Travel With Me - EKAM at Chail | HOLIDAY HOME

Harman Kaur
Nov 8, 2017
4 min read

I have always adored the concept of holiday homes in the hills. It's so relaxing and de-stressing. But in North India, it's a task to find one. Well, Ekam is an eye-catching property situated a few Kilometers before Chail. Built in 2009, this property is a luxurious hill home which will make your heart want to stay here forever.

Mr. Sumeet, the owner of Ekam says, "Ekam is my sanctuary place, a place I built to escape the urbane lifestyle that we so often get caught up in. My peaceful abode where I can curl up with a good book and bask in the warm sunshine amongst the beautiful pine trees (my favorite) and the rolling Himalayan Hills. A tranquil haven where I can meditate and be one with nature. For me solitude is the destination and this is where I have found it."

MY EXPERIENCE

The Exquisite holiday dream home

It is situated a few meters from the road. There's an up hill road which leads you to the entrance, a beautiful pathway. As you open the large door, there's a big dining hall on the left and one hell of a drawing room, which they call "The Hall", on the right. It has large couches and sofas everywhere around the room. There's a bonfire to light up the mood at night. The decor is breathtaking, from graceful lamps to tree branches, it's a sight to the eyes! Talking about the dining hall, the chef at Ekam cooks delicacies one can only think of! He cooks everything you ask for. Moving on, both the halls are separated by a flight of stairs.

The first thing you see as you climb up the stairs is a giant book shelf with some great books and games. The rest of the living room is full of exclusive couches and a home theater system. The living room opens up into a small balcony. You can enjoy the view with a hot cup of tea and your close ones. There are four rooms. Every room has been assigned a name which goes with it's vibe. You can read more about the Green Room, Red Room, Grey Room and The Attic here. There's no such corner which isn't a favourite, but The Attic had my heart. There's also a fifth room, called the Meditation Room. It looks like a room but is actually a cave. Although I didn't get the chance to see it but I'm sure it's bomb!

My take: I stayed at the exquisite holiday home for two days. I was mesmerized by the beautiful pathway at the entrance. After a while of freshening up, we were served with lunch. We had rice, Himachali curry, dried moong dal and a chocolate mousse for the dessert. It was simply scrumptious! I took some pictures of the place after lunch. In the evening, I was just sitting in my room and relaxing when Pandit ji, the caretaker, knocks the door and comes in with a delicious, home-made Paneer Tikka! But that wasn't enough for me, I went down to grab some sandwiches and a cup of chai. After that I went out for a little walk in the garden. There's a sitting area adjoining the hall. It is a perfect spot for those romantic candle-light dinners. At night we were served with Thai Curry, Boiled veggies and Pasta, a toothsome combination of food all made at home. The next day I woke up late and missed the sunrise, stupid me. But like the place, it must have been a beauty. For breakfast, it was time for some cheelas and fruit pancakes with maple syrup and fruits! Oh, I'm hungry now. What a delightful morning (*sighs*)! The in-house chef really makes mouth-watering dishes 24/7.

P.S.: You need to let go your chicken hunger as long as you're here as this place serves purely vegetarian food.

For the next 3-4 hours I took pictures and explored the place. Now I know such a place doesn't have terms such as "a favorite corner". And so one of my favorite corners were the bathrooms! Don't believe me? Go see for yourselves.

Talking about my room, I stayed in the Green Room. As the name says, it's a green colored room with a double bed, a sofa, a pair of vintage Chandeliers and a large balcony with a breathtaking view! Adjoining it, is a cute, little attic with a small window on the roof. The bathroom was one large room with classic boxes kept around that gave a vintage touch to the bathroom. For those who concentrate more on bathrooms, this is the place. Beautiful views and hot, steamy showers.

All the rooms differ in decor but are all exclusive! Every room has a differently designed balcony with a different view. It feels like being at four different places at once! The mornings are full of chirpy, talkative tweets, away from noise and air pollution.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT EKAM

The area around the rooms has a garden where a number of fruits and veggies are grown. I admired the strawberry patch the most as it is my favorite fruit. The place is surrounded by beautiful, tall trees. Talking about trees, I feel immense pleasure telling you that no tree was hurt during the making of the place!

Also, if you hear someone talking at a close distance, it's actually a voice coming from another 'pahadi'. Chilling, yet interesting!

I loved my stay at Ekam. The decor, hospitality, architecture, surroundings and basically everything about the place is exclusive and sharp! I can't wait to pay another visit to the place to relax and chill in the most fun ways possible.

Where is Ekam? Vill Dunti, Solan, Himachal Pradesh

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