The year that was, a lifetime that will be

To remember and celebrate a year of (officially ;-)) being together, Sakshi & I planned to spend it where we could just sit, relax and cherish the memories we had created. Our fast paced life, which usually involved enduring Delhi’s traffic mood swings, was something we both wanted to escape.

Mountains were definitely on our mind, but something which was close by (read: travel woes) – may be 5-6 hrs-ish drive & still gave us enough reasons to fall in love with. My sister recommended a property nestled between Mukteshwar (Read more about it Here) and Nainital. She swore by the food they served. The property, situated in a quaint little village called Ramgarh, housed few iconic 19th century bungalows situated on each hilltop of the famed rolling hills of Kumaon. The bungalows are curated by Neemrana and called the Ramgarh Bungalows. I contacted the manager, Shailendra, to enquire about reservations. The warmth in his voice was enough for us to reserve the place for our stay.

It was an uneventful drive up till Nainital when we saw a small turn onto an unpaved mountain road with no signage. Google was pointing towards it and we, hesitatingly, ventured on it. Knowing full well that it will be practically impossible to turn back given that there was a sheer 200ft drop into the valley on one side, we took our chances. With not a single soul in sight to guide us, each turn made me more uneasy. Sakshi, meanwhile, was oblivious to where the road was taking us while gorging on the guavas we had picked up. She was enjoying the surroundings and was soaking in the sounds of the forest, excited like a small kid. Her excitement was infectious and kept me distracted too until almost 15 mins later we were still on that road with no sign of civilization and no network to update the location. We planned to turn back after the next bend (so dependent on technology that we have stopped exploring the unknown, I tell ya!). As soon as we took the turn, right in front of us in the valley on each of those small hills were the Ramgarh bungalows, just as it was on the website.

The property was surrounded by small houses and fruit orchards – apples, plums, limes. We were actually on the right path. On reaching the village of Ramgarh, we noticed small roads leading in different directions – Writer’s Bungalow, Old Bungalow, Ashok Vatika, Cliff House. We had booked the Writer’s bungalow for three nights on Shailendra’s recommendation. The check-in and the office hub is in the Old Bungalow which is a pre-independence era circuit house (aka Dak Bungalow) now leased out by the local government to Neemrana.

We quickly checked in and drove up to the Writer’s Bungalow. The old world charm hit us as soon as we got down from the car. The stone steps leading to the entrance of the bungalow, thick stone walls plastered in white, double storeyed ceiling, a reading corner jutting out from one of them and a chimney to keep the occupants cosy at night – we were wondering what all was in store in the other bungalows. The place definitely swooped us off our feet.

This bungalow has 2 sections, each with its own entrance and 3 rooms and a bath. We had booked one section. We quickly freshened up and headed out to explore the village with a guava in one hand. We passed the local school where a teacher was conducting P.E. drills. Next door was a huge commotion. We asked a few locals who told us about a marriage ceremony. Tried peeking in through the gates to see the celebrations in full swing. One of them told us that a marriage in the hills means people from all the nearby villages are invited. Its a festival of sorts!

We spent the rest of the evening sitting on the slopes and enjoying the sun go down as it played hide and seek with the clouds!

Next day we woke up refreshed. We headed towards the Dak Bungalow where fresh spread was waiting for us. The breakfast was delicious chole poori and an array of locally produced jams & juices – peaches, apricots, kiwis & plums. We savoured all of them and decided to pick some for ourselves.

Later we decided to head to Mukteshwar and visited the view points from there. On our way back we stopped at a roadside shack. We were served Fresh lentils and rice with hot green chillis and fresh onions salad! I finished both the plates in the image. 😉

We had already talked with Shailendra and decided to spend the rest of our stay in the Cliff House. It stole our heart with the view and the balcony perched on the cliff overlooking the valley.

We spent the rest of the next day at the property exploring nearby mountain streams and taking hikes around the place, sat in fruit orchards and witnessed some of the best landscapes as time stood still.

Calling the food at the property exceptional would be an understatement. We tasted bichhoo ka saag and bhatt ki chudkhani for the first time and it became instant favorites. The dishes were served with ragi rotis. I lost count after the 10th roti, by the way!

There are some places that you want to not only visit but hope to settle down. Ramgarh had that effect on us. Surrounded by fruit orchards, warm and friendly people, great weather year round and fresh produce. Remembering the year we had spent at Ramgarh gave us a lifetime of memories to cherish and hopes to build our dreams on! Till next time..

Best Time to Visit – IMO, All year long!

Mode of Transport – Own Vehicle (6-7 hrs drive from Delhi)

Nearby Places to visit – Mukteshwar – 1.5 hr drive up – Nainital – 1.5 hrs drive down

Carry loads of sunscreen (or not!) as you would not be able to resist venturing out! 🙂

Website link for Reservations – Click Here!