Upcoming Nilgiris trip Driving down to Masinagudi and then to an estate in Coonoor for the weekend. Hadn't heard about this place before - Nonsuch Estate - I liked the picture of the lawn and the old bungalow, which was a hunting lodge once upon a time. I was talking to another proprietor, when she said that her place was not available, and why don't I try Nonsuch. SO I Googled, looked at the website, and decided to book it after linking the photos. Took 15 calls to get through that place, though.
Here is one picture of Nonsuch from the website:
Apparently Nonsuch gets prizes for best maintained garden etc., and also supplies tea to the president. The website states that:
" Records have it that the present Nonsuch Estate is made up of five small estates namely Nonsuch Estate, Upper Droog Estate, Avoca Estate, Ibex Lodge Estate and Ripplevale Estate. Ripplevale Estate was merged with Ibex Lodge Estate in the late 1800’s and since then the composition of the present estate is related to the remaining four estates. Title Deeds reveal that land was first purchased in 1863. Thereafter, numerous proprietors owned the four estates. In the second half of 1924, the estates were brought under one umbrella and ‘The Nonsuch Tea Estates Limited’ came in to existence."
Will share my feedback once I come back.
Random rambling: I love staying in heritage bungalows in the hills. When staying at such places, I sometimes suffer from theta brainwaves, especially in the evening/night wonder who all stayed there, what kind of family/bachelor life they had, what life was like 100 year back on such an evening. What stories of happiness and sadness the walls could tell. Makes you realize that life is ephemeral. I actually hate the concrete + glass building that we have everywhere now. Give me a mountain bungalow, a cold wind outside, and a roaring campfire + a wooden floor + a comfy armchair + a furry dog at my feet anyday over the best 5 star hotel room.
When we had little money (before and during the early years of our marriage), we used to visit offbeat places and stay in the circuit houses (e.g. in Painavu - a lovely old bungalow beside the lake/dam in Idduki) and MES bungalows (e.g. in Chail, Kalimpong). They were really lovely. You only have to watch out for snakes or centipedes in the bathroom. But the 18 foot high ceiling makes up for that.
These are a couple of scanned pictures of our Chail trip during the winter of 2001 We were the only people there - the place was 3 km from Chail town. Had interesting experiences in the night - windows banging, the wind howling, floors creaking etc. The caretaker stayed 50 m away in a cottage. No other person closeby. Btw, eventually figured out that the monkeys were banging the window of the bathrooms of the bhoot bungalow because it was snowing outside (the bungalow belonged to the Maharaja of Patiala once upon a time - when we went, it had been converted into an Army MES bungalow).
Last edited by Samurai : 29th May 2011 at 01:44.
Reason: Rule# 11
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