Religious tourism in the Himalayas and hidden jewels
If you are touring the Himalayas or looking to visit the holiest of Hindu sites in Uttaranchal, the Himalayan northern state in India, Leisure Hotels is a chain that you must look to. Many of their properties are heritage hotels, charming, located at the most pristine of locations, with the best of views, even though the service can be fairly basic. Expect home-style meals and staff that will even go out of its way to make you a cosy bonfire. We stayed at a Lesiure Hotels property in Ramgarh, The Himalayan View Retreat, a relatively unknown hill station, just about half-an-hour’s drive from the more touristy Nainital, the hill station named after its huge lake shaped like an eye (according to a legend, this is where the eye of goddess Sati fell off as her husband, the great god of destruction Shiv carried it across the heavens). Ramgarh, on the other hand, is very calm, full of trails going up into the mountains where you can trek, lazy meadows where you can spread out your blanket near an apple tree and read, and clouds. Our hotel was charming, a former wooden palace of one of the royal families of the area, and all we did there was siit out on moodahs, in the verandah with an awesome view of a clouds-filled valley, sipping hot, gingered tea. The service was slow, so we had to tell the kitchen staff what we wanted to eat for dinner at breakfast time itself! But at least, we were sure that the cook was going down to the neighbouring village himself and buying fresh veggies and meats to make our simple meals. Do go there for pure relaxation if you can. The group also runs camps offering religious tourism in India and if you are going on a sacred pilgrimage to the Char Dhams, (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri & Yamunotri), sites in the Himalayas revered by Hindus, the last two being the origins of the mighty river Ganga and Yamuna, these camps offer reliable accommodation. If you are going to Haridwar, the spiritual town on the banks of the gangga, stay at the Hari Ganga Haveli, the group’s new property. There are two other properties of this chain that I would recommend: