“The bungalow is all yours this weekend“, she said, as we entered the beautiful entrance. We could feel our lungs taking in the fresh air as we walked in.
After 6 hours of driving from Bangalore, we reached the Mango Range property in the Nilgiris. The landmark was clear, and the directions were on point. Within about 5 minutes of travelling through winding roads and acres filled with the lush and beautiful Carolyn tea estate, we located the bungalow situated atop a tea hill. This insanely beautiful bungalow built during British times flaunts the most colourful garden with varieties of flowers such as the bougainvillaea and frangipani.
Our host, Ms Khan warmly, welcomed us and showed us around the lovely property explaining little stories that are so memorable to the place. The room of our choice was beautiful and rustic styled along with a dressing room and attached bathroom. The room opens up to a spacious verandah with a carrom board, books and an olden style grandfather chair. Within minutes, Pushpa served us with two chilled glasses of refreshing ginger lemon juice. We sat in the veranda amid tall trees trying to absorb the sheer beauty of the place while sounds from a variety of birds filled the air. The next two days that followed were heaven. Read on.
What we loved.
Food
Prabhu & Pushpa prepare the food in the bungalow. The food was simple and delicious. We loved every meal we had there. They discussed the menu with us beforehand thanks to which we always looked forward to devouring each meal, which was prepared so exclusively for us. The highlight of the food for us was their aloo sabzi and Rasam. They made this one subzi and asked us to guess its main ingredient. It turned out to be watermelon rind! Refreshing and tasty! Breakfast and lunch were served at our verandah. Soon after we had our afternoon siesta, fresh bhajia would be waiting for us with some strongly blended tea!
Hospitality
Since it was just the two of us in the whole bungalow, we had all their attention. Right from prepping our favourite food to cleaning our car, folks at the cottage took care of us so well! Just before we had to leave, our car tyre had a flat (like even our car didn’t want to leave). Within minutes, Mr Chandran had the Stepney out and replaced for us so efficiently also before we realized. Their service was spot on. Feeling pampered was needless to say an understatement!
Garden
When you see the garden, you can be sure that it’s maintained by someone with a LOT of passion for gardening. We were right. Ms Khan has a great taste and ensured the plants in her garden were very well maintained, filled with varieties of flowering plants. Yellows to orange to pinks, they were swaying with the winds. There was a special joy sipping a hot cup of tea watching them sway with the winds!
The Bungalow.
When you look for a weekend getaway, you imagine a place which has calm and peace, things to do nearby and perhaps even close to the city where you live. This place ticks off all those boxes, making it a perfect weekend hotspot. The tall trees, the constant breeze and pleasant weather coupled with the cosy expanse of the bungalow make this place so addictive. It’s got the best views thanks to the location. It’s not so distant from the nearby town but gives you a sense of a self-sufficient world. They also have the small hospital inside the estate to fix you instantly in case you’re feeling under the weather.
What we did
We took long walks through the tea estate. Mr.Chandran accompanied us, showing us the way through the estate and its several scenic viewpoints. Since the routes are aplenty, one could get lost if you ventured out through the estate all by yourself. We thoroughly enjoyed our walks on both days we stayed. Not so far away from the property, there is a gold mine which is worth visiting. We played board games, watched TV shows, read some books, played the guitar, slept so well, drank loads of tea. We had a complete staycation. We did stay up a little late one night hoping to catch a glimpse of elephants who are frequent visitors to the property. Though we had little luck with spotting the pachyderms, we spotted porcupine quills in the garden. So porcupines shoot out their quills when they sense danger. Was there another wild animal in the prowl then? Hmm
How did we reach
Sinna Dorai’s Bungalow is 50 km away from Ooty town and is roughly 280 Kms from Bangalore. We, as usual, drove down and the road was magical. You pass through some of the most beautiful cities like Devala and pandalur in Nilgiris.
Give yourself a little treat, rejuvenate, find the time to do things you’ve always wanted to, compose music, author a novel, find a spot which gives you an endless view of the green bed of tea estates. Chill on the grandfather chair stretching your legs out like a king with a book, listen to the whistles of sparrows and parakeets during daytime which fades into the evening as the murmuring of the crickets and Cicadas gradually take over.
So will the Mango Range, Sinnadorai be your Next Check-in?
Book your stay here!
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