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Luxury in the WILDERNESS
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ANJANA RAJAN experiences the luxury of silence and solitude in the Uttaranchal Himalayas, over a deluxe yet spartan weekend of eco-tourism.
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ADVENTURES WITH MOTHER GANGA: White water river rafting near Rishikesh and (right) a rappeller ready to plunge.
THAT LIFE becomes more complicated, the more comfortable it becomes, is a fact of life most civilisations have discovered. Far from the days when dinner need only be trapped, skinned and eaten, and fires were lit only to warm up a cave or keep wild animals at bay, today we don't even have the leisure to sit round a table laden with microwave cooked goodies. But as we make life's web ever more complicated we also find ingenious ways to get away from it all. Back to the cave experience is one of the latest ways to chill out, and you can do it over a weekend even from frenetic Delhi, where the soul gets worn out in an urban existence, everything has become sophisticated except the primitive instincts of human predators. Uttaranchal's rugged Himalayas are within reach. If air-conditioned offices prevent you from keeping track of the weather, then it's time to board a bus or train to the land of the river Ganga.
Trekking, camping, roughing it out, is not everyone's way of relaxing, but if you have the purse for it, you can be thankful that there is plenty that money can buy even in the wildest wilderness. Leisure Hotels Limited, whose Delhi office is in Nehru Enclave, who have been running resorts in the Kumaon hills for long, have recently introduced packages for eco-tourism and pilgrimages in Garhwal, including Rishikesh, Haridwar and the four major spiritual centres of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
The Camp 5 Elements, launched not long ago in the Rishikesh area, away from the main town - 226 kilometres from Delhi - on the silvery sand banks of the Ganga, is framed round adventure sports and eco-tourism. Residents are provided two-bedded tents, and the camp feels totally cut off from `civilisation', except for a telephone connection available at the dining tent. Abiding by the rules laid down for minimum interference with the eco-system, with no electricity and no flush toilets, the company packages even the idea of the dry pit toilets - provided separately in tents - also as part of the adventurous experience. Never fear, though, the deluxe residential tents are equipped with comfortable beds, attached baths and wash basins with running water. And for hot water, the resort staff are ready to carry over piping hot buckets full of it. And a variety of fine dining options adorn the buffet table for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For sheer peace and beauty that heals the spirit, it is difficult to match a Himalayan sojourn. The season for visiting this resort continues till April or May, when the camp folds up and moves to the Char Dham sites. When the sky is cloudy, the weather is less cold. Intense stillness envelops the area, and lanterns outside the 20-odd tents throw up flickering shadows. But when the stars come out, their sight is enough to forget the cold.
The weak of heart can take courage from not being alone. There are packages for families and corporate groups. A bonfire with singing at night, and beach volleyball are options to rend the baffling calm of nature. And then there are activities like rock climbing, rappelling, trekking and white water rafting, for which Leisure Hotels provide experienced guides and instructors.
26 kilometres from Rishikesh is the town of Haridwar. Here the luxury experience is represented by the Haveli Hari Ganga, a property owned by the family of Leisure Hotels Director Vibhas Prasad. Well appointed rooms, an Ayurvedic spa and Yoga and meditation classes provide a perfect foil to the silence of the 5 Elements
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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