1. 800. 973.1177
LIFESTYLE TRAVEL
A taste of the Raj in the Himalayas [by Joan Scobey] Dawdle over breakfast on the slate terrace of Wildflower Hall, only a low stone wall planted with rosy geraniums between you and a wide-screen Himalayan panorama rolling out to distant, snow-covered summits. You are at eye level with these craggy peaks in India’s northern hill country, higher than the eagles wheeling through the crisp air. If you feel a bit heady, chalk it up to the 8,250-foot altitude as well as the breathtaking setting.
Its towers
tually built on the footprint of Lord Kitchen-
massages and other holistic treatments
and turrets
er’s home. It is set on 22 acres of fragrant
based on Western and Asian therapies, swim
rising above
cedar and pine trees, adjacent to a 12,000-
laps in the heated indoor pool or loll in the
a steep,
acre preserve of dense evergreen forest that
outdoor infinity whirlpool and gaze at that
forested
shelters bear, langur monkeys, antelope and
blockbuster Himalayan view.
slope of
even hard-to-spot leopards. Look for traces of the authentic Raj in
the Middle Himalayas,
Though much taller than the original, Wild-
Shimla, where British colonials transplanted
Wildflower
flower Hall recalls colonial-era hill house
a bit of England for their summer comfort.
Hall is
architecture, from the slate-clad exterior and
The town spills down steep hills, with mul-
Oberoi
narrow iron balconies to its pitched roofs.
tistory houses stacked tightly in tiers on the
Hotel’s
Inside, teak floors, Oriental rugs, clubby
slopes. On top, the main road, The Mall, runs
homage to the Raj. Actually, it is barely five
chairs, green baize-covered game tables and
for about three miles, in the middle widening
years old, but its roots go back to 19th cen-
a portrait of Lord Kitchener himself over a
to a mile-long promenade called the Ridge.
tury colonial days when the British ruled In-
welcoming fireplace evoke the spirit of the
It is anchored at one end by the golden stone
dia and made the nearby town of Shimla the
Raj.
Christ Church and half-timbered public library, and at the other by the Tourist Office
summer capital. For six months every year from 1865 to 1947, the government fled the
Lord Kitch-
and Scandal Point, once the meeting place
steamy heat of the Indian capitals, first Cal-
ener would
for assignations and gossip-mongering.
cutta and then Delhi, for the Himalayas and
be proud. He
did the government’s business in the cool hill
might not
Along The
station of Shimla (then spelled Simla).
recognize
Mall are
the marble
handcrafts
Two of the famous names during the Raj, as
bathrooms,
and cafes,
the British colonial rule was called, were
satellite
wood-gabled
Lord Kitchener and Lord Curzon. When
television,
shops and
Kitchener arrived in Shimla in 1902 as India’s
DVD players and other high-tech amenities of
restaurants,
newly appointed commander-in-chief, Cur-
the 87-room, fully wired hotel, but surely he
a touristy pe-
zon was viceroy of India. They were soon em-
would appreciate the sporting opportunities
broiled in a military controversy and became
in this glorious mountain playground: river
with only hints of its glory days as a once-
bitter enemies. Curzon lived in the official
rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding,
stylish British shopping street. Below The
residence, Viceregal Lodge. Kitchener rented
tennis, ice skating and golf on rolling mead-
Mall, via steep alleys and stairways, are the
Wildflower Hall, a forested mountaintop
ows of a century-old course, not to mention
food markets and stalls of the lustier Indian
retreat 1,000 feet above Shimla so, the story
treks through terraced fields and villages
Lower Bazaar that Rudyard Kipling, who lived
goes, he could look down on Curzon.
and along forest trails edged with wild flow-
in Shimla for 14 years, described a century
ers and strawberries.
ago in “Kim.”
small hotel that replaced it, but the present
Too active for you? Hedonists can head for
“He led the horses below the main road into
Wildflower Hall stands on that same site, ac-
the Banyan Tree spa to sample ayurvedic
the lower Simla bazaar - the crowded rab-
destrian zone
Kitchener’s villa is long since gone, as is a
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1.800.973. 1177
LIFESTYLE TRAVEL
bit-warren that climbs up from the valley to
five nights, and includes deluxe room, a daily
ings, including tea with the Maharajah; (800)
the Town Hall at an angle of forty-five. A man
one-hour spa treatment and transfers from
999-1758, www.coxandkingsusa.com.
who knows his way there can defy all the po-
Shimla airport or train station. The Unforget-
lice of India’s summer capital, so cunningly
table Experience package, including deluxe
does veranda communicate with veranda,
room, breakfast and dinner, is $760 for two
alleyway with alleyway, and bolt-hole with
nights, $1,130 for three nights and $1,470
bolt-hole.”
for four nights. Both packages are double occupancy, include round-trip transfers from
Shimla’s monument to the Raj is the historic
the airport or train station, and are good Jan.
Viceregal Lodge. Built in 1888 in grand Scot-
2 to March 31, 2006.
tish Baronial style, with gardens and an indoor tennis court, it was the residence of
The Cecil, (800) 562-3764, www.oberoihotels.
all 13 Viceroys of India, from Lord Dufferin to
com.
Lord Mountbatten, until India won independence in 1947. Now occupied by the Indian
Chapslee, 011-91-177-280-2542, fax: 011-
Institute of Advanced Studies, it has several
91-177-265-8663, chapslee@sancharnet.in,
rooms open to the public, and an exhibit
www.chapslee.com.
documenting the momentous debate and signing of the Partition Plan that took place
Getting there: The easiest way is the Oberoi
there, and its famous visitors, among them
Air Charter between Delhi and Shimla, with
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
daily flights five days a week that must be booked in advance; (800) 562-3764.
If afternoon tea seems like an appropriate finale, Shimla has two authentic Raj-era op-
You can also fly India Airlines between Delhi
tions: The Cecil Hotel, built in 1902 and glori-
and Chandigarh, then drive four hours up
ously refurbished; and Chapslee, a delightful
to Wildflower Hall on a precipitous, twisting
“bungalow” where Kanwar Ratanjit Singh,
road with dizzying hairpin turns; you can’t
the Maharajah of Kapurthala, informally
rent a car without a driver, and you wouldn’t
known as Reggie, has six rooms for guests.
want to.
All the furnishings, from Gobelin tapestries, Murano chandeliers, even the wallpaper,
The train from Delhi to Shimla, changing in
date to the 1930s when his grandfather, Raja
the middle to a narrow-gauge track, takes
Charanjit Singh of Kapurthala, bought the
most of a day.
house. It’s probably your best chance to see how a Maharajah lives - let alone actually
Among the various carriers that fly from
meet one.
the United States to India, Lufthansa has the most European flights that connect to a IF YOU GO
number of U.S. gateways. The airline’s new business-class service has several interest-
Staying there:
ing perks: the longest flat beds in the air, in-
Wildflower
flight wireless Internet, U.S.-type electrical
Hall, (800)
outlets for laptops, and meals by Michelin-
562-3764,
starred chefs.
www.oberoihotels.com.
Travel tips: It is convenient to leave travel ar-
Double rooms
rangements to a reliable tour operator such
start around $355, but special packages are
as Cox & Kings, who are very experienced in
frequently offered. The Winter Retreat Pack-
India. They can coordinate logistics, provide
age is $1,400 for three nights and $2,300 for
knowledgeable guides, and make all book-
PAGE
Joan Scobey is a freelance travel writer. © Copley News Service