Under Rs 3000, This Inn Near Mussoorie Is A Favourite With Vishal Bhardwaj And Ruskin Bond

Domas Inn

Brightly coloured interiors with quirky Thangka paintings bespattered across the walls and roof, cozy wooden rooms, traditional Chinese lamps and authentic Tibetan food characterizes Doma’s Inn. Located in the erstwhile cantonment of Landour (4 kms from Mussoorie), it is at an apt location.

Where is it

Its midway between the upper walking trails of the town and the bustling Landour market below. There are two ways to reach Upper Landour. One is a shorter steep cemented walking path amidst tall oak and pine trees and local residences. The other is the longer motorable path. Doma’s Inn sits at the junction of these two roads. Part of a larger building – the Ivy Cottage, Doma’s Inn is easily distinguishable due to its quirky and distinct Tibetan decoration depicting Buddhist scenes. Unlike its façade, the rest of the building is quite simple with white walls and brown windows.

The Property

The entrance is beautifully decorated with traditional Tibetan umbrellas, hanging Chinese lamps and ancient Tibetan figurines on either side. The interior, distinctively wooden, is laid out aesthetically utilizing the small horizontal space in an optimum manner. The reception, the dining hall and a boutique shop are part of the small lobby overlooking the winding road from Mussoorie. The upper level with the view of the spectacular valley has sitting area with sofa beds and chairs.

Classic Hollywood posters give company to the fire breathing dragons, caparisoned horses and wild flower designs in myriad shapes and sizes. The inn looks like a Bhotia Tribal Monastery. Bhotias are a border tribe and are salt traders between Tibet and the Garhwal region.

Rooms

There are two types of rooms –Standard and Deluxe, the former one being smaller. The fascinating thing about Doma’s Inn is that all the rooms are different in design, space and decor. This is what makes it so special, a deviation from the usual practice of category of rooms looking exactly similar. This also makes you visit Doma’s Inn multiple times to experience the difference in the stay – sometimes rooms opening to the valley, two storey rooms, small cozy rooms and so on. Be sure to request for specific rooms while you book or just be surprised with any of the rooms that is allotted. All of them are tastefully decorated with golden warm lights, Thangka paintings, hanging Tibetan shades, sturdy beds, wooden cupboards

Facilities

Good things come in small packages. With only the plush hretiage property of Rockby Manor (Rs 8000 onwards) as the alternate property in Landour town, Doma’s Inn with its Tibetan vibe is surprisingly cheap. The prices are inclusive of breakfast, free wifi, TV, room heaters and 24 hours backup. The little boutique shop behind the reception has many Tibetan souvenirs – purses, bags, stoles, rings, key chains and much more. The restaurant essentially serves Tibetan cuisine. The Chicken Thukpa is a must try here. However, there is an option for ordering delicious Parathas for breakfast. The property books treks for the nearby Jabarkhet Nature Reserve considered to be a paradise for bird watchers. Doma’s also provides Motorcycling Tours & Rentals through its sister concern – Built2Ride.

Meet the Bond

Landour is home to one of the greatest Indian authors – Ruskin Bond. His house is adjacent to Doma’s Inn. In fact one of the rooms shares a wall with the little room he stays in. Mr. Bond has been living in the Ivy Cottage for more than 30 years now. Imagining that this is the place where he chose to become a full time writer and all those wonderful books has come out from this house makes his fans both awestruck and nostalgic. Opting to stay in Doma’s Inn gives you the opportunity to know more about the author. The local staff here gives you information (preferred times, whereabouts etc.) about the author which you won’t find anywhere else and thus the probability of meeting the great man is much higher.

The top floor of the Ivy Cottage (Doma is a part of the building) belongs to the famous Bollywood director – Vishal Bharadwaj who is an ardent fan of Ruskin Bond and has already adopted two of his works for movies – The Blue Umbrella and 7 Khoon Maaf.

There aren’t many properties in Landour. The erstwhile sanatorium has remained untouched by tourist influx, probably due to the fact that there is nothing to do here. But isn’t that the entire point? To walk, nap, read a book, talk with the locals, have a bite, absorb the tranquil surroundings and disengage from everything else! Doma’s Inn provides the perfect base to check all the above ‘boxes’.