Had enough of the concrete jungle? It’s time to fly away from civilization, put up your feet and soak in tranquility. We recommend seven remote hideaways.
Mary Budden Estate
Located north of Almora in Uttarakhand’s Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, peace and understated luxury await you at the quaint Mary Budden Estate. Spread over five acres at a height of 8,000 feet, it is named after its last known British inhabitant in the 19th century. Accommodation comes in the form of two cottages equipped with modern amenities. If a homestay is what you are looking for, the Estate can organise it in Ganesh Dutt’s property in Dalar Village nearby.
Darang Tea Estate
Put your feet up at this family-owned property, going back 150 years, and located in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Enjoy tranquility in its four cosy cottages and natural splendor – including a mountain-stream, forest and the tea garden – across its 70 acres and beyond. Here’s the icing on the cake: each cottage will provide you a stunning view of the snow-capped Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas.
Kudajadri Drizzle Homestay
Tucked away at Kaniyampatta, in the centre of Kerala’s picturesque Wayanad district, is a cosy homestay just waiting to be discovered. Kudajadri Drizzle offers seven rooms on twin-sharing basis. Not only can you enjoy local food and hospitality at the homestay, your hosts will also take you around to check out some local attractions including a wildlife sanctuary, dam, lake, caves, temple and waterfall.
Serene Woods Home Stay
If you are coming from Bangalore, the seven hour road drive may appear long, but it will seem worthwhile once you reach Serene Woods Home Stay in Coorg, Karnataka. The five fully furnished mini cottage units here transport you to another time and place. Delicious local cuisine and other dishes are served in a common dining area with an attached in-house kitchen. Guests can also be guided to food joints, shopping areas and places of tourist interest in Coorg.
Ecosphere
This social enterprise organizes homestays in six remote villages in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, with a focus on conservation, mountain travel and adventure. The homestays generate a sustainable livelihood supplement for the villagers. The six villages are Langza, Komic, Demul, Lhalung, Dhankhar and Mikkim. All of them are at an average height of 4,000 metres and fall within the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.
Tranquil Resort
This homestay is set in a 400 acre private coffee and spices plantation in Wayanad, Kerala. The fully functional plantation goes back to the 1800s when it was owned first by the British and later the Dutch before it came into the hands of Indian owners post Independence. Accommodation is provided in the form of five garden rooms. There are also three luxury tree houses, each at a height of 35 feet from the ground and overlooking a valley.
Plantation Trails
Tata Coffee’s hospitality brand offers unforgettable holidays in six heritage bungalows and a cottage in Coorg, Karnataka, most of them more than a century old. When you are done with unwinding and recharging your batteries the managers will offer you choices of activities: a `Bean to Cup’ coffee plantation tour; birdwatching, with 300 different species having been spotted in the vicinity; a round of golf; rafting; a picnic by a roaring waterfall; a trip to the Dubare Elephant Training Camp; and an elephant safari around the Nagarhole National Park.
