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Ah, Mussoorie!

Travel Mussoorie may have lost much of its pristine beauty. But the air here is as crisp as ever and draws tourists

Sunset to sigh over Jaypee Residency Manor is in Barlowganj on the way to the town

What's experience you look forward to in a hill station? It should provide an opportunity to walk for long in the wilds with fresh air caressing the soul. But that was long ago. Today, amidst their 24/7 schedules, people expect more. As for nature, just a room with a view will do.

Here is one such option on the hills near Mussoorie. The Jaypee Residency Manor is a fitting option for those seeking a refreshing weekend. For the growing number of people who want to splurge at a hill station but don't find the right place to do so, here is one. At Manor one can laze amidst nature without having to give up on luxury. If the view from the terrace is breathtakingly exotic, it is pretty from the room windows.

Five-star food

The multi-cuisine restaurant draws people with the same quality and variety that any five-star hotel offers in a metro. The bonus is that the staff are much more congenial. Adding fun to leisure are a bowling alley, video games, health club and a heated indoor pool. "There is an increasing customer base which doesn't want to walk around in hill stations. They want all the facilities in the hotel itself. We offer treks in the hills, but I have yet to come across anybody opting for it," smiles T. Menon, Front Office Manager. The Manor, indeed, offers a jogging track around the circumference of the property.

The new clientele, says Menon, largely comprises the BPO and multinational companies' staff, who come for company-paid holidays. "They come so tired that they just want to relax in a soothing ambience. Then there are the traditional tourists — the business families, the parents of kids who study in schools that abound in the area, and of course, the honeymoon couples who don't want to discover nature beyond their rooms."

A true tourist is one who is always curious to explore the unknown, even if it means stretching himself a bit. So, if you want to look beyond your room window, there are plenty of places at Mussoorie. But sadly, most of them are in a state of neglect. There is the famed Kempty Falls which is surrounded by shops selling nothing exclusive. The place is full of filth. Plastic bags abound beneath the transparent water.

Barista too

As for another popular locale, the Mall Road, the place has got a Barista now. Again the exclusivity is missing. "Today the tourist wants to take his city to the hill station. Except for the chhadi (stick) we don't sell anything traditional. All the things come from Delhi and Jallandhar," says Ravi Kant Sharma, an old shopkeeper.

What is, however, still fresh about Mussoorie is the air. It is particularly true of the Lal Tibba area. A cup of tea here, and you forget your blues. A walk down the Sisters' Bazaar is equally rejuvenating, so is reaching out to some of the famed residents of Mussoorie — Tom Alter and Ruskin Bond.

ANUJ KUMAR

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