The quaint hill town of Mukteshwar was in my travel bucket for a long time. Mithun’s birthday week called for a trip and we, the wanderlust couple, also called thetravelcurry, planned a short holiday to, well, no prize for guessing. We chose Neelkanth Retreat Mukteshwar for our stay, a fairly new property nested in the Kumaon hills, away from the crowded township.
This trip happened after I returned from Germany right before the Durga Puja festivities began. So, you might have guessed that it had turned chilly in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon hills while Delhi NCR was grappling with heat and poor AQI. Okay, I’ll reserve the topic of pollution for some other time. This topic will be about our stay in Neelkanth Retreat, the ambiance, and everything we loved there.
The journey from Delhi to Mukteshwar
Follow Google Maps like the Pug follows the Vodafone network. I hope you got the joke! The road condition is good enough. You only need to drive carefully on the curved hilly roads as you enter Nainital. However, Haldwani proved to be a major bottleneck for us with crowded lanes, traffic jams, and road repair work in patches. Thankfully the road near Kaichi Dham had no traffic, perhaps because it was a weekday. The last eight kilometers to reach Neelkanth Resort was quite challenging amid broken roads and lost GPS. An eight-hour road trip stretched to nine and a half hours.
Check-in at Neelkanth Retreat Mukteshwar
Thank you for putting up a tiny (A4 size) signboard; otherwise, we would have camped in the forest that night. It was a nightmare looking for the property!
The resort is built on an isolated hilltop and most of the surroundings remain untouched. In fact, their approach roads to the property are also unbuilt. So, exhausted and hungry, we hiked around 200 meters on the elevated, unkempt path to get to our room. Navigating the slippery steps, the property’s kitchen garden, and the wilderness around, the rooms came into sight. And boy, the resident dog, and her pups welcomed us with so much love, instantly shaking away our fatigue. More about the furballs later. For now, here’s a tour of the room.
Neelkanth Retreat Room Tour
The interiors are all done in pine wood and undoubtedly instill warm cozy vibes. The balcony offers unparalleled views of the mighty hills, dotted with patches of farmlands and tiny villages. We relished evening tea on the balcony during our two-day stay. I wish I had carried my sketchbook and paint kit.
Running hot water in the washroom in such a remote location was a pleasant surprise. While all the facilities in the room were good, the biggest turn-off was the bed. The creaky bed with a bad mattress was unexpected. Unfortunately, the staff did not have a spare mattress so we settled with what we got. Neelkanth Retreat also ensures you reconnect with yourself and get close to nature. Henceforth they do not have a TV in the rooms and we appreciate this thought. After all, we took this trip to unwind.
Other Amenities
Bonfire and open-air dining are arranged on request. A group of boys partied at the property and left a huge pile of trash behind. When will we ever learn civic sense?
The food is decent and tastes good. You can enjoy local delicacies and seasonal food as most of the ingredients are produced at the property’s farm. The price is fair enough for big portion sizes.
Neelkanth Retreat Mukteshwar has a forest trail behind the cottages. It is a lush green slope scattered with pine trees, overgrowing wild grass, and my favorite pine cones. We had a gala time at this spot, soaking in the opulence of the beautiful landscape, rarely found in the cities.
The best part of our stay at Neelkanth Retreat Mukteshwar
As you might know, we are avid dog lovers. And the sight of any pooch is always wholesome. So the resident (female) dog whom we named Molly, stood at the entryway wagging her tail as if she knew us. The moment we saw her, or she saw us, she introduced her pups to us. We named them Lolly and Pop. The black and white fur balls would be less than a month old. Molly put her trust in us and bonded with us like old friends. Molly knocked at our door and made herself comfortable in our room. She would accompany us on our hikes and also to the parking lot.
Honestly, Molly’s presence made our stay cheerful and pleasant. I cuddled her as she jumped into the bed on the day of checkout. I still get emotional thinking about her as I write about her.
Things to do in Mukteshwar
With the passing of time as tourism has heightened, the once quiet, offbeat town is now seeing traffic, commercialization, and loss of green cover. The authorities must put a cap on hotel construction, at least in the eco-sensitive zones. The mounting pressure on existing resources and shrinking forest cover together is a recipe for natural disasters. Nonetheless, Mukteshwar still retains the old town charm and boasts scenic beauty like no other place. Here are a few places to visit and things to do in Mukteshwar.
- Bhalugaad Waterfall– An easy hike of 1200 meters to a tranquil and clean waterfall plunging 60 feet into the river.
- Mukteshwar temple- A serene mountainside temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, nearly 350 years old.
- Chauli ki Jali- Very close to Mukteshwar temple, this is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers.
- Paragliding- Pure adrenaline rush for the brave-hearted.
- Hike and trek in the forest trails
Summing up our Mukteshwar trip
I’d suggest Mukteshwar to those who want a break from the hustle-bustle of daily life and are willing to imbibe the calmness of this place. If you are a social media addict or hooked to an impetuous nightlife, Mukteshwar is not your place. We immersed ourselves in the stillness of the hills, surrendering to nature’s bliss and choosing digital detox. Our stay in Neelkanth Retreat Mukteshwar was extraordinary because of Molly’s presence, which otherwise is like any other hillside resort in Uttarakhand. You can still stay in Neelkanth as it comes on a budget and offers the charm of offbeat countryside.