Anant Villa

About the Retreat

We challenge you to take your eyes off the emerald-colored Tehri Lake in the distance on a clear day. And if it happens to be cloudy, even better. The large-mouthed valley in front of your cottage is sure to fill up with cottony clouds that spill in and out of the sprawling bowl of mountains like a chemistry experiment. In truth, you’re as far from laboratories as you can be. In Sursingdhar, it’s nature’s experiments gone right. The Tehri Retreat in the Himalayan village of Sursingdhar is the perfect remedy for jaded city souls. The first and most effective antidote is the view of the Himalayan peaks right from your window—even the second-highest mountain, Nanda Devi, graces the lodge with a stunning view. Around the lodge, sun-shafted pine trees shoot up from hillsides. Between them, plenty of natural trails are formed, ideal for foraging for cones. Avian life is clearly satisfied here, as you will find out from the number of distinct coos, caws, and shrill songs. The birds chunter away on treetops—away from your gaze, unless you’re relentless about birding in the early mornings. Once you’ve set foot outside to discover the hilltop shrines, forested trails, and activities like rappelling, jummaring, rafting, or angling, chances are that you’ll hardly seek refuge indoors. The balconies of the cottage might be an exception. It’s the local guides that make the stay truly rewarding. What they don’t know about, say, birds, fungi, tree names, vines, and temples, is probably not worth knowing. And their knowledge is available to you at all times.