space for a crib ensure the room is comfortable as a family room. Landour, a beautiful outpost in Mussoorie, full of pine forests and quaint hill bakeries is but a 40-minute drive away. Slightly colder and less crowded than the main city, Landour houses several old colonial bungalows, pine forest pathways and the famous house of Ruskin Bond and other luminaries! Jim Corbett’s parents had settled here in the old British cantonment, as had the writer Emily Eden while accompanying her brother Lord Auckland to India. One could also end up walking till Lal Tibba (translates to Red Hill from Tibetan), the highest point in Mussoorie. There is also the lesser-known and densely forested Pari Tibba (Fairy Hill) near Woodstock school, one of the more famous boarding schools of that area. Our second day was spent indulging in a picnic post a short pine forest trek that the kind folks of JW Marriott Mussoorie were good enough to arrange for us. A local guide, Rohan helped us trek the trail that began right behind the hotel, and within 30 minutes, we had reached a clearing amidst the beautiful pine forest. There we set up our tent, emptied our picnic basket, and met the dearest dog who came to befriend us. Our guide made us some yummy maggi and chai, two items that have got cult status in the hills, and it was perfect. Mussoorie has many gentle trails for those who would like to trek but don’t have much experience. The efforts are relatively less, and the views are glorious! Picnics are a childhood favourite, especially if you’ve grown up on a diet of Enid Blyton books, and the cool weather is hard to come by in many parts of the country. But it is perfectly possible to park yourself in the hills of Mussoorie and open a stuffed picnic basket full of croissants and scones, or kachoris if you so prefer! We had brought along goodies from Landour’s famous Bakehouse, which makes small eats and pastries with recipes that go back to AngloIndian and British families who stayed on in that area. Other places of interest include a trout farm, Mussoorie’s famous Mall Road, where Dolma’s Chinese or a very famous omelette shop remains the star attractions. But even if you’re not much of an adventurer, the property has other joys to offer. It’s culinary delights are manifold. From the modern appeal of its Trout House Grill and Bar, to authentic Italian at the open-air Wisteria Deck, to the more mysterious and fine dine experience of Teppan, which features a live grill teppanyaki experience upon a 24 hour prior notice. The open-air Trout House Grill and Bar is housed in Chesterfield furniture, with wooden flooring, and a panoramic view of the mountains in front. The Harmony Sculpture at the deck, a giant fugelhorn is a note to the British-era tradition of dining over music. The perfectly grilled fresh trout in a lemon butter sauce completed our feeling of being tucked away with fresh produce in the hills. Wisteria Deck on the other hand is styled like a trattoria, with a rustic Italian look, complete with a fullblown wood-fired oven. Their tiramisu was our favourite, followed by a roast chicken, and a Himalayan wild rice risotto which we kept digging in for more. The beautifully designed greenhouse on the property, styled with rows after rows of flowers, supplied with a white swing and fairy lights makes it look stunning, the high point of the property.The gently sloping landscaped grounds in front of it and the majestic Himalayas behind make it attractive from the outside as well as inside the premises. On our second day, we enjoyed a special wine and cheese date under a geodesic dome installed on the property, right next to the greenhouse. The unusual setting, under the night sky, with soft music playing made it special, a true break from the mundane. The next day, we indulged in a sumptuous Pahadi thali, with items regional from the place. The thali included items such as gahat ki dal, pahadi mutton, sisod ka saag (stinging nettle) and madwe ki roti (local millet). The rice and aloo ki sabzi was tempered with a local spice called jakhiya. The sweet was bal mithai, a famous fudgy sweet typical to Uttarakhand. The calm interiors of the greenhouse, twinkling lights and delicious thali served in brass serveware made the experience really special. The indoors pool area is heated, with a separate baby pool for the tiny tots. Similarly, the kids area has activities throughout the day, if you want to leabe the kids and enjoy some alone time.The L’Occitane spa is well reputed, even though it was booked out during my stay. An overview of the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove and Spa Greenhouse 46|LUXEBOOK|APRIL 2022 APRIL 2022 |LUXEBOOK|47
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