A mountain home turned boutique hotel perched in the breathtakingly beautiful environs of Binsar, Uttarakhand, the Mary Budden Estate is sprawled over 5 acres of pristine forests of the Himalayas. Far yet accessible (and worth every minute for its visceral experience) it offers visitors a natural habitat away from the mania of the metropolises. It enables you to make deeper connections with the self while you disconnect from the daily hustle.
Bought in 1899 by Ms. Mary Budden and converted into a school for orphans the estate was inoperable until almost 100 years later Serena Chopra acquired the property. Chopra, a writer and photographer based in New Delhi transcended it into her home away from home. The vintage furniture, a majority of which is made of wood or stone and logwood fireplaces render the place uber charming. The cobbled sit-outs and patios provide unparalleled views of mother nature. Visitors can snuggle up with a warm soaking the warmth of the logwood fireplaces (and hospitality, needless to say).
Guests can take their choice of accommodation from a lodge (for 2) to a cottage (for 6).
The Mary Budden Cottage carries the name and the legacy of a 19th-century British lady who sought to live in this enchanting niche. In its clever restoration, the cottage features three luxury en-suite rooms with spacious dining and drawing rooms.
THE LODGE
The Estate’s Lodge is a contemporary take on the colonial cottage. It offers three separate en-suite rooms with two separate dining and sitting areas all equipped with fireplaces. Basked in sunlight, these rooms offer magnificent vista points.
An all-day dining space with al-fresco seating in the outdoors offers majestic views of the encompassing forests and mountains. You are bound to meet fellow guests and storytellers. The tip of the iceberg is the handsome pahadi dogs. Named after the lady who restored the state, Serena’s garden is bursting with sunlight, cheery just like her persona.
Dinner is served to you under the canopy of a starry sky. It is Nature in its rawest and best. Banter, bonfires, and beauty are what the dinner at Mary Budden Estate features. For visitors who wish to go a few notches up on their high-on-Himalayan state, b.y.o.b is recommended as alcohol is not sold at the estate.
Whether it’s their commitment to sustainable living (they use only rain harvested water) or their usage of organic cleaning agents the Mary Budden experience is an all-encompassing one. Terminating a tiring expedition in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary to coming home to one’s own sanctuary at the Mary Budden Estate nestled in all its glory. At sundown, sprawling into the garden listening to fellow travellers unfurling stories of myths and legends (while you sip your own-brought tipple). Mary Budden Estate is the quintessential quiet yet stimulating experience. And it compels you to come back for more.
HOW TO GET THERE
Shatabdi from New Delhi to Kathgodam. From the Kathgodam train station to Mary Budden Estate takes 3.5 hours approximately.
Road tripping could take 10 to12 hours depending on traffic conditions or landslides.