Dolina Retreat – A Beautiful Homestay in dense jungle

November 17, 2024
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Nestled on the north-west tip off from Mussoorie, Dolina Retreat is a 6.5 drive from Delhi. This 5 cottage retreat is an off-beat homestay created within a natural dolina or limestone valley, offering breathtaking forest views. In the lap of nature, only 30 mins from the chaotic and bustling Mussoorie, this place is a must visit, if you love nature, silence and greenery.

I chose Dolina for my Birthday getaway, and I have to admit this was the best decision ever. Instead of loud parties and crowds, I chose to be amidst the stillness of Nature.

Our escapede to Dolina provided an idyllic retreat with stunning vistas of the forest cover. The resort features a main restaurant, fun outdoor and indoor activities and 5 well designed cottages with breathtaking vistas to wake up to.

Each amenity at the retreat is thoughtfully designed to enhance the guest experience, ensuring a memorable stay, but also can be used as a base to glide into stillness and absorb the calming effect of forest bathing – a trend that is the need of the hour today.

Dolina retreat effortlessly combines rustic charm with modern comforts, making it a perfect base for exploring the natural beauty and surreal landscapes. Whether you’re lounging in your own private Jacuzzi gazing at the forest cover, enjoying a nice meal under the forest, playing badminton with your family, driving an ATV or taking a trek to the top of the mountain, enjoying a hot cup of tea while enjoying the view of the mountains, a vacation at the Dolina retreat is a truly exceptional holiday.

Location

Although the location feels wonderfully remote and relaxing, the sights and activities are only a short drive away, so easy to get out and about to explore Mussoorie. Of course, when you come back to Dolina from having visited the chaotic town of Mussoorie, you have that therapeutic vibe to relax and rejuvenate soon.

Facilities & Service

The open-air welcome pavilion housed the reception and concierge, as well as an intimate space for indoor games. Following the reception area was the first cottage, where we were booked for three peaceful nights.

The restaurant offers Indian and continental cuisine, that are wholesome and delicious. The chef is an experienced cook coming with an exhaustive background in culinary finesse.  The large open space has facilities like badminton, trampoline, swings for children and a nice walking space.

AAccomodation

ll cottages are appropriately spaced out and surrounded by jungle foliage so you felt you were alone with just the forest cover as your own personal view.

Our Room (Refuge Cottage)

The Refuge Family Cottage is a wooden cozy cottage, pet-friendly and has 2 bedrooms attached by a corridor, separated by a small bathroom. The cozy cottage also includes a glass roofed sun room/tea station and an outdoor private patio.

The view is oriented to face the valley’s walnut orchard and both rooms have floor to ceiling glass. The beds are heated to a perfect temperature and our outlook was only to the walnut trees with birds perched on branches, and surrounded by deep green foliage. 

Levels of Comfort

The cottage was superbly presented in terms of cleanliness, and serviced twice daily, always when we were at breakfast and dinner, which was timed to perfection. The central bed was really comfortable, warm and soft.

The cottage had very efficient temperature control that kept the cottage at a good temperature, day or night. It was reasonably silent, with only the interrupting sounds of the birds singing their own rhythm.

There was a mini-fridge in the cottage, a tea station and kettle, and mineral water that was provided morning and night.

Bathroom

The cottage had one small bathroom, with a standalone bath, one sink and a hot rod to dry clothes (which I personally loved to dry my pet’s wet clothes; it was a blessing). The toiletries were provided (hand wash, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash), as well as other items like a toothbrush and paste. As with the whole resort, the bathroom was serviced to perfection once a day.

The master bedroom in the cottage housed a large area for storage. The adjacent soft comfortable chairs facing the glass door was perfect for watching the swaying trees.

Dining

Out of all the meals, we enjoyed the breakfast, surrounded by forest and enjoying the soothing sounds of birds, while devouring the hot meals. Meals are always ordered to the staff an hour prior, to give them time to prepare fresh.

We enjoyed breakfast items like paranthas, poha, upma, aalo and puris. Lunch in the glasshouse restaurant was equally enchanting. Highly recommended are the biryanis and vegetable rice, served with mix raitas, cottage cheese dishes and lentils, tawa rotis.

For dinner, we relished their Chinese cuisine. We loved their soups and noodles. On the last night of our stay, I got a beautiful birthday surprise. There was a projector set up, a bonfire and a delicious spread with soulful songs sung by the co-owner, Veer, a very hospitable warm host in his early 30’s. My birthday was a magical night, thanks for the team of Dolina who did everything to make it an evening to remember.

Highlights of our stay

There were so many highlights of the stay at the Dolina retreat  but here are just a few of the key points, which I hope you find a useful summary.

  • Location – There is a route from Dehradun to Mussoorie, but you need to follow the Google maps to reach Dolina. The roads are improving and it’s easily accessible. On reaching, it’s better to call the reception to send a four wheel vehicle as the road to the retreat is rough and not quite suitable for sedans.  
  • Tree house with Jacuzzi – although all of the cottages are beautiful, it’s better to book this cottage in advance as it’s always in demand.  
  • People – The staff at Dolina is very friendly. There is a lot of staff on the site to ensure your stay is perfect. From gardeners and cleaning staff, to wait staff in the restaurant, staff members are always there to ensure a friendly welcome wherever you went.
  • Food – During our stay, our dietary requirements were taken into consideration. From vegetarian foods to specific dog food, we were satiated to the brim with their food offerings.  A real focus on natural food ingredients, with less spices, farm-to-table and ensuring an excellent standard of food throughout, served on time.
  • Chat service – WhatsApp and other options were available on chat, whether this was to order room service, arrange an experience or book a trek.
  • WiFi – It was consistently working in both the cottage and all public areas, and the average speed when I checked was really fair. There was no limit to usage either as the modems in the cottages were updated.

My final thoughts on Dolina Retreat

From booking throughout our stay and the departure process, this journey has been seamless and we really enjoyed our visit. The family homestay run by Veer is absolutely spot on and well executed.

Fast Facts

Address – The Dolina Retreat, Mussoorie, Bhitar Wali, Uttarakhand 248003

Website –  https://dolinaretreat.com/

Contact – 095209 49831
How to reach – 1.5 hours from Dehradun airport. 7 hours drive from Delhi. 16kms from Mussoorie
Opened – 2006
Number of rooms / suites – 6 cottages
Restaurants – 1

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