Reviewed 31 August 2014
arununni
Gurgaon
We, a family of four (myself, wife and kids aged 4 and 6) spent one of the most memorable family holidays at Soulitude by the Riverside during the 15th August weekend in 2014. Nothing written about this place on Tripadvisor or elsewhere can do justice to the sheer natural beauty that surrounds you when you reach Soulitude.
For starts…the owner (Mr. Manish Chandra) and his staff were helpful solving our queries, right upto the time we reached the property. Heavy rains and traffic jams ahead of the long weekend meant that our road journey from Delhi took almost 12 hours. The hotel staff were in touch with us right through our journey, providing us updates, and co-ordinating for their personnel to receive us at the designated meeting point.
As we were travelling during the rainy season, the hotel had cautioned us adequately about the approach to the hotel. Cars do not go all the way upto the property in any season. In the rainy season, you alight at a point approx 10 km from Bhimtal, where the hotel staff meet you and accompany you down the hill (Don’t worry….there are folks who the hotel has employed who carry your luggage effortlessly. Do be kind to them though and pack light 🙂 ). The trek downhill to the hotel takes about 40-45 minutes. It was drizzling while we were climbing down, which made our descent a little exciting, as the rocks were slippery at places. Our kids were able to complete the journey without too much of a fuss. However, I would not recommend getting aged people/those with accessibility issues through the downhill approach…the climb down and up can be pretty tough for them.
During the non-rainy season, the trek as we were informed, is across a relatively flat track, and involves crossing the river. We haven’t experienced this though…will leave that for another time.
The first thing you should be clear about is that this is not a ‘Hotel’ in the commercial sense of the word. This property has just 7 rooms. Its location is on the banks of a local river Kalsa. The River Kalsa was pretty rough on our first day there, thanks to the monsoon….the roar of the river was a little scary on our first night in Soulitude. The property has a central dining hall and a common room with books and board games to keep your kids entertained through their stay.
None of the rooms have TV.
There is a solitary TV in the common room, which was (thankfully) never switched on for the 3 days we were there. The views of the Kalsa river and surrounding mountains are breathtaking and enough to make you forget about the existence of TV.
Cell phone signal is patchy, though the (free) wifi is pretty strong right through
The property has their own vegetable farm – staff will happily walk you through. Due to the river being in full flow, we weren’t able to cross/walk in the river. However by day 3, the river was calm enough for us to dip our feet in the icy cold water.
This is no gourmet food holiday. The property does not have an a-la-carte menu (except for a few items such as Maggi/Pakodas etc. that you can order through room service). All meals are buffets with a few dishes cooked home-style (Rice, Dal, Dry Subji, Non Veg and Dessert). Limited though the range may be, the food is delicious. The cooks know their Indian food well. The hotel staff are very hospitable, and try to make the most of your stay.
The room we stayed in (Mukta) was the first floor room in one of 2 cottages). Rooms are spotless and well appointed. See details under ‘Room tips’ section below
Three memorable days well spent in the lap of nature. Would love to go back again (not in the monsoon this time….)
Stayed August 2014 ,travelled with family.