KASHMIR - ALMOND VILLA, SRINAGAR (April 2015)
A place you would
want to keep coming back to!
Almond Villa is a quaint and beautiful bed
and breakfast place. I was revisiting Almond Villa, not only for it’s wonderful location, but for the warm
hospitality and individual care meted out by Jyotsna for her guests.
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| The view from Almond Villa |
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| The front porch of Almond Villa |
It is not a hotel,
so don’t expect it to be one!
If you’re looking
for something out of the ordinary, a homely experience with modern comforts
nestled in the midst of almond trees, apple trees, plum trees, little tulip
garden, with views of the Dal Lake in front and the mountains behind, then this is the place to stay when you are in
Srinagar.
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| My visit in October 2013. Acres of greenery behind the property. |
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| Tulips blooming within Almond Villa - April 2015 |
Enjoy a cup of Kahwa
on the front porch, with views of the Dal Lake or sit with with a book in the
back lawn with the mountains in the background. A library cum common TV room, on the 1st floor is a place you can relax and unwind. The views
from the Library are just beautiful.
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| Sitting at front porch with a cup of Kahwa - a favourite pass time |
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| The Library |
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A walk around the
entire property can be exhilarating and mesmerizing too; I spotted so many
different birds. If you are a bird lover, you are sure to enjoy this nature
walk.
The cottage alongside
the main building is ideal for a large family (3 bedrooms plus your own kitchen). This caught our eye for our next
family visit.
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| The Walnut Cottage |
The main building
features a common cozy living room with a fire place; many a night we’ve had
long interesting conversations in front of the fire place, over a cup of tea.
There is a common
dining room with a huge table where all the guests share their meals together,
allowing you to interact with other guests staying there over a home cooked
meal made by local chefs with home grown, fresh ingredients.
Generally
breakfast is included in your stay package. Fresh fruit jams are a must try (We
tried the Strawberry, Plum, Mulberry and Apricot jams – since we were there
2 different seasons). We got some of those jams back home too.
Dinner can also be
arranged, on prior notice. We preferred the Indian cuisine here as compared to
the continental cuisine. However don’t miss out on the apple pie and the
delicious cinnamon carrot cake with fresh cream. Yum!
The rooms have
great character too and are tastefully done with all amenities. There are rooms
on the 1st floor as well as rooms on ground floor. Each room has an
electric kettle with basic tea coffee necessities. An electric heater and hot
water bottles are provided if you’re cold.
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| View from our room of the property and Dal lake |
There are however
no phones in the rooms. If you need something you need to politely call out to
the staff from your bannister if you’re on the first floor. On the ground
floor, someone or the other is always around.
For those who need
wifi to co-exist. This might be the only problem for you. There is no wifi.
This doesn’t fit
in with your usual 5 star hotel…but if you’re tempted to experience all that I’ve
mentioned above and more…you must stay at Almond Villa.
I’m sure coming back!!
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