Cedar 038; Serenity

AT Naldehra everything8217;s for real. Real mountains, real forests, real action and some very real people. Twenty-two kilometres north of ...

AT Naldehra everything8217;s for real. Real mountains, real forests, real action and some very real people. Twenty-two kilometres north of Shimla, Naldehra houses some of the most beautiful boutique chalets or Scandinavian style log homes in the country. Rent one for a day or two, and it can alter the mindsets of those who think you can play golf, read books, take long walks and spend time with friends and family only when you retire.

Life at the Chalets Naldehra is one without a telly, newspapers or even a telephone. Walk 200 metres and you hit a golf course in the clearing of a cedar forest. For those seeking some real action, there8217;s rafting too between September and June.

It all began as one man8217;s folly. 8216;8216;Stupidity, that8217;s what inspired me,8217;8217; says Yatish C Sud, managing director of the Chalets Naldehra. 8216;8216;We roped in seven architects to build these, but all of them left us. So we finally downloaded some designs from the Internet and here we are,8217;8217; adds Sud, who launched his project last December with just two chalets.

At Naldehra, your neighbours are real too. Manju Ahluwalia and Lichi Sahni, who got their chalets built by Sud, love it when you drop in at their cottages. If you8217;re lucky, you might get invited to high tea.

The nine-hole course was founded by Lord Curzon, who was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the place that he named his youngest daughter Alexandra Naldehra. Service charge is a whopping 25 per cent, but Sud has a good reason for that: 8216;8216;That8217;s our way of encouraging people to step out of their rooms.8217;8217; As for the steep rent see box, he says: 8216;8216;You8217;re paying for a unique concept.8217;8217;

About 30 km ahead lies the 14-km raft track from Chaba to Tattapani. For the uninitiated, Chaba is about 45 km from Shimla and is better known for the hydroelectric power station, arguably the oldest functioning one in the country. It was constructed in 1909-10 and became functional in 1913-14.

You can experience some rafting too. Post rafting, take a skinny dip at the sulphur spring at Tattapani and you feel alive again. It costs Rs 50 for 30 minutes.

Two days at the chalets and you start feeling at home. You may even want to own a chalet. If that8217;s the case, Sud has a business proposition for you. He can build you one for Rs 3,000 per sq ft. So shall we say, Mohammad go to the mountains.

	ELBOW ROOM

		8226; The Chalets Naldehra have 14 units, including cottages each has a small garden fenced with potted geranium and apartments which are part of a bigger chalet. 8226; Cottages have a living room with a kitchen, a bathroom and a big bedroom. On the first floor there8217;s another bedroom with a low, sloping roof. 8226; Renting a chalet is an expensive affair. A cottage costs Rs 5,700 per night plus taxes, while a duplex apartment is Rs 3,700. 8226; For another Rs 750, you can get an extra bed. And for another Rs 350 you get to play a complete round of golf and get a caddie too.