Travel Designers Above the clouds but not out of the Rain
We awake to clear sky and blue skies with a few clouds and head out on our sight seeing trip of Shimla. We visit the Himachal state Museum , Vice Regal Lodge and then head up to the Mall to see the shops and Christ Church via a mobile phone shop for sim cards! A story in itself but not for this blog.
It’s at this point the heavens open and the rain literally falls out the sky, turning the slopping streets in to rivers with cascading rapids. Our newly purchased umbrellas can’t hold up against the heavy rain and soon it starts to rain inside the umbrella as well as out. Soaked through it’s time to call off the sight seeing and head back to the hotel for a quick change. I drop my clothes into the Laundry service at the hotel as the pink scarf we were given has dyed my white jacket and sweat top, I’m told it will be back in 3 hours, great service if it happens.
Warm dry clothes and 30 minutes later we are off to visit the Oberoi Wildflower hotel that lies above the village of Shimla. As soon as we walk in the smells of Jasmine hit us and the warm welcome wins us over. The Wild flower host our lunch with a fabulous Thali meal which is a choice of several small Indian Dishes. We break the bank and order a bottle of white Chile Chardonnay wine between 3 of us which is stunning but still only £15 a bottle. An excellent price for a 5 star luxury hotel.
The Oberoi Wild Flower is a stunning hotel built for ultimate relaxation, with opulent wooden floors and walls and contrasting materials. There are 4 categories of rooms all that are large and airy offering stunning views of either the gardens or the valley below, starting from a premium room to a suite.
The spa offers many different treatments as well as 2 pools, one indoor and one out door infinity pool/Jacuzzi that looks out over the mountain range. Children under the age of 10 years cannot stay at this hotel, however a complimentary room is given for children of 11 years to 18 years when parents are paying full price for a room. This makes this hotel the perfect choice for honeymoon couples as it gives you total relaxation, great rooms, excellent food and time to chill and enjoy each others company, without little feet running around you.
The weather continues with torrential rain so our visit to the Jakhoo Temple where the monkeys are in abundance is cancelled. We are told by the Sales Manager at Oberoi that it could be a good thing as the monkeys have been trained by the sweet sellers to steal glasses and cameras from visiting tourists.
The monkeys only then give the items back when bribed with sweets, that you have to by from the sweet sellers. Unfortunately the monkeys are very cute and from only a couple being taught by the sweet sellers they now all know that if they steal they will be rewarded. Anyone visiting the temple are given a stick to warn off the monkeys and told to remove their glasses and keep cameras in their bags or pockets.
Back to our hotel for a few hours relaxation, the first in this itinerary but not for long as we undertake a site inspection of our own hotel the Radisson before heading out to dinner at the Cecil Oberoi. I have to add that my laundry has returned and is whiter than it went in to their service and the presentation in my room is fabulous with the items returned in a wicker basket and sealed in a plastic bag. Excellent service, highly recommended.
The Cecil Oberoi dates back to 1928 and is a wonderful hotel full of charm and style. We are warmly greeted and taken to the piano bar area of the hotel in the Cecil Tower.
The piano bar sits in the centre of the tower with each of the floors rising above it with a balcony that goes all the way around with the access to each of the rooms which creates a central atrium. This is the first thing guests will see when exiting their rooms in this part of the hotel. The piano bar is a stunning area to sit and relax in one of the many arm chairs and enjoy a pre dinner drink, listening to the resident pianist.
The Cecil Oberoi has 4 room categories from a deluxe to a luxury suite with mountain view. The hotel is situated centrally to Shimla so is a good option for exploring the centre and is not as remote as the wild Flower.
A good combination would be 2 nights Cecil and 2 nights Wild Flower or 2 and one night to give you the ultimate stay in Shimla. Our dinner is a late one tonight but absolutely fantastic with some lovely wine in our own private dinning room.
We arrive back to our hotel, The Radisson Shimla after midnight and head straight to bed for our early start down the mountain in the morning.
