Where Thyme Stands Still

Slow Kumaoni cooking, curated hikes, and clear 'scenes of Himalayan peaks all add to the draw. and awe of this boutique property, a mountainside oasis of zen in Uttarakhand's Kasar Devi

- Julian Manning

There are tucked-away hotels, and then there are tucked away hotels- The Kumaon is the latter. A nine-hour drive from Delhi or a six-hour drive from Bareilly Airport, this two-acre property sits in a thicket of pine forest above the town of Almora, Uttarakhand. And up until now, much of its business has been word of mouth. My introduction to The Kumaon is like most others', under the night sky after a day of travel. After parking in a secluded lot, I stretch my knees before a troupe of helpful hotel staff and I make our way down a modest, slanting path.

Each downward step towards the hotel I can't yet see compounds my curiosity, my expectations markedly high after the journey, gaining momentum until the route swerves switchback-like. The trail curves into an expansive walled enclosure, delightfully teasing the design, a trail of twinkling lights leading towards the trim lounge. The double-sided, wide glass panes let me look right through their bones, straight at the mountain shadows that swell beyond. It's a viewshed so pure I can even make out the sinuous zigzag of slash and burn fires, etching the distant mountains in fiery calligraphy. As I move closer, the eastern acreage opens to a glen glittering with gently illuminated stone paths, snaking through the topsy-turvy terrain, casting shadows on pines pruned like bonsais and sleek stone and bamboo villas that jut from the forest floor in an expansive outcropping.