Rain romance in luxe air

It was December 1992. At a height of around 7,000 ft above sea level, we stepped out of the bus, only to be welcomed by heavy rain and the wind. I was in Class I then; and Mussoorie was one of my first vacations. There is little that I remember, but I have nurtured the little memories since then. The queen of hill stations; the home of a certain Ruskin Bond; Mussoorie always invokes the nostalgia in me.

Almost 16 years later, I was to tread this landscape again.

The Dehradun Shatabdi Express departs from the New Delhi railway station at 6.50am. It’s a five-and-a-half-hour journey to Dehradun. Downing breakfast, I use the journey to catch up on some sleep. Outside, there is a lot of concrete, some farm land and little scenic extravaganza. Beyond Hardwar though, with the tunnels and forests and curves, the journey begins to get fun.

A bus awaits us at Dehradun. The one-hour journey to Mussoorie is steep, with winding roads and hairpin bends. And if you are spared from motion sickness, the scenery is refreshing, even better now with the monsoons giving it a wash.

Our destination is the Jaypee Residency Manor, a five-star deluxe resort from the Jaypee Hotels Limited that opened in 1995. Built on a hilltop and spread over nine acres of luscious nature, this luxury abode has a gothic touch.

A hot bath and lunch over, we are re-energised and set out to explore the hotel, a large expanse complete with a skating rink, gym, heated indoor swimming pool, badminton and tennis courts, golfing facilities, a discotheque, bowling alley, gaming zone, library, spa, joggers lane and a shopping plaza.

The terrace is the preamble to a fairyland ambience- a walk through the clouds as you bask in the 360° view of the hills. It drizzles almost all through our stay and we love it; the water droplets against the Dehradun and Mussoorie backdrop making the ambience truly romantic.

The terrace offers a glimpse of the 157-year-old St George’s College spread over roughly 400 acres of land. The clock tower of this building is pure old-world charm. Far away on another hilltop stands Woodstock School.

Flowers and herbs dot the patch- lemon grass, mint, basil. A special wooden enclosure saves space for a fine-dining experience. Bollywood makes an entry with Rahul Saxena, resident manager at the Manor, filling us in on stories of visiting guests like Amitabh Bachchan and the Deols. Vishal Bhardawaj has apparently worked on many of his stories at this hilly abode.

With the rain gaining strength, we tour the indoors of The Regency and find a multi-cuisine restaurant with a bakery and confectionery shop, a cosy lounge bar and a 24-hour coffee shop. We walk to the leisure mall housing video games, ice-hockey, table tennis and a pool table.

Later in the evening, we sip cold coffee and savour snacks at The Regency with F&B manager Puran Miya.

We venture onto the lawn. Though the distant city lights apparently make the hill look spectacular, the clouds play spoilsport on our solitary evening there.

Next morning, we wake to the sounds of hymns and chants. Time is running out and we still want to visit all of Mussoorie’s tourist spots. But there is only time for one trip. So Saxena suggests Bhatta Falls, about 8 km from Mussoorie.

While Kempty attracts huge crowds and is losing its charm, Bhatta is yet untouched by tourist frenzy. It’s quiet, with just the sound of cascading water ringing in your ears.

Back at the hotel, we head for the spa, which promises a holistic detox. The doctor suggests Abhyangam, a rejuvenating ayurvedic full body massage. Tired limbs and sore feet taken care of, lunch is at Captain Young’s Cafe.

Puran orders soups and sandwiches from the ongoing festival and the tuna is an instant hit! When it is finally time to leave, there is only one real regret- not getting to meet Mr Ruskin Bond. Maybe next time!


Anumita Ghosh, t2