Bhimtal is a sleepy hill town of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, and has
the Bhimtal Lake as its chief highlight. If you wish to enjoy nature amid a
calm and quiet ambiance Bhimtal is the place where you should be and not
Nainital, as Nainital is comparatively much crowded and would not give you the
desired peace. The pristine woods of Bhimtal could serve as an inspiration for
any nature lover. Bhimtal town is located approximately 293 kms. from Delhi and
can be easily reached by Road &
Rail.
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| Emerald Trail, Bhimtal |
Emerald Trail Bhimtal, a colonial-style wooden cottage
homestay, located in the village of Jungaliyagaon, (9 kms uphill from the main
town) in Bhimtal is one of the unique ways to enjoy a funfilled, relaxing &
eco-friendly holiday. One of the unique
features of Emerald Trail is that it’s a pet-friendly homestay.
TOH Bunny opted for a family weekend break at Bhimtal and
chose Emerald Trail, attracted by its out-of-the-way location. The drive from
Delhi to Bhimtal takes around 8-9 hours, mainly due to the bad condition of the
roads and we reached Emerald Trail cottage at late noon. We were welcomed
warmly by the Manager, who took our luggage and helped us park our car. The
cottage on the first view is so romantic with wild roses growing, cozy décor, and a
fireplace in the main living room. The main cottage has 4 bedrooms with
attached bathrooms, balconies & sit-outs that face the pretty valley. The
living room and dining rooms are common areas,
for all the guests to enjoy spending time either relaxing by the fireplace,
indoors past times and enjoying the view of majestic mountains while having
meals. There are also pet dogs at the cottage, however, they are kept in the enclosure when guests are around and only let out if guests are fine with dogs
being in the open. There is also an additional one-room unit made of local
stone on one side of the property.
We were shown our room, which was on the ground floor and
had a lovely porch, with a swing and a lovely view of the open area, in-house
kitchen garden, hills & valley beyond. We had a simple but delicious
homemade lunch prepared by the in-house cooks; all the vegetables were sourced
from the homestay kitchen garden. We slept off the rest of the evening amidst the call of birds and the gentle sounds of swaying trees. The dinner was again simple
yet delicious; we reckoned it was because the vegetables used were from the kitchen
garden where it was grown organically. In fact, the property also has its own
cows for milk.
The next morning, we woke up on a lovely sunny day and after a
heavy breakfast, the manager graciously offered to take us on a short walk
in the surrounding forests, which turned out to be an exhilarating,
rejuvenating experience for us. We came back to the cottage to a sumptuous
lunch and an overcast cloudy sky. By the time we finished our lunch, it was
raining heavily and our plan to play badminton on the in-house lawn had to be
abandoned. The cottage has a badminton court, swings & number of cardboard
games for families. We spent the evening sitting in the cozy living room,
reading 7 drinking tea, curled up on the sofa; the bookshelf in the living room
has a nice collection of books.
The next day, it was time to leave and since we had planned
to sightsee the lake till the end; we packed in an early breakfast, had a shower, and drove downhill.
The two and half days at Emerald Trail Bhimtal was one of
the best weekend getaways in a long time and it truly delivers everything it
promises; an eco-friendly, personal & homely experience to rejuvenate among
nature. I would definitely be coming back to Emerald Trail soon.
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