Lush gardens spread across vast stretches of undulating hills have always lured travellers with their beauty. Whether you look at a picture or you drive past one of these tea gardens, you will always feel an urge to spend some quality time amidst the greens. Living in the middle of a tea estate can offer the perfect environment to get rid of the daily stress and relax in company of some fine quality tea. India has a bounty of stays for tea lovers, where colonial estates have been refurbished into quaint homestays to give travelers an experience that would last in their memories for a long time. Red Hill Resort is one such property that takes you back in time.
LOCATION
Located at a distance of 27kms from Ooty, Red hill resort is a perfect blend of luxury with a touch of a homestay. The approach road is good all the way to the Red Hill resort from the main town of Ooty. This entire journey gives you the opportunity to enjoy spectacular view of the mountains, green carpets of winding and wavy tea plantations, and glimpses of emerald lake. As you enter the bungalow compound, you are encircled by hills covered in green on all sides with a majestic blue lake in front of you. This 250-acre plantation with its heritage bungalow goes back to about a century ago when tea plantation started in this area.
ABOUT RED HILL RESORT
This charming homestay, at the top of Avalanche Hill, enjoys gorgeous views of emerald lake and tea gardens of Nilgiris. Built by British planter Willy Collins in the 1875, the property comprises a three-bedroom heritage bungalow and nine smaller bungalows with lake view and garden view rooms and a small temple at the backyard. The rooms are spacious, cozy with lazy sit out overlooking the vast estate and plantation all around.
PROPERTY OWNER
The property, owned and run by an Indian family, greets their guests not only with warmth but also dishes out heart-warming home cooked Indian food with vegetables plucked from their garden. The farm is also home to a flock of chickens and a herd of cows that provide fresh milk and eggs everyday. The food is served in a mini hall, next to the kitchen. The idea is to serve and consume the freshly prepared food. It also cements the proverb that the family that eats together stays together.
VIEWPOINTS
This place boosts of gorgeous viewpoints and cosy nooks from where one can enjoy a fine cup of chai with a fat book in hand. Apart from all these, you would see acres and acres of tea and forest till where your eyes can go. The view from the cottage would give you the satisfaction of being lucky to reach this pristine and magnificent property. Since Red Hill Resort borders Mukurthi National Park, you could spot variety of animals and birds. This place boosts of 88 species of birds and it is a paradise in motion for all the nature lovers. It's a place that you'll never want to leave.
THE HOST MAKES IT SPECIAL
The best part about this bungalow, aside from the plush accommodation, is that you get to do tea tasting, as the host Mr.Vijay, is a tea expert who could take you through different types of tea grown in the estate. The host clearly emphasizes on the property's exclusivity here: the bungalow is open to only families and couples and it does not encourage corporate packages as they do not want the property to be commercialized and would want to preserve the old world charm of this place.
One more reason to fall in love with Red Hill Nature Resort is the fact that there is not much of cell phone signal and no TV sets in the rooms. This place is the perfect abode for connecting with nature and enjoying every minute of your vacation with your loved ones.
This is one such property where if you want to do nothing, that's perfectly all right. Sit back and enjoy your time with the hosts and other guests, admiring the surrounding, soaking in the tranquility of the place. You would be pampered and spoiled with the in-house cooked delicious food. If you're someone who wants to immerse yourself in a range of activities, you would be provided with a list of options to choose from. The choice is absolutely yours on what you want to do.
ACTIVITIES TO DO NEAR RED HILL RESORT
Red hill Resort offers plenty of nature bound activities from trekking and mountain biking to fishing, bird watching, camping and more.
Some activities that I think you should definitely try when you're at the Red Hill are
Go exploring the estate on a bicycle and admire the beauty all around Bird watching with the Naturist Gnayneshwar. He will take you on a nature trail where you could spot different birds ranging from Grey Hornbill, Wood Pigeon, White-bellied Treepie, Barbet, the Black-Orange flycatcher to White Scavenger Vulture, Bonnellies Eagle, Black Eagle, Hawks, Honey Buzzard and Falcons and if you're lucky you could see the endangered Nilgiri Tahr and Langur. Go for a sunrise hike. The sunrise from the vantage point is magical and worth all the effort of waking up at 5 in the morning. Go trekking atop the hill to see panoramic views of the lake that will take your breath away. Some of the best kept secrets of Nilgiris are in Red Hills area for you to explore. If you're a yoga practitioner, you will absolutely love this place. Redhill's temple perfectly sets the stage for a divine session of yoga. You could also visit and interact with the tribal people of Nilgiris, the todas community If you happen to visit Red Hill Resort on a weekend, you could also take up a camping experience organized by the property owners. Enjoy the bonfire and food by the tent. Know more about the camping experience from Kikui Camping Guests can opt for a mountain railway ride and day trips to Ooty You could also go for a moonlit walk under the starry skiesWHY CHOOSE RED HILL RESORT?
This is one property that will undeniably call for repeat visits. This property stays true to the fact that it's the people who make the place better. The care and warmth of the hosts Mr.Vijay and his sons Vinu and Vishaan are undoubtedly a treasure to this property. This is not a hotel but home. Take a break from the chaos of the city and enjoy the spirit of nature at its full at Red Hill Nature Resort.
For booking details check the site http://redhillnatureresort.com or contact Mr.Vijay on 94422 54755
