Museum of Stories
From concept to operation, dream to design each destination hotel of the RARE Community is a story worth being told many times, in different ways. If RARE were a physical entity, it would fill multiple rooms with sepia toned photos of heritage preservation, gold tinted handover documents to erstwhile royalty, herbariums filled with many flowering grasses, sketches of iridescent sunsets, voices of happy animals, footsteps of artists, photographers and film makers, art, craft, textiles, books, dreams, hopes and vision….. each drawing you into their stories. Many times you will enter a story, this collection is an ode to every hotel of the community, the destination may be different, but every story is worth celebrating.
Let's get some action !
If your idea of a holiday is to swing gently on a hammock, look up at the sky, dream a little , snooze some and read some, Atali GANGA near Byasi, Rishikesh is not for you. India’s first self-branded ‘Activotel’ Atali Ganga is for those who prefer the high from...
Ajaygarh Fort : Madhya...
Raghu and Joanna have always told me about the forts and palaces of Madhya Pradesh , particularly the Bundelkhand region. Who has not heard of the legendary Kalinjar fort, the very mention of the name sends a trickle of excitement through me. And on a quick and memorable trip I was lucky...
Faith has many names, one...
There
is something about the raw but endearing vitality that I attribute to the
unstructured performance at Haridwar that cannot match the regulated and
orchestered arti seen at other places along the Ganges. Maa Ganga as she is
revered is a source of sustenance for many people who she...
India : Tribes, Tea and...
Circa 2007 : The rains arrived early in Meghalaya this
year. The lush paddy fields, bamboo forests, rubber plantations,
forests of teak and Sal resplendent in innumerable shades of green
were proof enough. Intermittently dotted with small villages, the four
hour...
Bear Rescue Centre at Khitam
Over my numerous road trips to Agra, there were many times I have been subjected to the sad plight of the 'dancing bear'. The Kalandar’s, the keepers and owners of the bears subjected you to a brief performance whether you liked it or not. It was nauseating to see...
Destination: Binsar
Binsar is a thickly wooded mid-altitude forest located at a height of about 2412 m (7900 ft.) on top of the Jhandi Devi Hills, 32 kms from Almora town. The altitude and forest cover lend Binsar a natural beauty and a climate exceptionally pleasant during...
Destination: Pokhara
Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal after its capital Kathmandu. Situated 200 kms west from Kathmandu, the Pokhara valley is as low as a 1000 m and yet only 20 km from the mountains that reach an elevation of over 8000 m. The result is that the Pokhara valley has one of the...
My recent visit to Camp...
A quick trip to Camp Fork Tail Creek, Corbett.
One weekend in early December, I set out to Corbett for a trip I have been dreaming about for a long time now. Getting an early start at 4 am in the morning helped me accomplish my journey right upto the camp in less than 7 hours. The road...
It's about the people and...
Promoting RARE partner hotels to discerning, direct travelers is quite a challenge. Talking about these beautiful jewels on India’s travel map from a tiny stall pitched under the winter sun is inadequate. The posters do not do much justice as they...
Lots of sea, lots of sky...
Surya Samudra Private Retreats, Pulinkudi Beach, Kovalam, Kerala
Set off the Arabian Coast on a low rocky cliff that meanders into the raging sea ( it was the onset of monsoons when I visited ) Surya Samudra has all the charms of a sea side resort – Sun , Sea, Sand and swaying...
Lots of sea, lots of sky...
Surya Samudra Private Retreats, Pulinkudi Beach, Kovalam, Kerala
Set off the Arabian Coast on a low rocky cliff that meanders into the raging sea ( it was the onset of monsoons when I visited ) Surya Samudra has all the charms of a sea side...
A RARE retreat by the sea...
A RARE retreat by the sea in Kerala and a Jungle Home in the wilds near Corbett.
With the above two hotels joining us from July , RARE now represents 20 of India’s best small boutique hotels, camps and lodges – each a unique gem powered by passionate...