Mussoorie, the ‘Queen of the Hills’, is one of the most popular hill stations of India in the Dehradun district, which is on most hodophiles’ bucket lists of vacay destinations. Striking the perfect balance between a vacation too relaxed and a vacation too exhausting out of the curiosity to explore, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa has recently introduced a wellness retreat package ‘The Himalayan Escapade’. Including signature experiences of Mussoorie curated by the hotel, it comes with the promise of holistic rejuvenation — physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially, laced with a touch of luxury, sustainability and fun minus the strictness of the usual wellness retreats.
Envisaged as a unique wellness destination about two years ago, the 2014 property nestled in the lap of the Himalayas started the curated package with an aim to help people ‘disconnect only to reconnect’ — disconnect from the hustle and bustle of city life to reconnect with their own self. A holistic wellness experience of ‘eating well, feeling well, moving well and sleeping well’ while having an ethical travel experience through sustainable practices.
While travelling from Kolkata to the Dehradun airport to explore this dream hill station for the first time ever since Ruskin Bond got me intrigued about it through his stories, the thought that was piquing my excited mind once in a while was whether monsoon is the best season to visit the hills as picturesque as Mussoorie and will it be worth it. The three-hour-plus car ride from the airport uphill to the welcoming and arresting JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa already put my apprehensions to rest. However, the marketing manager’s reassurance at the hotel added hope, as he mentioned that though the preferred months are right after summer till monsoon, there’s always a different side to the location that one gets to experience round the year and it is always worth it. The next three days proved his conviction to be true and my monsoon visit to the hills an experience to remember.
Wellness is a broad concept. Anoop Pandey, general manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa, gave an idea of what to expect in the next three days of the trip. “Wellness and sustainability have been central focal points at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa. Situated in the heart of the Garhwal Himalayas, the resort creates a spiritual experience aligning your mind, body and soul. The wellness retreat has been curated by experts in fitness, nutrition and Ayurveda,” he said.
It was almost evening when I reached the hotel and was warmly greeted with a traditional Himalayan welcome at the reception with a traditional uttariya and beaded bracelet. It continued with unique welcome drinks and food in the room. The strong welcome drink served in a red chilli paste-rimmed glass was kacchi — a fermented combination of Himalayan millets, jaggery and natural spring water along with a cheese board of global and local cheese. It was the exact kick I needed after the tiresome and long-winding car ride uphill to get into the mood to explore the intriguing property.
It was particularly impressive how the hotel kept a local touch to every experience it had to offer. The room with a view of the majestic Himalayas at dusk was made even more special with music by the locals in the JW garden right below my room. Set for an early dinner, a lavish chef-curated Indian cuisine spread was awaiting us at the hotel’s Trout House Grill and Bar restaurant. The al fresco outer deck sitting arrangement with a view of the hills at night and cars appearing like the size of toy cars zooming by could beat the pleasure of a luxury candlelit dinner on any night.
Starting the next morning, the Himalayan wellness retreat curated itinerary began for us with a healthy breakfast at JW Cafe’s outer deck, with a view of the serene Himalayas and a chance to breathe fresh air. The local touch in the breakfast menu was there right from the healthy shots to the food on the table, made at the hotel’s kitchen with a helping hand from the locals.
It was a coincidence that the day was International Picnic Day and a picnic at the Mussoorie bird sanctuary was next on our itinerary. A bus from the hotel took us down the winding road to the Mussoorie bird sanctuary for a monsoon trek through its rocky terrain, lush green forest and streams to reach our picnic spot inside the sanctuary. With raincoats or umbrellas, trekking poles and a backpack filled with goodies and water, we were ready to climb uphill inside the sanctuary. Picnic in the rains was an unfamiliar experience for me but a difficult trek led us to a great one except for the leech attack on our foot! Pro-tip to escape the leech attack? Avoid sneakers for the trek, go for floaters or kito shoes with a good grip and walk carefully!
Lunch was set up at the hotel’s fancily decked-up Wisteria Deck, the Mediterranean speciality with a touch of local ingredients. Fresh salad with ingredients from the garden, multigrain pizza, grilled chicken and Himalayan red rice risotto made for a hearty lunch over heart-warming conversations.
The well-rested afternoon was made even better with an unexpected delish hot chocolate treat served in the room. The day was kept easy on activities and was more focused on resting well. Dinnertime was spent indulging in a specially curated Kumaoni Thali at JW Marriott’s Greenhouse. The fairy-light set-up with local music and food prepared with local ingredients made the night memorable.
“Surrounded by the foothills of the Himalayas, we make sure that our guests experience the true fabric of the Garhwal culture, evidently with a curation of a 100 per cent plant-based menu. Additionally, the resort has its own local and sustainable concept of the JW garden through its very own Greenhouse, JW farms and the Botanical Cafe. All of the Himalayan ingredients are sourced from villages within a 100km radius, thereby striving to share our local culture, practising meaningful sourcing and reducing carbon footprint in the process. From the cuisine to the activities such as trekking expeditions, we provide guests experiences based on the idea ‘The Whole You’,” added Anoop.
Day three was full of activities that allowed us to spend ample time amidst nature. An uphill and then downhill trek took us to a flat land on the Kempty Falls stream, where we were welcomed to a colourful breakfast set-up. After a quick relaxing yoga session against the backdrop of the Himalayas, we indulged in some wholesome breakfast laid out by the Marriott team while dipping our feet in the cold stream water accompanied by local instrumental music. After two days of experiencing some nature treks, a relaxing pamper session at the popular hotel spa was a sine qua non before a night trek to the pine forests.
After experiencing nature in the Himalayas in various ways, including forest treks, stream breakfast, yoga amidst the hills, the rains, breathing fresh air all day and eating healthy food prepared with natural ingredients sourced local ly, the importance of having a balanced ecosystem and its role in the concept of holistic wellness was already instilled within us in the last two days. Extending the nature experience, the itinerary included a tree-planting session with the hotel’s horticulture expert in the evening with a view of the magnificent sunset in the hills, followed by a short trek into the pine forest as night descended, with headlights on. A quick, fun bowling session at the hotel’s gym and game section got us just enough exercise required to stuff ourselves with the food and drinks at the delicious Chinese dinner arranged at the hotel’s Asian cuisine speciality outlet Teppan.
The next morning was all about waving goodbye to a bunch of strangers who had become friends over the three days. The long road journey to the airport and back home was sad but surprisingly didn’t feel tiring like it did while going to Mussoorie. The trip got me back home with happy memories, a parting gift box from the hotel containing goodies made with the goodness of Himalayan natural ingredients, and most importantly, renewed vigour and a fresh mind to embrace the humdrum of daily life , feeling better from within like never before.
DAY 1
The traditional Himalayan welcome in the room with kacchi, a fermented local drink served with spicy salad and cheese.
A choice of spectacular gin and whisky cocktail combined with an Indian cuisine meal consisting of mutton stew, grilled fish, kebabs and desserts made for a hearty and heavy dinner at The Trout House, enough to go for a night walk around the property before a comforting night’s sleep.
DAY 2
Breakfast at JW Cafe made by chefs and local ladies: Parathas made from gahat ki dal or horse gram, swala or poori stuffed with potatoes and the locally sourced jakhya seeds, millet dosa and detox shots like palak, ABC or karela served with soaked walnuts from JW garden.
The picnic at Mussoorie bird sanctuary included activities like trekking, cooking Maggi in the forest and learning to set up a tent.
Lunch at the vegan-friendly Wisteria Deck included multigrain millet pizza topped with vegan cheese sourced from Mukteshwar, chicken with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, locally sourced Himalayan red rice for preparing risotto with sauteed vegetables, pasta topped with microgreens grown in the JW farm, and warm mocktails infused with Himalayan herbs and stevia used for sweetening. The locally sourced and farm-grown ingredients are the expanded ideas of the concept of sustainability practised by the hotel.
“The taste of the food in Uttarakhand is beautiful and underrated,” said executive chef Amitesh Virdi. For dinner at the JW Greenhouse we were served the magnificent Kumaoni Thali consisting of kandli ka saag from Tehri, mandowe ki roti from Tehri, gahat ki dal from Uttarkashi, jhangore ki kheer from Pauri, aloo jakhya from Nainital, laal bhat from Vikasnagar, chainsoo from Uttarkashi, thechwani from Rudraprayag, and cucumber raita from Kumaon.
DAY 3
Breakfast on the Kempty Falls stream accompanied by local music
Tree-planting session at dusk
Dinner on the last night at the Teppan Asian restaurant was all about indulging in sumptuous Japanese and Chinese delicacies. We were served sushi, noodles, fried rice, chilli chicken along with the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage Sake and a non-alcoholic mocktail made of cherry and cranberry. “When we are talking about wellness here we are focussing on the ingredients. We focus on what is grown locally and healthy. Whatever grows locally, grows with the aid of the water condition, soil condition and climate of that place. That way it is very healthy to consume. We use those ingredients. We focus on bringing healthy ingredients fit for the body and can be digested. We bring in local ladies from the village community. They are not skilled chefs. We want to develop the community as far as giving back to the community is concerned. A total home-cooked meal experience is only possible if we bring in the ladies and not the professionals. We have been quite successful in that. They have been here since the opening of the resort in 2014. Together with the chefs they bring out the local flavours in each dish they cook. Asian is also a healthy cuisine if not fried in black oil. The entire itinerary has meal plans that provide proteins, carbohydrates, fats, making it a wholesome diet plan. The food we eat reflects on our body and mind,” said Amitesh Virdi, executive chef.
“The resort is encircled by charismatic walnut trees, lush green landscapes and dream mountain peaks uplifting the wellness experiences in the wonders of pure nature. The USP of the Himalayan Escapade is to ensure that we encapsulate the best that JW Marriott Mussoorie has to offer. The resort has always been at the forefront in giving our guests the perfect scenic experience. Moreover, the farm-to-table lunch for the guests with vegetables procured from the JW farms focuses on cultivating sustainable cooking. We can also customise the itinerary as per the request of the guests,” said Anoop Pandey, general manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa.
Pictures courtesy: JW Marriott Mussoorie and the author