A house in hills and some quiet

Emerald Trail in Jhangaliya village is not for the luxury traveler, but for the soul searcher

Sumit Dutta, 42, was in the business of selling dreams. An adman with a marketing background, he had been successfully turning businesses into brands and sales figures into story boards. But somewhere down the line, Dutta must have felt there is more to life than minding others' businesses.



Which is why he climbed 300 miles to breathe in some fresh mountain air in a little explored place called Jhangaliya village, set in the middle of the hills, 30 kilometers from Nainital. And stayed there. The training he got in taking businesses forward helped him turn a lifestyle choice into a livelihood. We were as excited to visit Emerald Trail (Dutta's home and 'hotel') as were to meet the man himself.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Emerald Trail welcomes you with a promise of warmth, solitude and solace. In the middle of a largish green space, a modern hut-like structure has been put up for a comfortable stay. Our first impression was, this is not a regular holiday destination. But far from being disheartened, we took it as a welcome break from the picture postcard holiday homes.

Emerald Trail is but a small cottage for those who wish to be left alone to enjoy the silence and the sounds of nature. Married for eleven years, Dutta and his wife are not from here. But since Dutta gave up his job in the big city, he spends the best part of the year down here in his house in the hills. "It was a random holiday five years back that changed the course of my life. We wanted to turn this place into a holiday cottage with an eco-friendly structure and create some employment for the local villagers as well," said Dutta.

We entered the cottage and it felt as if we had come back to the olden times when we used to have lone wood houses with back doors where one could carry out some secret mission. Sliding glass doors led us in to the living room adorned with antique furniture collected from across the country. A British era fireplace, a Roman styled clock, a chest, a small library, an old Frank Sinatra gramophone and a good DVD collection told us something about the taste of the owner. The entire cottage was filled with hand-picked objects from everywhere including antiques bought from the Mumbai Chor Bazar.

With pine wood in ceilings and floors, the house took us back to the colonial era. We woke with the sun on our faces and looked out to the greens. The place looks all the more beautiful during the day, especially after a hearty breakfast. We decided to go for some adventure biking. The house has a good stock of cycles, and though novice bikers like us could trip, those with a passion for biking can have a great time exploring new trails.

Emerald Hills is self-sustainable, with a 300 kw solar power back up, organic farming, a cow shelter, catchment area for rain water harvesting. The cook, who is also a local farmer, simply plucked a few tomatoes, coriander and dug out some potatoes for dinner. If you are a fussy foodie, you could barge in the kitchen at any odd hour of the day or night and fix something for yourself. Dinner done, we took in the quiet, sat by the fire and watched the stars.u00a0 As Dutta said, it's not a hotel or a luxury cottage, this place is for people solace seekers. And finders.

Booking for two: Rs 3,500-5,000 (inclusive of meals)
Best season: July-August
Ring: 09820105894
Visit:www.emeraldtrail.com