Of unseen horizons…

…you don’t reach Serendip by plotting a course for it. You have to set out in good faith for elsewhere and lose your bearings…serendipitously.

— John Barth, The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor

For us Bangaloreans, making travel plans when a long weekend is around the corner is almost inevitable. Every weekend is the end of a long week and invariably all the Friday evening get togethers with friends involve making travel plans as one or all of us have this strong desire to get away from the mundane and chill by the beach or find ourselves in the mountains. The long weekend of Nov 1, 2021 was no different and a bunch of us wanted to escape to the mountains. No sooner had this thought come to us, we started scouting for hotels in the obvious choices – Coorg, Ooty and Chikmagalur. Turned out the travel bug bit us quite late this time as most of the hotels were booked out or were charging exorbitantly. And just when we had almost given up on a vacation, we found this hidden gem! The perfect combination of privacy and indulgence, Pembroke Villa, a colonial heritage bungalow with a history of over 100 years, is tucked away in the paradisiacal landscape of the Nilgiris in the beautiful, quaint village of Manjakombai.

So there we were, after a nine hour drive from Bangalore, in the lap of nature – in one of the coziest houses, soaking up the endless vistas, charm and serenity of the area. With its breath-taking views of the mountains, the fresh and cold air, and lush green plantations, Manjakombai mesmerized us with its unseen charm. To add to it was the immeasurable joy of not having to mask up as our surroundings had more of biodiversity and less of civilization!

Staying in the midst of a tea plantation, we would start our day by trekking on its slopes, walking in the meandering muddy paths and taking in the spectacular views of the Nilgiris. Although I am more of a “snuggle in and cozy up in the bed” kind of a person, I gave into the charms of the picturesque views and misty winding roads and took the road less travelled with my fellow travellers. While we were happy to have the whole place to ourselves, we were more than glad to have a cook and a caretaker whipping up hot meals, snacks and chai as we continued to laze around playing board games, reading, watching movies, and having conversations. We did have quite a few guests from the animal kingdom visit us in our patio where we would spend our time playing frisbee or lounging in the grass or walking barefoot and gaze at the endless sky. What more could one ask for!

We had planned to stay at the Pembroke Villa for 3 days but the unblemished natural beauty and tranquillity of the place wouldn’t let us leave and we ended up extending our stay. From waking up to the misty mountain air to sipping on a gazillion cups of hot lemon tea throughout the day to hearing the sound of crackling wood, inhaling the smell of damp earth and smoke, and listening to old Hindi songs in a perfect bonfire with beautiful company, every experience here was worthwhile. It was a perfect break from the hustle and bustle of working from and for home – our much-needed dose of in-the-middle-of-nowhere and doing-nothing-much. Our “doing-nothing-much” entailed doing the most ordinary of things, but left us with the most extraordinary of soul satisfying experience. We went there not knowing what was in store for us and came back cherishing this chance encounter, a want to return and soak in the beauty all over again, and an abundance of fresh air for our lungs till the next vacation!