Ramgarh Bungalows:The Tranquility that Beckons

Far from the maddening crowd…. Yes! That’s what our priority was when we planned our trip to Ramgarh in the foothills of Kumaon in the summer of 2016. Come May and June and most of North India starts packing their bags for the cooler climes. I shied away from the touristy nainital and almora as it was brimming with people. We searched for options around bhimtal, sattal and then finally headed towards bhowali and uphill which made us look for some more in ramgarh, mukteshwar and as far as peora, however thinking of travelling with two small kids we decided to not head away too far as it would get tiring for them.

After a good week’s internet search we zeroed in on the Ramgarh Bungalows, a heritage property of Neemrana Group at Ramgarh which is around 30 kms uphill bhowali. I went through a lot of reviews of the Neemrana Hotels, the Ramgarh Bungalows, their “non-hotel hotels” and I would say everyone should experience Neemrana at least once in their lifetime. Indeed a “non-hotel hotel”, a place so serene and calm, the staff ever so polite and courteous, the room so cozy and the food sumptuous, that we would love to visit them again!

Yes I can’t stop raving about them as it has been one of the best trips till date. We stayed there for a night only and it kept raining for most part of the day, yet just a small period of our stay was made so memorable. It was the Iris at Cliff House which we had booked for our stay. The staff with eager faces met us just at the entrance of the property when we reached at around 3 in the afternoon and gave us warm welcome, glasses of water reaching us as soon as we stepped out of our taxi. The property oozed old world charm from every nook and corner with electric lanterns hanging from the walls and walls bedecked with krotans. The room was cozily done and eclectically smelling (it keeps on lingering in my mind).

After freshening up we headed towards the beautiful outdoors which provided a surreal view of the mountains far away, where the clouds were settling down. The fruit trees outside were laden with peaches and we had a great time plucking and having them there. My 5 year old was excited and astonished as it was a new experience for him to pluck fruits and eat them fresh from the trees. The air was getting cooler as the clouds were near us and it was almost as if we could touch them. Our little lady all of one and a half years old had her kind of fun chasing her elder brother all over the verandah and gardens, while also inquisitively pointing to the birds. After a stroll around we settled for a nap and it was the sound of the rain on the tin roof that made me and husband got up from our deep slumber. 

We got up to witness the rains on the hills and were mesmerized to witness small chunks of snowy beauty in the form of hail. It was sheer delight and with childlike enthusiasm we started collecting them.   It rained hard and after an hour or so came the aromatic tea and cookies which was served outside our room on the small verandah nook. With a novel, tea, a delightful view and an endearing soul next to me I was having the time of my life immersed in the blissful solitude of the rain-washed hills with just birds humming in to render beauty to the serene atmosphere. How I wish to live in that moment for a few more hours at least, but it was getting dark so we went inside the room, got the kids up, layering them with warm clothes as the weather was cold by now.

Since the rain did not stop by dinner time, the staff brought us umbrellas and accompanied us to the dining hall. The table was all set for us to dig into the candle lit dinner. The food to begin with was a treat for the senses. Everything on offer was amazingly tasty. My youngest one specially relished the kheer which was served for dessert, and the staff kept us serving food much beyond the dinner time just for her, which was very sweet of them.

After having more than our fill we went to the adjoining sitting area where I browsed a magazine or two, while kids played around with their father.

The day ended with all of us playing some indoor games and dozing away. Thank God for their rooms being no gadget zones. The banter of Television and the occasional telephone were done away with, to much relief.

I have always relished the sunrises at the mountains; they are the highlight of the entire trip, when one can witness the many hues of nature, pristine views of the peaks far away as well as the minute by minute changing scenery which nature offers in abundance. We welcomed the sun by getting up much earlier and went for a walk around the property, there were beautiful flowers and pretty ivy which I wanted to take home with me, but sadly they would not survive in the heat here. For the first time in our lives we had morning tea (yes! both of us are not morning people and also do not like tea first thing in the morning. talk of exceptions!), which is something to behold, with chirping birds, rain washed clear plants around, rising sun in the backdrop and two of us just sipping our earl grey quietly so that our voices do not disturb our thoughts… I realised we didn’t need words at that point of time, just soaking in the experience and memorizing it so that it could be played zillions of times in our minds was justified.

As the sun shone brightly we came into our room, freshening up for the day ahead, waking up the kids and preparing to leave, before heading for breakfast. It was one sumptuous affair! A large spread was awaiting us, from freshly made peach juice to handmade jams and breads, hot puri sabzi and upma to sunny side up eggs and porridge. We had a hearty one, after which kids ran away to the gardens to play. However as they say all good things come to an end, we finally took leave from this dreamy quaint place, but not before taking some jams and chutneys with us which are prepared in the property adjacent to the bungalow. 

The helpful staff guided us on the best route to take for Mukteshwar, as we were headed for a day trip there, before finally saying adieu to the hills. Untill we meet again…