gINKgo | The RARE Newsletter | Owner Stories & RARE Hotels | Vol 110 | July 2025
Dear Traveller,
The story of every owner-run RARE Hotel, begins with a desire to rejuvenate and preserve. Ancient forts and mansions that needed care and maintenance, denuded forest lands to rewild, a culture that needed continuity or to build support for a dying craft. Tourism seemed to be the perfect route towards this goal. Not everyone had the funds to build extravagant complexes, instead experiences unique to the destination was the luxury. Employing local communities was not just about jobs but inclusion, and in remote locations this is a win-win. While the hotel provided livelihoods, the community stayed closer home, their skills like mud plastering, wall art, farming etc. essential to build character of the hotel.
What a RARE hotel owner brings to his or her hotel, retreat or lodge is akin to what a talented designer brings to a coveted label. Creativity, authenticity, and a deep sense of the destination they are set in.
Introducing this summer's RARE finds. Each a delightful experience, in sync with the destination's natural and cultural heritage.
Shoba Rudra
Virsa Baltistan, Turtuk, Ladakh
When Rashidullah Khan speaks about Baltistan, you want to set off to this remote border village to see for yourself what he calls 'sustaina-Balti' way of life. Virsa Baltistan is a boutique hotel rooted in the cultural and natural landscape of Baltistan. Researched with the intention of sharing his version of Baltistan with the world, Rashid equipped himself with a 800-page brief to build Virsa using locally sourced materials. Mud-plastered walls mixed with apricot pulp to earthquake-resistant wooden beam structures, Virsa's 12 rooms decorated in earth tones and handcrafted furnishings are chic and comfortable. Dining is a star attraction - orchard breakfasts and village home lunches to a seven-course farm-to-table experience and Yakitori, the magic of Japanese dining. Guided heritage walks to Yul, tasting farm produce at the Hill Tribe store, looking at weaving and woodcarving by local artisans are some of Turtuk's many highlights.
KAAV Safari Lodge, Kabini, Karnataka
At KAAV you are in a space where the forest reigns, wild and free. The wide circle at the entrance — open in places to allow you to pass through is woven dried lantana stems and looks like a warm hug, especially at night.
KAAV 'sacred forest' in Malayalam, has been built on four tree-laden acres, every bit of the land claimed by forest litter, termite mounds, undergrowth and tracks. This is home to small mammals, birds , insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Many, you will spot in 'Tiny Safaris' by the in-house naturalist. Jungle Safaris are an assisted affair, smoothly managed with JLR, both in reconstructed safari vehicles in the Nagarhole National Park and safari boats along the Kabini river and backwaters. Nagarhole in the Western Ghats is a biodiversity haven, home to several indigenous species of flora and fauna. The lodge naturalists keep you enchanted both on forest drives and on nature walks in and around the lodge.
Stays are in first-floor rooms, each with a private viewing deck opening to a common lounge that looks out to one of Kabini's safari zones. That you may go to sleep amidst alarm calls and wake up to the sight of a herd of deer is what makes KAAV special. Two tents above ground on stilts allow you the exquisite feel of the wild closer to your skin, while the exclusive pool villa set amidst trees is artsy and designed as a private jungle home. Open verandas and dense tree canopies are dining spaces that serve excellent regional cuisine with a mix of the lodge's version of grills, soups, noodles, and pastas.
Sitla Estate, Kumaon, Uttarakhand
In the Kumaon Himalayas near Mukteshwar, Sitla Estate is a 150-year-old homestay set on the edge of a 40 acres fruit orchard. The original old British-era bungalow has been restored and expanded to include 12 beautiful rooms and suites, each with heritage furniture, textured walls, fireplaces, and sweeping mountain views. Meals are a big part of the Sitla experience‒fresh produce from the estate shows up in everything from traditional Kumaoni dishes to homemade jams, cakes, and daily specials. Fill your days with guided birdwatching, forest hikes, or relaxed orchard strolls, while staying inside is about curling up with a book or playing board games. What really makes the Sitla experience stand out is Vikram Maira, a media professional in an earlier life, now a trekker and adventurer, he is your charming host with a passion for world cuisine.
Just off the Kargil highway is the village of Nimmoo, a short distance from the Leh airport. Nimmu House is almost hidden behind a veil of poplars and willows, and flowering apricot and apple trees in spring and summer. Being lower than Leh in altitude, Nimmoo is a great place to begin your Ladakh circuit and to access Alchi and Likir. A heritage home, Nimmu House reflects slow, thoughtful living which is lead by Indrani's gentle operations, who brings care, clarity, and a deep respect for Ladakh's culture. Mornings begin with yoga, followed by walks through the village and butter tea in a local home. Days can be spent trekking, rafting, learning to cook momos, or trying pottery with local artisans. Meals are simple and fresh, made using local produce best appreciated sitting out in the orchard. Ideal for retreats to read, meditate or rest, Nimmu House is one of the best examples of slow travel.
The Nanee stands as an intuitive interpretation of Bhaktapur's cultural essence. Intimate in scale with 18 rooms, each one a nod to Bhaktapur's architectural heritage, details in wood, local materials, art and colourful fabrics and just the right amount of modern comfort. Mornings usually begin with a local breakfast in the courtyard or a chat with the chef about what's cooking that day, and may unfold into a walking tour guided by stories of the community or shared in the hotel's amphitheatre. Guests are also invited to make Bara (a spiced lentil pancake) the way locals do, sip a drink on the rooftop as bells echo through the valley, or simply take time to explore the lanes of Bhaktapur without a checklist. It's Aditya Piya storytelling that elevates Bhaktapur to an experience. His roots in this town run deep; he's often around, sharing stories, curating small but memorable moments that set the context to each stay.
