Bangalore restaurants- Food and Travel: Shimla

Naldehra Golf Course – Lush Greens and Blue Skies

Wednesday, July 20, 2016Me! In words

If there is one place that can take your breath away at every hair-pin bend, it is Shimla. This hill station has long been the refuge of those seeking to get away from it all. In fact, more than a century ago, it was the summer capital of the members of the British Raj as also a holiday destination, perhaps for the fact that the verdant location reminded them of home.

Today, Shimla offers its visitors a host of facilities and attractions that ensure multiple visits are in order. From landscapes that promise never-ending views of the lower ranges of the Himalayas to snow-capped peaks, to endless rows of deodar (Himalayan Oak), oak and rhododendron, Shimla’s peek-a-boo streams and lush fields can hold a magical sway. If you are visiting here with your family, like I did, you will never run out of sights to keep the young ones amazed. One interesting place we headed to was the Naldehra Golf Course, which at one time was the highest placed course in the country.

Picture-perfect Naldehra

Nestled, not too deep in this picture postcard serenity is the Naldehra Golf Course – perhaps a secret that has been well kept for a while now. Placed 22km away from Shimla and at a majestic height of 2200 metres above sea level, the golf course has one of the most picturesque settings to tee off that you can ever imagine.

History tells us that the Naldehra Golf Course was born out of the immense love that Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India in 1905 had for the place. Naldehra was often a place he would come to for days on end, whenever the opportunity presented itself. In fact, his third daughter was believed to have been conceived here and hence the name Lady Alexandra Naldera Curzon was bestowed on her.

The Naldehra Golf Course has several exciting features for a golfing enthusiast as well as a tourist. The second oldest in the country, after the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) in Kolkata, Naldehra’s high altitude presents no hindrance to the game, the landscape or your ability to tee off comfortably. “What you do feel is rejuvenated, says Brigadier B. S Kanwar (retd), the Captain of the Naldehra Golf Club when we visited. “There is no sense of claustrophobia thanks to the scores of pine trees, the pollution-free atmosphere and the European touch of rolling country and small mounts to gaze on.”

A Challenging Course

Cloaked by a thick blanket of Deodar trees is a par 68, 18-hole golf course with 16 greens and 18 tees. It has been created over an extensive sloping glade and presents some interesting challenges to visiting golfers. The course was originally conceptualized as a 9-hole course, but over time, the management felt the need to create a more challenging and diverse course. A similar set of 9-holes was relayed with a few more greens and tee-off points. All this was done without changing the natural landscape of the course.

Some sights below of the course and the routes it takes

Today, a round of golf here ensures that a player has a visually breathtaking scene to gaze on, while having the chance to explore a course that is quite literally, like no other around. Though not an extremely long course, what you may definitely look forward to are the tall pine trees, elevated greens and sharp slopes that characterize the course. The course may also prove to be a small test in endurance as every hole has an out-of-bounds, providing an interesting day at the greens for an avid golfer.

The Naldehra Golf Course also has something for those not too keen on the golfing aspect. Horse rides going uphill are aplenty and after a little haggling you will get the price of your choice and a horse as well. We paid around Rs 200 per pony for the children. They were taken up the hill, a not around the course and back. A 20 minute ride in all. A little away from the course are opportunities for impromptu picnics and get-together with friends. Shacks around the space ensure food and drink are not too far away. Season time may see the place packed though, especially since you cannot get on to the golf course without a membership. You may also find something beautiful at the Kashmiri outlet at the entrance of the course –take your pick from shawls, stoles, carpets and more here.

The Naldehra Golf Course is best visited between April and October, with the ideal golfing months being during the monsoons from July to September. The turf is amazingly springy and lush, making for a great game. To see the place in its prime, you may want to visit during the Koti Cup – an annual tradition that is usually held in October.

Resorts around Naldehra

Koti Resorts: We stayed at Koti Resorts, a review of which you can read here. Situated less than half a kilometre away from Naldehra Golf Course, this resort has a charming Swiss Chalet style of architecture. The rooms here overlook a valley and give you a spectacular view of the mountains come rain, snow or bright sunshine. A scenic walk to the golf course is perhaps the best way to step onto the greens for an enjoyable day. At the end of the day, retire to a room with an in-built Jacuzzi or relax with your family around a bonfire.

http://kotiresorts.com/

The Woodstock Resort: Located just 250 meters away from the golf course, this resort is a quaint 14-room set-up with charming wooden interiors. The bright green gates welcome you into an oasis of calm and serenity. If a day at the greens doesn’t appeal to you, sitting back here and relaxing definitely will.

http://woodstockresort.in/

The Chalets: Less than a kilometre away from Naldehra Golf Course, this hospitality unit offers you the best of independent apartments as well as chalets and rooms. Outfitted with every conceivable modern amenity, you are sure to have a peaceful time during your stay here. Set against a background of the Himalayas, many a visitor has climbed up into the cosy attics of the chalet’s to take in its majestic beauty. The revolving restaurant too has quite a draw.

http://www.chaletsnaldehra.com/

Whistling Pines: This is a majestic resort that is set at the foot of Craigano Hills, not too far from Naldehra Golf Course. Despite its towering presence, it has left the lushness of nature around it rather untouched. The rooms offer views of apple orchards and endless cedar and pine forests. A luxurious space to retire to at the end of a day on the greens.

http://www.whistlingpinesresort.com/

Disclaimer: This trip to Shimla was sponsored by Koti Resorts. The views expressed are personal and unbiased

Koti Resorts Shimla Travel Diaries

Koti Resort - Shimla

Monday, May 11, 2015Me! In words

This summer vacation, we headed off to Shimla to escape the blistering heat of Bangalore. Seems strange to say something like this because there used to be a time when Bangalore was the cool haven that people headed to, to seek refuge in the summers. Things are definitely changing in what was once called a Garden City - the recent thunder and hail storms are evidence enough.

Anyway rambling aside, we stayed at the gorgeous Koti Resort at Baldeyan around 20kms away from Shimla. Here is a resort perched 6600ft above sea level, with every room providing you a view that you could spend days gazing at. We stayed in the premium room and had a wall to wall glass window to gaze out of. This live window seemed to change views at every time of the day. Here are just two view of what we saw for 4 days!

We flew in to Chandigarh and did the scenic route up 120kms to Shimla and then a little beyond to get to Baldeyan and the resort. The long journey did do us in on the day we arrived, but a very pleasant dinner was in store for us at the resort's restaurant. Temperatures dipped drastically in the evening here and we were at about 12 degrees at dinner time (yes 12 degrees is drastically low for me). Walking into the warmly lit reception we were guided to take a wooden flight of stairs up to the restaurant - On the landing are photo frames depicting the Shimla of yore, each of them holding enough of sway to make you stop and stare a few minutes.

The staircase leading up to the restaurant

A few minutes it was, because tummies began to protest loudly and we entered the restaurant. A mezzanine floor leads to the fully loaded bar and an outdoor seating area, used primarily in the day time ensures that the gorgeous views are never too far away from sight. The restaurant has an open kitchen where you can actually step up and watch you food being prepared live.

A view of the seating area and the kitchen

I am more used to seeing jam packets placed on a table this way. This plate was quite amusing!

The presentation of the food at the restaurant is nothing much to speak of, but the food definitely is. The last thing I thought I would eat when up at Shimla was Basa fish, considering am not a major fan of this. But I like what was done to the basa. Its a fish that takes anything done it to it really well and here the treatment was delicious and kept to the minimum - a little chilli, a little lemon, a few basic spices and crumb fried. Served hot, this was precisely what we needed after the long journey and on the cold night.

The meat kebabs were deliciously hot (yes, I can't stop gushing about how hot the food was. With the dipping temperatures outside, I had a renewed appreciation going for good, hot food). The meat was treated well and was moist, with a nice charcoal smokiness to it.

When up north, always go in for the Dal Makhni with roti - the lashings of house churned butter made this a dish that I slurped on with a spoon, more than I did with the roti.

What also accompanied the roti was a heavenly Mutton Saagwala - there is a different quality to the meat served in this part of country. The meat is richer, more tender and has a different flavour quality to it. Its close to the end of good Saag season and we made the most of it with this dish.

The dinner of course had to end on a sweet note and we were served the classic Gulab Jamun (yes, warm Gulab Jamun). It did have a touch of whole aromatics in it but what really stole the show was the chasni (sugar syrup) that it was placed in. The chasni was a crystallized and was loaded with elaichi and cardamom. It added a small crunch to every bite and instantly melted in the mouth.

The next morning after gushing senseless and taking innumerable photographs of the sunrise, we were told we could have breakfast out in the open where we could gaze on the mountains. Needless to say we took the resort up on the offer. The photo you see up here was taken around 6AM with the sun just peeking from behind the mountains.

And when you sit down to breakfast, you can see the clouds moving apart to give you a breathtaking view of it all

Breakfast at Koti Resorts is a generous mix of all things North and South. And so we had a little of both brought to the table to satiate two families from both these regions. I stuck to parathas and makkan which was thick and delicious, along with some pickle. The dosas here are served with a seriously generous amount of sambar and coconut chutney. The aloo curry to go with the puris was pleasant too.

Dosas up close.

The puris

The poha was on the drier side and could have been fluffed up a bit better nevertheless the flavours were right

And there you have my aloo paratha!

And the next morning, we had breakfast at the restaurant. It was a bit too cold for us to actually sit in the beautiful balcony and eat and so settled for taking a few pictures and getting back inside to a warm meal.

On one of the nights there, the resort set up a bonfire around which we were served dinner. Great food, good alcohol, cold nights, blazing fire and a lovely family to share the pleasure with. It was gorgeous.

And on one of the afternoons that we were at the resort, we were offered a traditional Himachali spread - we opted to go vegetarian since the indulgence over the past couple of days had been exceptional high. But this was a truly indulgent meal in itself. Made with an abundance of local produce, this is one that warrants post on its own.

The service at Koti Resorts is very homely, efficient yet non-intrusive. Children get special attention and all their demands are personally looked into. The restrooms are spotlessly clean. A meal for two here is approximately Rs 1500. If you happen to plan a trip to Shimla soon, this resort is a great one to consider.

Address: Sadhora, Baldeyan, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, 171012

Phone: 0177-2740177

Cuisine: Himachali, North and South Indian
Wallet factor: Rs 1500 for 2

Parking: Resort Parking

Naldehra Golf Course – Lush Greens and Blue Skies

Koti Resort - Shimla

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Naldehra Golf Course – Lush Greens and Blue Skies

Koti Resort - Shimla

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