Bet You Did Not Know About This Hidden Paradise in Uttarakhand!

More often than not, the roads least travelled take you to your most cherished experiences. Stumbling upon Jhaltola, the little gem of Kumaon, and landing at The Misty Mountains is one such experience I’d cherish for a long long time to come.

To start with, The Misty Mountains isn’t just a resort. It doesn’t provide just accommodation. It’s more than just a beautiful place. It’s an experience. And here’s mine.

Prelude

Roadtrips are always exciting, and after a weeklong trip that had taken me across Peora, Mukhteshwar, Dhanachuli, Reetha Sahib Gurudwara, Loha Ghat, Mayawati Ashram, Pancheshwar, Pithoragarh, Dharchula, Narayan Ashram, Munsyari, I visited Patal Bhuvaneshwar, and started to think where could I head next as I still had the evening and 1 more day at hand before starting my journey back home. Struck a chat with the locals who suggested me the same places I was already coming from. That’s when one of the Panditiji suggested me visiting The Kali Temple at Gangolihat and the Ram Mandir, 6 kms off the route, enroute Chaukori. But I decided to skip the temples, and just drive towards Chaukori and decide on the fly. On my way, I saw a road going towards Ram Mandir, and it appeared to go up the mountain, so I took it. In a few minutes I saw Ram Mandir, but crossed it and saw a road going to some village and a little offbeat track going inside the jungle. The choice was obvious.

The Adventure

A 3-kilometer off-track hardly qualifies as adventure. But imagine venturing into the unknown, not knowing what’s ahead, only a one way track that keeps getting narrower as you drive deeper into the jungle, a jungle filled with melodious, yet scary sounds, in a state rich in wildlife and with stories of man-eaters, without knowing if you would even find a place to take a U-turn as reversing would have been a problem to even the most experienced drivers. I looked at my watch and saw I still had more than an hour of daylight, and can spare some time in getting lost, so kept driving. Shortly, saw a gate, which requested the trespassers to stay away. Not wanting to trespass anyone’s privacy, I thought of heading back, but the want to know what’s ahead, kept me driving. And within a few minutes, I saw a structure. Looked like someone’s home. Or maybe a resort. It was as serene as it was beautiful. A parked car gave me hope of finding human presence. As I crossed the parking and reached the resort, a gentleman walked out. I knew I was a trespasser, so politely asked him if it was his property / home. He nodded. I knew I had to turn back, but hesitantly asked him, if there’s any place to stay anywhere closeby? He smiled and asked me to step down of the car first. I did. He shook my hand and congratulated me for making it there.

Meet Madhur Chhabra, the owner of ‘The Misty Mountains’, which is not just a resort, but also his home. He also expressed his surprise, as they are not used to people reaching there without any prior intimation or booking.

The Hospitality

Madhur offered tea and conversations began. About the resort. About him. About his family. He had some other guests staying at the resort, and he ensured personal attention to each one of them.

Being a backpacker, who usually picks up budgeted accommodations, I was still thinking about leaving and heading elsewhere, as The Misty Mountains looked far from a budget place. But call it the rain gods, or his hospitality, that made me stay longer. Soon, it started pouring in heavily, and he asked me to join him inside his home. That’s where I met Ambika, Madhur’s wife, Suroohi, their one-year old angel, and Ragz, their full of life, naughty, four-legged baby.

Ambika served some snacks and a delicious cup of tea, which was straight from the tea plantation in the resort, which existed since the British Era, and was being revived by them. Conversations continued, and they told me about the presence of wildlife in the surrounding areas, the legacy of the property, places to visit around and a lot more.

It never appeared that we had just met a few minutes back. I was humbled by their hospitality and knew I would have a great time staying there.

The Accommodation

I requested Madhur to show me around the resort, and the different kinds of accommodation options there. He showed me the different suites and cottages they have built to accommodate different kinds and sizes of people. And each was handcrafted. Sorry. Heart-crafted. Never before had I seen an offbeat resort where every detail has been carefully thought of.

The Misty Mountains houses suites, family cottages and a Rosebank cottage.

The family cottages have a living room, 2 very spacious rooms and is suitable for families travelling together. It even has an additional bedroom and can easily accommodate 4 adults and 4 children comfortably. One can even admire the beautiful surroundings with the wooden deck provided with each cottage.

The suites, which give a spectacular view of the Himalayas, have spacious garden outside to give you that extra space to soak the sun, or just lie down and feel one with nature. And my favourite was the Rosebank cottage, where I ended up staying. Its cylindrical shape, and huge glass windows makes one feel a part of the surroundings. A huge room, with a mezzanine can house in a couple and kids, or 4 friends easily.

The room

The Food

It was already dark by the time I went inside my room. Though it was a little late to request for snacks, the team at The Misty Mountains was courteous enough to prepare some to go with my drinks. I also requested them to serve me dinner as late as possible. When it arrived, I was surprised. It was like a buffet served in the room, inspite of the heavy downpour. With 4 options to choose from the dry and wet vegetarian meals, there was rice, chapattis, which were as hot as just off the pan and a sweet dish. It’s hard to pick a clear winner among the served options at each was equally delicious and delightful. Also, the entire spread was generous. It was good enough to feed 4 hungry men. The wonderful home like food, amidst the beautiful environs ensured a good sleep.

In the morning, tea was served at the exact time as requested.

The breakfast comprised of butter toast, cornflakes, cheese omlettes, and options of paranthas. And the best part was 6 different kinds of homemade pickles and spread of chutneys to choose from. Here, the pickles and chutneys were the clear winners for me. The breakfast was followed by another cup of tea. And though it was time to leave, I thought of taking a little walk in the surroundings.

The Surroundings

The Misty Mountains occupy only a fraction of the 1000-acre forest land of Jhaltola. The surroundings have a rich flora and fauna, and a magnificent view of some of the Himalayan peaks like Hathi Parwat, Gauri Parwat, Nanda Ghunti, Trishul, Mrigthugni, Maiktoli, Panwali Dwar, Nanda Devi, Nanda Khat, Nanda Kot, Nanda Bhanar, Lapsa Dhura, Changuch, Rajrambha and Panchauli. Not only this you could also witness the Api and Nampha ranges of the Himalayas in Nepal.

The forest cover comprise of a thick forest cover with oaks, rhododendrons and kaafal. A short but beautiful trail through the jungle takes you to a couple of ridges from where one can have a panoramic view of the entire region. Another trail leads on to the Lamkeshwar Mahadev Temple.

The closest sign of another habitation is probably the government school enroute the Misty Mountains.

So, it’s a place where you could just cuddle up in the lap of nature, and feel the bliss of its beauty and serenity. The silence of the surroundings is broken by the chirping of the birds, the blowing breeze, and the sounds of the jungle itself. Madhur and Ambika have made conscious efforts to maintain the entire region, and mark the trails for guests to venture out on their own.

The Wildlife

Forest fires are a common phenomena in such regions. But Madhur and Ambika have maintained the greenery around the region, which has ensured that the fire doesn’t spread to their part of the mountain. And this has also resulted in wildlife shifting towards their part. A thrilling part for the wildlife enthusiasts is the presence of a female Leopard in the region. Needless to say, you don’t have to be scared about that, as she keeps herself busy with the wild boars, barking deers and other available options in the forest. Now, a mother of 3, she keeps paying The Misty Mountains a visit every few weeks. Madhur shared some of the stories and the photographs they have captured of the Leopard and the cubs with me, and boy, they were absolutely delightful! The place is also blessed with the presence of Pine Martins, Porcupines, Monitor Lizards (some he ones) and some 150 recorded species of birds that they have been able to capture. Am assuming, there would be another 100 to the count. All in all, you would enjoy the wilderness in its most natural habitat.

The Memories

Jhaltola, a little hidden paradise in itself houses another paradise which has been named The Misty Mountains. The place has been seeded with love and care by Madhur and Ambika. A little offbeat, it’s a destination for nature lovers and solitude seekers. For those who enjoy wildlife in their most natural habitat would find the place equally fantastic. Now been a few weeks that I have been back from my trip, but this gem of a stay is surely one of the highlights of my Uttarakhand trip.

Cheers,

SS