Manali, perched on the banks of the River Beas in Himachal Pradesh, has never felt the need to nurse a colonial hangover to draw visitors to its naturally bestowed verdant bounty. So when I suddenly hear a lot of chatter about a certain Gothic castle near the Hadimba Temple, curiosity bites me hard.
Replete with chimneys, a Juliet’s balcony, and a turret crowned with a 
crow’s nest, turns out this property is of a recent vintage, and many years in the making, because the owners are simply living their dream: flagstone by paved flagstone, arch by medieval arch.
Evidenced in the stoney facade offset by gracious interiors, is that The Himalayan Resort & Spa is a labour of love of luxurious details. Dark wood floors, leather furniture, hand-crafted chimney pieces and cast iron fireplaces are de rigeur.
The entry hallway, its marble floor inspired by ones in Pompeii, opens onto to yet another remarkable feature: a 
swimming pool sunk into an informal garden, with stone pathways leading off to well-appointed guest cottages, snuggling amidst apple and cherry orchards. And the views? Matchless! For one who is always itching to explore, I must confess I spent much of my time here soaking in the surrounding verdure.
Truth be had, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if guests choose not to leave the premises at all. Would you, if your 
complete wellness was in the capable hands of the in-house Tattva Spa? I didn’t think so either. Combine that with leisurely constitutionals through the family-owned orchards, and this place has the makings of a destination resort par excellence.
In-step with their obvious stance on quality of experience, the friendly owners are always at hand to trouble-shoot, as also to lend your stay a more personal touch. In deed, one of them found time to keep us company whenever possible. Chatty and knowledgeable he also kept us informed, in style and in splits!
Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu, travel enthusiast and the author of Adrift: A junket junkie in Europe is the youngest of four siblings born into an aristocratic family of Punjab. Dogged in her resistance to conform, and with parental pressure easing sufficiently over the years, she had plenty of freedom of choice. And she chose travel.
She was born in Shimla, and spent her formative years at their home, Windsor Terrace, in Kasumpti while schooling at Convent of Jesus & Mary, Chelsea. The irrepressible wanderlust in her found her changing vocations midstream and she joined Singapore International Airlines to give wing to her passion. She has travelled extensively in Asia, North America, Australia, Europe, South Africa and SE Asia; simultaneously exploring the charms within India.
When she is not travelling, she is writing about it. Over the past decade or so, she has created an impressive writing repertoire for herself: as a columnist with Hindustan Times, as a book reviewer for The Tribune and as a contributor to travel magazines in India and overseas. Her work-in-progress, the documenting of colonial heritage along the Old Hindustan-Tibet Road, is an outcome of her long-standing romance with the Himalayas.
