Hotels that you Never Heard of in India

When you step into the portals of Orange County, Coorg, you leave one world behind, and step seamlessly into another: the bygone era of the Gentleman Planter. Ensconced in the cocooned comforts of a lush 300-acre plantation paradise, the resort is perfumed with the subtly intoxicating aroma of coffee and spice. Come, allow the Spirit of the land to infuse your very being, and coax you gently on a personal voyage of discovery.

Situated in forests of the Satpura National Park, the lodge is made of 12 cottages, all charmingly furnished. The cottages and the lodge create an environment completely suited to enjoying the idyllic forests its located in, with each cottage having its own sit-out and a central machan for viewing the vast expanse of the Satpura forest.

A castle and cottages built in what they call a Victorian Gothic Revival style, this boutique hotel is surrounded by apple and cherry orchards, and not to mention, the Himalayas. Perfect for indulging your indolent side. Lovely walks in the chilly mountains followed by the warm elegance of this hotel make for a beautiful vacation.

This is also White Tiger country. These have been found in the old state of Rewa for many years. The last known was captured by Maharajah Martand Singh in 1951. This White Tiger, Mohan, is now stuffed and on display in the palace of the Maharajahs of Rewa.

Prior to becoming a National park, the forest around Bandhavgarh had long been maintained as a Shikargah, or game preserve, of the Maharajahs of Rewa.

Kerala, god’s own country is undoubtedly beautiful, a natural paradise. But along with the beauty it has history joined to it. The Old Harbour Hotel in Fort Cochin is known to be the remnant of a colonial past, its Dutch-Portugese heritage.

A 300 year-old building that has for long been a heritage monument of this town, reopened as a boutique hotel. It was the first hotel of old Cochin but later it remained a residential home to employees of English tea-broking firms until it was left unused for a period of time.

1. Tiger Mountain Lodge

The Tiger Mountain Lodge is located up on a lofty ridge overlooking the Pokhara Valley in Nepal, with forests and small villages situated around it. It is perched 1,000 feet above the Pokhara Valley, through which the hotel has a spectacular Himalayan backdrop.

A cluster of comfortable cottages, all of which have been built in the style of the villages themselves, provide a secluded and lovely stay. In simple words this lodge is rural and luxurious too.

The Tiger Mountain Lodge is located up on a lofty ridge overlooking the Pokhara Valley in Nepal, with forests and small villages situated around it. It is perched 1,000 feet above the Pokhara Valley, through which the hotel has a spectacular Himalayan backdrop.

A cluster of comfortable cottages, all of which have been built in the style of the villages themselves, provide a secluded and lovely stay. In simple words this lodge is rural and luxurious too.

Helga’s Folly is situated right beside the Kingdom of Kandy, in the middle of thick green foliage, with mountains and a lake. It was designed as a private house in 1932 by Helga's mother Esme De Silva, wife of Frederick De Silva, who 'wore' many hats, one of which was Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Paris in the 60's.

It hosted many celebrities like Vivian Leigh, Peter Finch, Sir Laurence Olivier, David Lean, Sir Alec Guinness, William Holden, Gregory Peck, Cartier Bresson, Paula Yates, Kelly Jones, Zandra Rhodes, Andrew Logan, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

Once again Rajasthan is in the list. Amanbagh derived its name from aman, meaning ‘peace’ in Sanskrit and bagh, meaning ‘garden’ in Hindi, Amanbagh lies within a walled compound once used by the Maharajah of Alwar to site his mobile hunting camps.

Long since abandoned, the trees and vegetation continued to thrive. The resort is a modern day ‘Mughal Palace’, paying homage to the architecture and design of India’s golden age.

Kashmir’s beauty can leave you gasping for air, yet amidst such splendor, exists one tiny, wondrous place to stay. Of all things, a houseboat on the Dal Lake would be the most idle place to take in Kashmir’s beauty, with the looming snowcapped peaks -far away yet so near and the lotuses floating at arm’s length on the Dal.