Summer Travel: 5 Offbeat Stays To Book This Year

Be Zen While Surrounded By Tibetan Treasures
Located on an unassuming street in the village of Sidhpur, Norbulingka Institute has an austere facade that belies the treasures hidden inside. Named after the summer residence of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, in Tibet, the institute was founded in 1988 with the aim to preserve the ancient artistic and literary heritage of Tibet.The space contains an academy, a literary research centre, arts centre, temple, and a museum. Apart from producing museum-quality art, they also run a variety of hospitality operations including three guesthouses and two restaurants. Much of the artwork in your room will be original and the furniture handmade. For a small fee, you can hire a young monk as a guide.  

For more information, check here. 

A Centuries Old Building Where Gunter Grass Once Stayed 

If you want to soak in genteel colonial charm, this should be your pitstop. Creaking with atmosphere, this iconic heritage hotel is housed inside a building built in 1783, and sits in the backpacker friendly neighbourhood of Sudder Street. Step inside and it’s all antiques and soft furnishings. This place was earlier run by eccentric memsahib Violet Smith and had housed every kind of celebrity from Nobel laureate Gunter Grass and musician Sting to playwright Tom Steppard and actor Patrick Swayze (their website has a celebrity guests page if you want to see the list). The hotel is now owned by the Elgin Hotels & Resorts group.

For more information, check here.

Book A Houseboat - In Maharashtra 
Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district is endowed with empty beaches, coconut and areca nut groves and an exceptionally tasty seafood-based cuisine. Those in the know say it’s what Goa used to be two decades ago and what’s more, the state government has actually declared it a tourism-only district. Yet tourists haven’t really discovered the region. The state tourism corporation is finally taking some action and has launched two houseboats — the first outside the states of Kashmir and Kerala — on the Kalri river in Tarkarli near Malvan. The tourism corporation promises a luxurious experience, with air-conditioned rooms and the services of a personal assistant. Tourists can also enjoy the finger-licking Malvani cuisine on board. There are music systems and DVD players as well but chances are you’ll be too busy relaxing on the beaches of Devbaug, Nerurpar and Tarkarli, or discovering picturesque villages, to play with the gadgets on the boat. 

Check here for more information.

An 18th-century Victorian Era Palace in Odisha
A part of what once served as the ancestral palace of the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj has been transformed into a stunning heritage homestay - the Belgadia Palace. The palace is a fine specimen of a seamless blend of Greek and Victorian architecture with beautiful courtyards. Surrounded by the lush greenery of mango orchards and gardens, the palace provides a look into the life and times of the royal family.

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Cosy Up With The Beatles In Darjeeling
With just five rooms in this cozy hotel, you can rest assured that personalised service is the name of the game at Revolver—it’s all in a day’s work for the owners to carry your suitcases to your room. You can choose your room, named after the Beatles and their manager, depending on whether you want to see the mountains or you want to replace your alarm clock with the chirping of birds. A comfortable stay that will not burn a hole in your pocket is what’s on offer. With inverter backup, free wi-fi, spring mattresses and running hot water to TVs with DTH—Revolver provides them all in an affordable package. And when the rumble you hear is not thunder in the mountain but from your own tummy, you can dig in to wholesome local and Naga cuisine. You need to order all the food in advance though.

Check here for more information.