gINKgo I RARE Newsletter | Vol 39 | A Conscious Tapping Into Our Senses | July - 2021

RARE INDIA RARE NEWSLETTER
JULY, 2021
 
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If Ladakh is on your agenda, you can’t miss this!
Photo Credit: Dr. Latika Nath
Every trip taken evokes many emotions in us.  Memories of food flavors, paths explored, conversations, breathtaking vistas, stories of people and their journeys, that first sighting in the wild – each having the power to move us even after many years. The RARE Community is potentially the largest collection of truly exceptional and authentic experiences – real, mindful and transformational.

 
Courtyard Tales at The Apricot Tree, Nurla, Ladakh
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Ladakh’s famed sky is jaw-dropping with a blue that is surreal in the day and is a starlight symphony at night. The Apricot Tree’s courtyard is one such place to frame these images of the sky. Often this is the space where performances take place, and under a starlit sky with the hum of the river close is quite other-worldly. The name is more than just a moniker as in reality you are surrounded by apricot trees as constant company. And in the very attractive Ladakhi spring you can behold their delicate profusion, while in the summers you have ripe apricots drop at your feet or can reach out a hand to pluck them off the tree. In its latticed shadow is your time to sit alone in tranquil silence or with friends in conversation, play board games, listen to birds, warm yourself by a campfire; and may be on a perfect night glimpse a ‘moon rising’.

Rates are from INR 9,000 - INR 12,700++*
Explore The Apricot Tree Now
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Meditative and ‘Woke’ at Stok Palace Heritage Hotel, Ladakh
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Stok Palace Heritage Hotel is a living palace where you have the privilege of being guests of the royal family - the descendants of the Namgyal Dynasty that traces its lineage back to early 10th century. As guests, you are allowed access to certain areas of the Palace that includes the Lhakchung (temple) situated on the upper-most floor of the Palace. It is a serene experience to witness morning and evening Buddhist rituals, chants at the Lhakchung and wake up to the hum of prayer bowls. A part of the daily life and practices of the royal family in residence, these rituals are an honour to witness, while staying at Stok Palace or Chulli Bagh set amidst orchards in the shadow of the Stok Kangri peak is meditative. On request, you can seek an audience with the monk who prepares sacred amulets with a hand-written prayer on a piece of cloth or paper woven into it, which you may wear on yourself as a blessing.

Rates are from INR 12,500 - INR 27,500++*
Explore Stok Palace Heritage Hotel Now
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Fruit picking at Neeralaya, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
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The lower valleys of Himachal Pradesh are strewn with fruit orchards, particularly of well-known Himachali apples. At Neeralaya you are surrounded by fruit trees that include peach, plum, apricot and apple trees, hence the name of the cottages here. From this little house by the river, there are several walking trails through the woods allowing you to discover rural hamlets and orchards. One such trail is the Apple Orchard Hike. From spring when the first blossoms appear on the trees, to harvest season when the fruits are ready to be picked (you can lend a helping hand), the experience is unique and exciting for urban nomads and their children to be able to see fruits on a tree and be able to pluck and savor them right away – an experience in conscious eating with all your senses.

Rates are from INR 15,300 - INR 26,500++*
Explore Neeralaya Now
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Chai, Chai, Chai at The Lodge at Wah, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
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Overnight train journeys in India is to be woken up several times through the night to the chant of the tea-seller’s "Chai, Chai, Chai…" For a drink that is made from a plant not native to India, the steaming cuppa is a ritual familiar to many, calling for many pit-stops on long journeys and craving for it at the first hint of the monsoon.  The Lodge at Wah is a tea plantation retreat offering Kangra Tea and provides a tea tour that is fascinating for all tea drinkers; particularly for connoisseurs the history of Kangra tea would be fascinating. You can try plucking the delicate two leaves and a bud, toss it in the wok the original Chinese way, or embark on a tea tour to understand the process of withering, rolling and fermenting, drying and sorting and end up enjoying a tea tasting session. During your stay at the Lodge try the tea leaf pakoras – one of the two estates that have almost patented this snack and both are RARE Hotels. And all the while the spectacular Dhauladhar Range is spread out almost at touching distance.

Rates are from INR 13,000 - INR 15,000++*
Explore The Lodge at Wah Now
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Exclusive Dining at Chapslee, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
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It is often said that Chapslee looks her best in the mystery of the night. And the dinner is essential to the Chapslee experience, an art and a throwback to times when people had time and taste.  An encompassing food journey is a forever memory to celebrate at Chapslee’s main dining room that glows a muted gold as candles reflect off the century old wall paper. A long table of antique English oak in the center and the exquisitely carved table for two in the alcove are set with silver service, white gloved service staff over around and the gentle aromas of perfectly cooked recipes entice. Food has been the passion of Late Kanwar Ratanjit Singh – a gourmand who put together scrumptious recipes from the best tables of Northern India and from around the world as signature dishes from the Chapslee kitchen. The authentic and delectable flavors cover Indian, Anglo-Indian and Continental food traditions, the latter particularly highlighted during Christmas. Chapslee has been featured for its cuisines in many books and TV shows including celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s exceptional series “Parts Unknown – Punjab, India”.

Rates are from INR 23,010 - INR 29,500++*
Explore Chapslee Now
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To subscribe please write to paryavidhi@eldfindia.com.
  Paryavidhi, ELDF India: Have you ever wondered if our earth or an ecosystem had legal representation in a court of law, how would it work in the planet’s favour? If you had caught Sanjay Upadhyay, Founder Managing Partner, ELDF India; live on our Instagram last week, there were some unexpected answers. Sanjay, who also sits on various draft committees in his quest to ‘bridge the gap between fields, forests and courts’ today runs one of India’s best known legal firms dealing with Environment issues. Paryavidhi is an ELDF Initiative published quarterly that aims to provide a glimpse of important green news from courts, sectoral analysis of contemporary enviro-legal issues, expert opinions, policy watch, people's voices, periodic ELDF India updates etc.
 
Thursday July 29, 6.00 pm IST: The Future of Luxury by Avid Learning
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Sustainability NOW is a series by Avid Learning to explore initiatives regarding sustainability across businesses and lifestyle. The Future of Luxury in India is a panel discussion on the shifting notion and practice of luxury across the industries of fashion, lifestyle, branding, eco-tourism and hospitality. How have they innovated to fit into a circular economy of production? What indigenous methods have they adopted and incorporated? Founder, Peepul Consulting Srimoyi BhattacharyaFounder RARE India Shoba Mohan and Founder, ReweaVikram Ramchandani will be in conversation with Journalist, Author and Podcast Host Gayatri Rangachari Shah. The focus will be on fashion by way of upcycling, a burgeoning luxury rental market, sustainability-oriented branding, the circular economy, and the buying and coveting vintage and pre-loved products as a sustainable practice.
Register here
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* Offers are current and pandemic driven for Indian Travellers only.
For all special offers and itinerary curation connect at
+919810265781 / +917814955020 / bookrare@rareindia.com.
 
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A Collection of the finest ‘conscious luxury’ hotels