Kikar - A hidden paradise
The Kikar Lodge.
Till the time I neared the place, I was under the impression that Kikar is the name of the place. I was sadly mistaken. The place gets its name from the tree "KIKAR". Kikar is a thorny small tree which grows to a height of 7 meters (Botanical Name: Acacia nilotica). The lodge (a quite modest way of calling it) is situated in a valley full of Kikar Trees. Once known as the Singh Farms, the expansive estate of 1800 Acres is actually a private jungle. The well maintained lawns, comfortable plush cottages, friendly staff all defy the thought that you are right there, in the middle of a jungle. As I would have liked it, there ws no television and in the age of cut-throat connectivity battles, the mobile signals were sporadic.
Two large swimming pools had us parents shout at the kids to get out of them, lest they came under the weather. The snooker table and Table Tennis room added to the charm. The Kairali franchise of Spa helped one relax. The night trip in an open Gypsy with searchlights took you into the jungle for a Safari-esque experience.
One got up in the morning to see a pair of peacocks sitting luxuriously at the front door. From the cottages, one could see a Deer or two pacing off.
All in all, a place worth a visit.
Its a 320 Kilometers drive from Delhi. Catch the Chandigarh Highway, then onto Ropar/Roopnagar, which is around 45 Kilometers from Chandigarh. From the Ropar Barrage, turn right towards Nurpur Bedi, around 30 Kilometers further down. Once your reach Nurpur Bedi, you take a left turn onto a small road leading to the Kangar Village. Then, through the dirt roads of Kangar Village you climb a bit, say 10 minutes to reach the Kikar Lodge.
Let me add. The website of the place i.e., http://www.thekikarlodge.com does not do proper justice to the place. One has to be told about the fun of travelling from Nurpur Bedi to the lodge to really appreciate the journey.
From there, we visited the Nangal Barrage, Bhakra Dam (You must see it to believe in vision), Naina Devi Temple and Anandpur Sahib, all in a single drive.
Here are some pictures of the Lodge and nearabouts.
Till the time I neared the place, I was under the impression that Kikar is the name of the place. I was sadly mistaken. The place gets its name from the tree "KIKAR". Kikar is a thorny small tree which grows to a height of 7 meters (Botanical Name: Acacia nilotica). The lodge (a quite modest way of calling it) is situated in a valley full of Kikar Trees. Once known as the Singh Farms, the expansive estate of 1800 Acres is actually a private jungle. The well maintained lawns, comfortable plush cottages, friendly staff all defy the thought that you are right there, in the middle of a jungle. As I would have liked it, there ws no television and in the age of cut-throat connectivity battles, the mobile signals were sporadic.
Two large swimming pools had us parents shout at the kids to get out of them, lest they came under the weather. The snooker table and Table Tennis room added to the charm. The Kairali franchise of Spa helped one relax. The night trip in an open Gypsy with searchlights took you into the jungle for a Safari-esque experience.
One got up in the morning to see a pair of peacocks sitting luxuriously at the front door. From the cottages, one could see a Deer or two pacing off.
All in all, a place worth a visit.
Its a 320 Kilometers drive from Delhi. Catch the Chandigarh Highway, then onto Ropar/Roopnagar, which is around 45 Kilometers from Chandigarh. From the Ropar Barrage, turn right towards Nurpur Bedi, around 30 Kilometers further down. Once your reach Nurpur Bedi, you take a left turn onto a small road leading to the Kangar Village. Then, through the dirt roads of Kangar Village you climb a bit, say 10 minutes to reach the Kikar Lodge.
Let me add. The website of the place i.e., http://www.thekikarlodge.com does not do proper justice to the place. One has to be told about the fun of travelling from Nurpur Bedi to the lodge to really appreciate the journey.
From there, we visited the Nangal Barrage, Bhakra Dam (You must see it to believe in vision), Naina Devi Temple and Anandpur Sahib, all in a single drive.
Here are some pictures of the Lodge and nearabouts.
posted by Mahfuuz | 2:15 AM
2 Comments:
Abs lovvelllly!!!!! :)
Lovely scene. Kikar Tree has many medicinal uses.
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