The winter is almost here, and with it there’s an urge to finally enjoy a holiday somewhere up the hills that we have been waiting for. While snowclad meadows and dense white flakes all over pretty houses sure look romantic, they bring a nightmarish cold that’s too exhausting to battle. Instead, a pleasant chill outside, a comfy sofa next to the fireplace, and some warm soup to sip on make for a perfect setting that lets us make the best of this part of the year.
Places cold enough to let you pull up the blanket and sleep through nippy mornings obviously make it to the go-to list, the next question being where to stay. Hotels dotting the hills might be plenty, but it is cottages and homestays, with their tasteful interiors and tasty food, that offer just the warmth you need. Many of them being old country houses add a lovely charm to your stay, while the hosts make it a point to ensure comfort throughout. Holding up a cuppa, you can totally snuggle up with a few rugs and pillows.
To save you the nice-and-toasty homestays’ hunt, we have a list ready. It’s finally time to pack those cute monkey caps, the books you had been wanting to catch up with, and huddle up in cosy corners of these lovely houses. Get packing real soon!
While Shimla might not be a destination frequented in this time of the year, a heritage home in the hills, with its snuggly, balmy feels, has got you covered. Tucked away amid plenty of trees, Sunnymead Estate is a century-old bungalow whose charm is now available for its guests to bask in, especially in the winter chills. The interiors are nice and warm with floor rugs and pretty English sofas that certainly add warmth and colour inside when the outdoors are about to get frosty white. The rooms are furnished with rustic decor, and the comfy beds are perfect to enjoy a long snooze. The kitchen is sure to provide you with hot tea and cocoa as and when needed.
Tariff: Starting from INR 7000 with breakfast for doubles, INR 5500 w B/F for singles
Ballyhack is one of Shimla’s several aristocratic homes that the hill-town’s colonial past has left behind. A part of it is now converted to a guesthouse, the spaces inside embellished with wood panelling and exteriors finished with slate stone bring the charisma of an arboreal cottage. Five rooms, each of which open up to different vistas, offer an impeccable stay with their well-equipped furnishings. If you’re brave enough to venture out into the chills, consider taking a stroll on one of their terraces and view the mighty Himalayan peaks capped with soft snow, or the lawn from where you can view all of Shimla looking stunning in the evening lights.
Tariff: Single or Double Rooms Rs. 9500/- per day per room plus taxes
III. 7 Pines, Kasauli
Along with cosy interiors, culinary warmth is sometimes all that you need to cope with the wintry days. As you get real comfortable while staying at 7 Pines, their in-house chef prepares gourmet meals that are an absolute delicacy for you to savour. If you want to focus your winter holiday on reviving your mind and body, walk straight into their yoga and meditation room to spend some quality time breathing in and out, seeing only the calm hills fringed with soaring trees every time that you open your eyes. With the lovely personal touch than an impassive service, a winter vacation at 7 Pines is like living at a home away from home.
Tariff: Single or Double Rooms INR 9500/- per day per room plus taxes
No matter what time of the year you visit, Nainital welcomes you with its enduring beauty and so many stories. If you plan to go sometime in the cold season, head straight to the Chestnut Cottage, that was actually a home built by a Sanskrit pundit for his wife who hailed from Poland. The cottage was an arrangement of spaces that worked on passive cooling of the interiors, a phenomenon that was much appreciated by his bride who hailed from a cold land.
Chestnut cottage is now a warm homestay open to be visited and stayed in by guests, with facilities that help get through the snowy ambience outside. A luxury accommodation, its tasteful interiors and affectionate service are the icing to the cake. You can make a pick from the six rooms that the Cottage houses, each one being a snuggly den that lets you make the most of the frosty weather as you get yourself warm inside.
Tariff: Starting from INR 12,800
Owner Deepak Prakash intended to create a stay around his tea estate for his family and friends, and the Lodge is an extension where guests can stay to experience the charm of the hills. This cottage a beautiful ensemble of local materials like mud and stone that stand together gracefully, adding the feel of staying at an idyllic home. Surrounded by the tea estate and abundant greens, the cottage is a perfect getaway to experience a winter that isn’t harsh. In fact, you can stroll around the Estate and also enjoy cup of tea for a surge of warmth. Learn about the different tea leaves cultivated here even as you dine over the delicious local dishes along with modern gourmet food that you’re served with.
Tariff: INR 9000 + Taxes for doubles, INR 7000 + Taxes for singles
A charming cottage with sloping roofs that features exposed wood and stone panelling in the interiors, La Belle Vie offers a stay that is both luxurious and affordable. Art connoisseurs Oli and Rupam build this house, each corner of which is enhanced with tasteful furniture or artefacts. Three bedrooms with floor-height glass panels offer breathtaking views of the rolling hills that surround the cottage, and views of the Naukuchiatal lake too are stunning. If you are travelling with kids, the lofts are perfect for the kids to perch themselves on. With all its facilities, the Cottage is a perfect getaway on a chilly weekend.
Tariff: Rs. 12,000 plus tax per night
Literally meaning ‘exquisite’ in the local Pahari language, Shobla is a delightful homestay in the hills of Manali, offering the perfect setting for a wintry escape. With sofas arranged around the fireplace, you can warm yourself up with a bowl of soup just as the night begins to fall. WIth no disturbances around, you are sure to relax, shedding away the routine stresses of the urban life. The staff can cook for you a variety of dishes that you can savour in the dining or in the privacy of your own room. At Shobla, you can wake up to mesmerising views of the Himalayas behind the snowy Rohtang pass. Interiors with lovely louches of pinewood and stone give the spaces a vibe of intimacy and comfort.
Tariff: INR 2,330 per night
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