Far from the maddening crowd, in striking seclusion, lies a charming resort that overlooks the misty mountain valley. The Ganges flows right beside the resort and its mighty roar is the symphony amid the prevailing silence here. Royale Rainbow Resort in Uttarakhand’s Paliyal Gaon is nothing short of a slice of heaven. I stayed there for a night and had a wonderful time spent amid the profound calmness of mother nature. The best part is, the resort is just around 5 hours 30 minutes away from Delhi via road. Read the story of my trip here.
An Isolated Paradise By The Ganges Near Rishikesh
Sudden trips can do wonders at times. And my one day trip to Uttarakhand’s Paliyal Gaon is an ideal example. With nothing fixed on our mind, we just opened the internet and started searching for a property near Rishikesh, and found Royale Rainbow. We booked it at 1:30 AM on August 28. We left Delhi at midnight, at around 2, and reached the resort at around 9 AM, after making stops at Haridwar and Rishikesh. The moment I entered the resort, I was absolutely swooned by its beauty. A cragged path caressed by a stream leads to the resort from the main road. The steam ends in the Ganga, and in between, sits the isolated resort, cut out of the mountains. The cottages of the resort have balconies too, where one can unwind and soak in the mountain breeze. The resort has two sweeping lawns and a sitting area too by the valley.
A Tech Detox…
I never heard much about network issues in Rishikesh. But at this resort, we were pushed into a tech detox. Forget the internet, we did not even have the slightest of the cellular network to make a call. We could hire the resort’s public WiFi for some time, but even that was too feeble to connect to the outer world. Having said that, this is the kind of detachment we all need at times, to live in the real instead of the reel. Ain’t so?
We Camped Under The Starts On The Resort Lawn
The resort gives a panoramic view of the mountains, the Ganga and gushing waterfalls. The views were stunning in the morning, but the surroundings turned dark after sunset. Nevertheless, that was another mesmerising experience. The lawn was illuminated with soft fairy lights.
We could hear the Ganges flowing and see the contour of the peaks beneath the stars. We pitched a tent on the lawn to enjoy the cool river breeze. With some peppy music, light tipples and loads of light hearted conversions, we had a splendid time in the hills.
Also Read: I Went On A Trip To A Secluded Campsite In Pushkar And Slept Under The Stars
Strolling Down To The River Bank…
The next morning, we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast with curd parathas and poha and started packing for check-out. We vacated the room at around 12 PM. Before leaving the place, we took the route parallel to the cottage lane to stroll down to the bank of the Ganges. The daytime temperature was hot, but the water of the river was cool and soothing. I drenched my feet in the waters and witnessed the ebb and flow of the Ganges.
In a distance, towering pine trees were visible. Herds of cattle were grazing on the small patches of land in between the river waters. Since we visited during the monsoon, the hue of the water was muddy, owing to the heavy rains. But if you visit the place during spring, autumn or summer, you might get to witness the turquoise waters.
Our return journey was a drive for food. We grabbed authentic Uttarakhandi Chole Kulche from a roadside stall in Haridwar and followed it with ice cream. After driving a couple of hours more, we halted at a roadside eatery named Biggies Restaurant where we enjoyed piping-hot chai, rajma chawal and pastry.
Also Read: I Stayed At This Homestay In Lachung Perched At 12,000 Ft That Isn’t Traceable On The Internet
By 8:30, we entered Noida by the Delhi-Meerut expressway. The overall cost of the trip was around ₹6000, including room rent, travel, refreshment costs, etc. We took a private car and the cottage rent was ₹3981 for a night. This was one of the shortest, yet most exhilarating trips I ever had. We hiked through the mountains, relaxed by the Ganga waves, camped under the stars, savoured gourmet food at the resort and had a mind-boggling road trip too. We lived the time to the fullest and a part of me has not come back from the trip yet.