Sushma D
Google
Every summer my husband and I select a homestay in North India from the Conde Nast recommendation list and it has never let us down so far! This year we stayed at Sunnymead Estate in Shimla, a gorgeous, 130 year old bungalow, lovingly cherished over four generations and recently restored into a warm, comfortable and gracious homestay by the great grand niece of the original owner. ||The house has a mellow, old world charm, with solid furniture, comfortable sofas, beautiful object d'arts from all over the world, fireplaces, shelves laden with old books and photo frames on every wall and in every corner. The garden is a riot of colours - larkspurs, foxgloves and poppies interspersed with native wildflowers, vegetable beds along the terraced slopes under old oak trees and clematis growing over the walls. ||We had the delightful company of the three rescued dogs and Daisy the cat - all of whom were happy to shower their love on us. ||The food was a highlight of our stay - each meal a poem, carefully curated by Madhavi, the owner and her help Madhu and Deepak. They took extra efforts to make vegan meals for me, Madhu even experimenting with vegan peanut butter and chocolate cookies ( they turned out delicious!) because I don't eat dairy. The salads were a work of art, as were home made breads, jams, mueslis and the local siddu ( a steamed bun stuffed with udit dal) and vegetable curries. Most of the vegetarian dishes and salads were garden to table :)||Madhavi, the hostess, has fascinating accounts to relate, about the history of the house, of Shimla, and her wonderfully eccentric family (her words not mine!). ||If you want to get away from urban clutter for a few days, and turn the clock back to a slower, more peaceful life in mellow, gracious surroundings - look no further!
