When we first chose Binsar for our first Club Mahindra Holiday, we had no clue that there was a small forest reserve tucked away in the hills of Kumaon, far from prying eyes and exploited concrete jungles. Truly unheard of, this self-sufficient resort nestles comfortably in the lap of Jhandi Dhar Hills of Uttaranchal, 35 km from Almora. Although Binsar sounded familiar to us, thanks to the Mahindra representatives, we were surprised to know that there is in fact no town or village or even any settlement by that name - only a notified forest reserve and bird sanctuary.

Our trip to the resort from Delhi was an exhausting affair what with the arduous 12-hr drive through the single-track kaccha roads. But when we woke up to the majestic view of the mountains from our cosy retreat the next morning, we realised that it was definitely worth all the trouble and more!

Binsar, being a forest reserve, is completely surrounded by oaks, pines, fir, rhododendron and ferns. There are no shops, markets, huts, or any other similarities to the world that we knew (he tiny store within the resort catered to all our occasional requirements). The mountains, trees and self-sufficient resort were our very own oasis of peace and tranquillity. Right from the day we arrived, we were swept away by the many adventurous escapades offered by the resort—valley crossing, river crossing, rock climbing, rappelling and mountain trekking, to name a few.

On the third day we visited Patal Bhubaneshwar—a beautiful lime stone cave temple situated at a distance of 14 km from Gangolihat in the Piyhoragarh district of Uttarakhand. One has to crawl and at places, even roll in the narrow passage to enter this beautiful, naturally formed underground cave. Legend has it that the Pandavas spent some time in this sprawling cave during their van-vaas (banishment). The cave encompasses natural stone formations, which we were told, translated to be depictions from Vedic Literature. The depictions of the stone formation were as interesting as the actual formation themselves!

The next day, we trekked up to the Zero Point, which is an extension of the forest reserve; it was a one-hour-long, but easy trek around the mountain through a maze of exotic flora. The place offers wonderful views of the snow-capped Himalayan Ranges, such as the peaks of Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Trishul, Panchchuli and Nanda Kot. Our guide swore that he had had encounters with leopards, at least seven times, but we had to satisfy ourselves with the sight of a langur. We happily munched on the petals of the abundantly available rhododendron flower known to cure hypertension—although none of us really required it. It was a perfect blend of sweet and sour, which tickled our taste buds leaving us craving for more. The view of the towering Himalayas from the top was overwhelming and momentous.

We also went to Nainital (which would call for another write up by itself). However, after the pristine and unpolluted environs of Binsar, the commercial feel of this hill station was many ways and unwelcome contrast.

At the resort, every evening was spent revelling in the programmes and events such as tambola, karaoke and games. Within a few days, we started feeling as we knew the fellow club members and the staff for years! The delicious meals and hospitality of the staff, who were genuinely inclined to serve, made our 6 day-stay truly royal. We were wishing that our trip would never end, but as they say, ‘all good things have to come to an end’. We packed our bags, and filled our hearts with the enduring memories of this truly awe-inspiring experience and bid wistful adieus to what had become our secret paradise for a few days.