staff. Again some may perceive it as bad, some may perceive it as a good experience. It certainly did test my patience and that of my roommates. We all learnt our own lessons after the stay. So yeah if you are up for an adventure of this sort, definitely go for Samata. Good things about the retreat are the lovely local ladies who prepared delicious lunches and dinners for us, of course the nature part, and the swimming pool where you can swim when it gets too hot.