This is an unbiased personal review of my stay experience at Two Chimneys in Gethia, Uttarakhand
For more details about the property, visit their website TwoChimneys
Just like Monsoon Wedding has a movie on itself, monsoon travels too deserve a place in the public narrative if not in films. Because there is so much more to a travel plan in the monsoons than other seasons – where in the weather checkbox is checked right with the intermittent play of rains and of course it gives altogether a different experience travelling to a new place in this season. And the best part I like during my monsoon travels is not really do much things or explore many places around but just take a peaceful abode and unwind in a sossegado mode. So it always calls for preciously selecting a destination that gives me that monsoon tranquility – Two Chimneys is bang on target in providing that tranquil experience.
I zeroed in on Two Chimneys primarily due to 3 reasons -:
- Proximity from Delhi for a road trip (It is approximately ~ 300 Kms and can be spanned in a 8- 9 hour drive with two short breaks in between)
- Its location on an uncrowded geography of the lower kumaon hills and easily accessibility
- Seeking a good hospitality where you could spend 3-4 days just soul wandering inside the property
While on our journey to Two Chimneys we realised we got 1 & 2 right, we were now excited to discover what we would get inside. The moment we entered, the affability with the place and its people started pouring in. This is where we got a first unique experience where we were straightaway escorted to our rooms – no check in or waiting formalities even after arriving 2 hours late than what we had informed. We were offered one of the 11 rooms in the house – ‘The Willow Suite’.
Obviously there is a palpable excitement to the idea of vacation in the hills, but this stay was slightly more magical. The two chimneys house, which has a story of legendary history owes its origins to early 20th century – as a house built by the wife of a British army officer in colonial times thus giving the entire architecture of the place a very prepossessing and vintage touch. The property is located in the lower Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand (India) on the Bhowani Sanatorium – Haldwani road which is far from the reach of regular run of the mill tourism and gives you an unwinding option to just gawk at the darks green hills and immerse yourself in the mild serenity of the environment surrounding the area. If you happen to be a lover of mother nature sounds and spotting a variety of birds flocking and chirruping happily, this place is the mecca for you.
The House Story – Surrounded & cuddled in lush greenery & mountain views all around, the Two Chimneys hosts two houses in its periphery – the Old house and the newly constructed Ridge Bungalow at the back side. There is a beautiful man made tunnel that connects the two sides of the house passing through a mini fish pond and joined by a large kitchen area. This just goes on to certify the intricate planning in designing this beautiful property over the period of time by its owners ad staff together putting a rich experience of staying in a palatial villa of the erstwhile times. More than just the rooms to stay in, there is plenty on offer to explore and spend time at various decks and corners of the house. If you have a sunny morning, the staff would be graciously serving the breakfast on a table by the poolside on the deck area. The Deck is truly the heart of the place – you can lounge in the outdoor balcony seats chipping views by views of the hills of Nainital on your naked eye or the camera. Walk a few stairs up to take a stroll by the small pool surrounded by trees all around. Let you hairs or legs down in the pool by the hues of an orangish sunset and a drink by your side. A chai would bring more poetic calm on a rainy day or a red wine to sunk in your solitude during the winters. There are various nooks that you can explore on a silent walk like the Land’s end (claimed to be the last point of the estate) from where you can gawk at the forest valley downside or just hum to a classical tune looking at the birds in the various offshoots.
The Room Story – There are 11 rooms on offer, each uniquely named going by the history of the place or how it was used in earlier times of the ancient property. For instance a room named ‘Goat shed’ derives its origin as it was where the goats were tied to keep them safe from the leopard. Each room is of course distinctively designed in style & decor and they have an open door policy – So we were lucky to have only 1 other guest occupying another room which opened the doors to the remaining 9 for our view and the staff was cordially happy to show us around. We were truly spoilt for choice and it was too bemusing for us to pick the best one. If I had to choose one, it would be a battle between the 2 rooms – ‘The Nest’ & ‘The Oak Suite’. And a little moment of graciousness fell upon us when the chief of the staff Manju offered us to move to Oak suite on our last day of the stay. Those little gestures gave us a huge smile on the face of course. It was almost like staying in 2 different places under one roof.
The People Story – The property now bought by its current owners has been given a truly convivial makeover while still retaining its historic glory. It takes 16 staff members to look after maintaining the wholehouse and the spearhead of the house is a lady called Manju who has a great job of keeping the house in order and ensuring the staff and in turn the guest stay happy. Heartily if I had to pick up one best thing about my experience among all the good things, it has to go to the warmth of the place that comes from the best in class hospitality of the entire staff and caretakers – their geniality immediately catches on to you and you would not even hesitate to call upon them at any time for a hot cup of coffee or finding company for a trek in the nearby hills. You would love all the conversations with Manju who would happily call upon the memories of the past decade of her time managing the house and where each art piece of the home came from.
Sanju & Chander who take care of the guest servicing have great stories to tell about the place, or the local culture and what keeps them happy to serve guests like us. They bring in the archetypical belief of why people in the mountains are so genuinely affectionate and caring to guests and travellers.
The Food Story
They have a big kitchen which is operational throughout the day. So you can fill all those small cravings for pakodas or lemon soda any time of the day while indulged in your book. Or order a Jaljeera masala or cold coffee to help you finish that book which is long pending on your reading list. We also got to spend time with the kitchen staff who bring out an amazing gastronomical touch to your stay. They were glad to give us a walk in the kitchen and learn about our preferences that could be customised over the course of our stay. In the next 3 days, we got to lipsmack all varieties from the North Indian cuisine, Pahadi Dal, Continental breakfast, Piping hot parathas, bannofie pie for a late night sweet craving to my special made to order Spicy Egg curry. I asked for a masala tea at an odd time in the afternoon post lunch & was served graciously by Sanju who himself made the tea despite not tied to the kitchen duties. Thats an Example of Exceeding Expectations in our Corporate world.
There is a large rectangular dining hall on the ground floor that is centered around an antique dining table. While the staff would be conceding to your in room dining requests but I would suggest to skip that for another exquisite stay at a 5 star hotel sometime later. The dining room’s ambience and decor gives you a feeling as if you are having a meal with fellow hunters after a successful outing in the jungle.
The Art Story – And just if you thought all the above indulgences are too fulfilling for a trip to Two chimneys, there is still a very subtle but most impressing thing to experience. It is the interior design and decor with embellishment of various works of art all inside the rooms and outside giving you a very eclectic mix of options to spend your time at the house. It comes from a very experienced eye for detail in picking art pieces from all across the globe and putting them at the right places – Manju told me their owners have great liking for wildlife and animals which is also characteristic of the theme and inspiration behind various handicrafts and placements. Even the crockery and the bathroom accessories speak volumes of the efforts put in by the people to ensemble together a great collection of art all across and inside the property.
The Two Chimneys Story – Reading through this and reaching till this point, I am sure you would have had a mind travel of your own. But there is no equalizer to actually being there and finding your cherishing staycation basking in the glory of pure environment, pristine hills, a textbook house to live in – all in the call of a great service. I would personally not recommend to club your Two Chimneys tour with any other destination and just soak in what this place has to offer – It is so much for a single trip to the hills. As an addition I would definitely suggest a small walk or drive in the local vicinity after a sumptuous lunch on one of your stay days – you could be lucky to spot a couple of Langurs or just time travel in the adjacent road connecting the Gethia and Bhowali sanatoriums of the erstwhile days. Drop in by those petty tea shops and have a candid conversation of life in the mountains.
I would sign off this blog post by definitely giving you a dose of what makes this place to be called Two Chimneys. The house has been thoughtfully named after the two smoke chimneys atop the roof that is still said to be operational in colder seasons. It is traditionally remarking of its colonial construction and remains etched in character with the times. When you are there do not miss out the valley view of nainital hill station just perched in the top direction of the two chimneys easily viewable from the deck. Next time I will park myself in the cold winters for a stay and enjoy a custom made soup while gazing at the billowing smoke from the two chimneys.
For a stay at the property contact the booking office at 2chimneys@gmail.com or directly call up Manju (her number is shared on the website here). You can try your luck on some great discounts and more than that an added dose of hospitality by quoting you referred this blog from Travelotto to reach there. And for any personal recommendations and suggestions you can anytime reach out to me. Drop in your comments if you liked this blog and do share so that it reaches more travellers like you. You can also follow my travelogues with the facebook page Travelotto.
Before you leave, if you liked this stay review I am sure you should not miss reading my stay experiences at other fabulous places here
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