Mantra Eco-Resort — Hotel in Uttarakhand

Right on top of one of the hills of Hartola in the Himalayas, Mantra is a truly unique place. ||||We reached Mantra feeling a bit tired as we chose to do the 9-hour drive from Delhi, the last 2 hours of the drive were on this amazing winding road with great views of the valleys and the mountains. Though it is possible to fly to Pantnagar and drive for 3-hours or take a train to Kathgodam and drive for 2 ½ hours to reach there. The welcome drink of honey lemon and ginger tea along with freshly made onion pakoras refreshed me and put me in a good mood. Our mud-cottage offered an excellent view of the snow-clad Himalayas and the green valley in the foreground. After resting a while and freshening up, we walked around the 9-acre retreat. It is here that we met the very affable Baida (Bacchi Ram) who has been on the site for more than 40-yrs. to give us a tour of the property. As we walked around the property, he filled us in with anecdotes about the place, people who have stayed in the resort, the terrain and the flora and fauna of the place and local lore’s of the nearby temple as we enjoyed the peace and calm the property exudes. ||||On the first night we chose to dine outside under the stars. The sparkling stars, a sliver of a moon and the warm glow of candle light and the bonfire added to the idyllic atmosphere. The food was exceptionally good and we were fed home-grown organic vegetables and dal. ||||A good meal warrants a good walk and on one such walk during the night we spotted a barking deer running across our path. The property has an array of beautiful birds. What makes the property beautiful is that the natural forest and terrain have been retained as much as possible. As a result, the path from the rooms and the dining area to the main road is a steep incline that provides ample exercise if one wants to walk around. ||||A stay at Mantra is incomplete without a trip to the Mall in Nainital which is about 90-min drive with amazing stops on the way to click photographs of the majestic Himalayas and enjoy the Chai and Samosa in Malla Ramgarh.||||Before I wrap up, I must mention that the staff is excellent. A walk in the forest with Baida is a must. ||Never have we experienced a more...

Stayed in Hartola with my spouse and young children (7 and 11 years old). Boy did we love it. A very active stay, the kids and ourselves went into a deep slumber every night, after a day of running around the gloriously hilly site (think of Hobbiton!). The rarefied (and clean!) air and the treks up, down and around the mountain made sure of that and meant we earned our delicious locally produced meals! Glimpses of local wildlife (monkeys and leopards), as well as glow worms and other local fauna kept the children rapt. Having masala chai in my bare feet outside our chalet as the sun warmed the world up, looking at the snow-capped top line of the upper ridges of the Indian Himalayas was a pure joy. Highlights were the treks, the Easter egg hunt by the kids amidst the interesting foliage, the greatest samosas on earth in a nearby village, and the day spent in Nainital on the way. The drive is daunting (although I understand there may be an alternative involving a flight and shorter drive), but where would the craic in that be? If you're thinking of a hill break to cool down, and somewhere the kids can run wild on a huge private site, look no further. It's a comfortable, gl-amping type experience, the coverage for phones and data was excellent, the workers on site looked after us so well, we left well exercised but thoroughly refreshed, and all in all it was a real privilege to be here and experience this Indian road...

Visited Hartola to escape the heat and smoke of Delhi. The drive, a couple of hours beyond Nainital, was worth it as the stunning views were a privilege to wake up to. Staying here, with it’s simple pleasures and clean environment, was the perfect antidote to the stresses of city living, a way to recharge the batteries and an ideal way for our family to come together away from technological distractions and indulge in healthy outdoor pursuits amidst the beautiful surrounds. ||That said, the phone and data coverage was excellent. The drive up was an adventure in itself, with many great stop offs, including in Nainital itself, and one we’ll remember our whole lives. ||The perfect hill vacation to cool down as the temperatures soar, this mountainside resort offered us the chance to see a side of India outsiders so seldom see. It’s not the bubble of a 5 star sterile chain hotel, but real nature, real experiences, real exposure to the stunning beauty of the Himalayas and to the warmth of the locals. Our stay here was comfortable and easily one of the best things we did in India, one we’ll...