Jilling® | Jilling Estate® — Hotel in Uttarakhand

Situated in the middle of a hilly forest, this quaint rustic farm estate with some lovely rustic cottages was an amazing experience for us. The estate can be reached after an interesting 45 minute long moderate trek uphill. The trek itself excited us (especially our 7 yr old girl) even before we reached the estate. The estate is single handedly run by the Lall family with their small staff from the nearby villages. The simple homestay with such humble people taking care of us was exactly what we were looking for our weekend away from the hustle bustle of our city life. The conversation with the Steve Lall was truly enchanting. His stories of his life in Air force, Steve & Parvati aunty’s sweet love story and his biking adventures made us awestruck. We had a lovely chance to see a documentary movie made by BBC on Steve Lall and his lovely abode. He has had an incredible life and is blessed with an equally loving family & their many dogs. And even the visitors feel blessed with their love and care. Parvati aunty is such a loving and caring lady.||The views around the estate are just awesome. We went on two different treks and the views were so beautiful of the mountains, the birds and few animals we saw and of the distant sleepy villages. The cottages are so distant from each other that you feel you are the only guest getting pampered at the farm. The simple meals prepared at home were delicious. The staff is so friendly (a common nature of the people of mountains). Mornings we trekked, we played with the dogs, fed the little goats and cows. Afternoons we lazed around on the veranda of our cottage with steaming tea and toasts. Evenings we settled in our cozy cottage by the fire place reading. If you really want to relax yourselves completely, this place is...

Jilling was the last leg of my three months solo stay in India and was definitely one of the most memorable parts of my trip. ||I arrived early morning at the property after a refreshing hike up the hill from the main road - my bags were dutifully carried by Ramlalji the age-defying porter. I was immediately struck by the incredible natural beauty of Jilling with spectacular views across the Kumaoni Hills and untouched forests abundant with birds, it’s simply breathtaking. ||The secluded cottages are so comfortable, tastefully decorated and equipped with everything you need including duvets!||Each cottage is given a member of staff to look after them. I had the wonderful Pankaj who attended to my every need and was a brilliant guide on the treks spotting a family of barking deer and pheasants. ||The food is outstanding. Delicious home cooked meals and plums and pears picked straight from their orchard. ||Even more amazing than all of this, are the hosts, Steve, Parvati, Nandini and Karthik. They take the meaning of homestay to a new level. They are so incredibly hospitable, you’re made to feel like a member of the family. They go out of their way to ensure your stay is perfect and is everything you want it to be. It was an honour getting to spend some time with them and I hope I get to to go back to see them again. ||I don’t think this review does it justice, suffice to say, I cannot recommend...

We are 5 people - two of them my parents, 70 year old. The climb to Jilling Estate cottage was not that easy as we thought. Horses were organized for the climb for elders and the rest walked. It took over an hour for the climb. The initial exhaustion and resultant confusion was there for few minutes - BUt then with in 15 mins of stay all the discomfort of the climb disappeared. The real jilling estate experience kickedin. Wow, you are on top of a mountain, all by yourself, amidst the lush green gardens. What a luxury it was! And the hospitality of the people there - Deepak & Pradeep - Its outstanding. Food offered was so fresh & tasty! | |The walk to the ridge is outstanding. Its once in a lifetime kind of experience. |Meeting Mr Steve lall and Ms Parvati is another memorable experience. How passionate they were in conservation and maintaining serenity? If they wanted they could have done lot of commercial development, but they chose to maintain a simple, basic way of operations even denying to have a road to the top of their propoerty. Its like a private forest and they wish to retain it! Amazing spirit, i felt. In the same spirit, Nandini, Mr Seteve & Parvati's daughter, who takes care of booking, is really quite helpful and caring. ||In all, it was a wonderful stay at...