"Travelling is like food for the soul, unless you travel, you'll never know how much food your should has. Beyond that, without travel, your soul will be hungry to see more"
Day 1
Mussoorie - My great Himalayan Expedition
Mussoorie popularly known as The Queen of Hills has a great lot of things to do and is just a mesmerising 6 hour drive away from Delhi. The drive is very serene and you feel like you are driving straight into bliss. It's winter now, what place is better to sip a cup of hot chocolate than the mountains where you can blissfully drink hot chocolate sip by sip.
Are you planning a trip from Delhi and looking for a great weekend destination? This hotel is a destination by itself!
I went to Mussoorie over the weekend and stayed at The Savoy. The Savoy is a legendary heritage hotel and is one of the first luxury hotels ever to be made in India. When you think of Mussoorie, you think of the snow clad Himalayas. The hotel had a direct view of the Himalayas. Though I have been to Mussoorie several times in the past, the Savoy changed my experience entirely. I was really lucky to have stayed there.
I reached the hotel at 7 in the morning. It was a cold morning but the sunrise had been beautiful. As soon as I reached the hotel, I entered the wondrous lobby. After that, I was taken to my room. I was fascinated to see the princess bed in my room which looked so cozy. All I wanted to do was take a quick nap inside the blanket. I also wanted to travel but it was so cold and the bed was inviting. Luckily the room had a heater to save me from the biting cold. The room took me away from the Delhi smog as well as from all the noise in Delhi. I felt like I had tranquil and peaceful time to myself. This is the best part of my day, where I get to be me. And I was entirely me at this hotel!
The room also had a huge closet area which had a beautiful mirror. The room looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. The room also had a wonderful balcony which gazed into the Himalayas.
Post this, I went for breakfast. The spread of the breakfast was grand with a huge array of colourful foods and other attractive delicacies. I couldn't wait to try them all out. There is no good day after all which doesn't start with a grand breakfast! The Hotel literally had Sangria for breakfast... and they had healthy shots like fenugreek soaked inside water. I did not only have the best cheat meal, but I also felt super healthy as I ate the food. They had a live counter for Dosa and waffles, as well as 4 different flavours of curd. Their danish pastries were great. My personal recommendation would be their waffles soaked in maple syrup. The best part of the breakfast was that they had Sangria at the hotel. The Sangria was non-alcoholic and it was made by soaking cranberry juice overnight. Special care had been taken to provide a lot of varieties at the Breakfast buffet. Also the buffet is accessible to people who aren't guests at the hotel for just Rs 699.
Post this, I went back to my room to take a nap. A few minutes later, I got a call from reception. They had just called to ask if I was comfortable. This hotel didn't feel like a hotel at all, the staff was very nice and they made it feel homely. I ended up thinking about my mother.
I woke up and left for sightseeing. I went to Mall road and to Lansdowne. It is a great place just to walk around and see. I bought a pair of socks which were hand-stitched and then went to Little Llama cafe. My personal recommendation at the Little Llama cafe would be their vegetarian pasta. The cafe looks right into the valley and is surrounded by trees. There is no other place in Mussoorie which captures the essence of Mussoorie's greenery like this place.
After this, I bought some garlic pickle and headed back to the Hotel. I also bought myself hand woven socks which are now my favourite pair of socks.
Bonfire with music in the evening
The hotel had a great bonfire in the evening with a live singer. I enjoyed drinking their apple toddy. Apple toddy is a drink which is now my favourite drink. This drink is made of apple and honey. The apple toddy at Savoy is the best drink which I have had so far. Starting from the rush which the Himalayas give to me, to soothing that rush with the apple toddy at the hotel, Savoy gave me a multitude of experiences which are very memorable and close to my heart. Whenever I go to Mussoorie next, I can say for sure that I will be staying at the Savoy for sure.
Akasa - the spa
After enjoying the bonfire which the hotel had specially set for the guests, I went to the spa. The spa by Akasa had a great chocolate treatment there which I enjoyed tremendously. The Spa massager rubbed chocolate essence all over my body and it felt very rejuvenating. The spa also had a very fancy in built steam which helped me to soothe my nerves and feel transformed. The bathing area was also great. The best part about the spa which very limited people know about is it lighting. The lighting at this spa was specially perfect.
Guard change at the hotel
There is also a guard change which happens in the evening at the hotel. The hotel keeps up its traditional and colonial value and still changes its flag everyday. The experience of watching guards marching to colonial music around the snow clad Himalayas was a great legendary view.
Writer's Bar
Post the spa, I went to the writer's bar and enjoyed a few drinks there. They also have a huge collection of Ruskin Bond books there. The woodwork at the writer's bar is very intricate and the interiors are great. They have an area outdoor from the writer's bar from where the Himalayas can be viewed. The place was great for a breakfast meal but due to the fear of monkeys, I refrained from eating there.
After this, I went back to my room. I saw that the hotel had placed cookies and cheese straws to welcome me. At night, because it was very cold, I wasn't able to sleep, but soon I found myself munching on the cookies and the cheese straws. This extra food gave me enough energy to drop me to sleep.
This was the end of Day 1, and though I have been to Mussoorie over 10 times, The Savoy made my experience completely different. This hotel was so amazing that I knew that whenever I visit next, I'll be staying here for sure!