The sun begins to set over the Himalayan range as rain clouds add drama to the scene at Auli
After my Kanha sojourn, I went to Auli with my family to beat the heat (To read the story on tiger sighting at Kanha click here).
I was told at the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd (GMVNL) resort that room no. 603 that we were allotted, had one of the best views. I did think the view was cool, till this jaw dropping moment happened.
In India, we call it a ‘paisa vasool’ moment. In other words, it was worth every penny spent. (The tariff as of June 2016 is 2,800 rupees plus taxes for Semi-Deluxe, double bedded room no.603)
QUICK REVIEW:
Property – The property is huge and like other properties in the hills, does NOT HAVE A LIFT. Room no. 603 entails walking up around 3 flights of stairs from the reception area. While this should not be a problem for young adults, if you have senior citizens in your group, choose your rooms wisely.
Room amenities – The rooms and bathrooms are spacious. The furniture is comfortable, but somewhat outdated. A room heater provides relief on days when it is cold (which it is quite often, except for summer). The television is a bonus for kids and for you when you can’t go out. Tea/coffee making equipment has been given.
Bathroom amenities – Soap and towels are provided in the bathroom. You should carry your own toiletries. A geyser gives you hot water for long, warm showers in the winter
Dining facilities and food – A decent sized dining hall is capable of seating large family groups. Indian food is quite good, even though there isn’t too much variety in terms of what is actually available. We ordered khichdi (preparation of rice and lentils) one day when we were just too tired to chomp our food and it turned out to be super tasty.
TIP: You will most probably not get more than bread and butter before 7 am. If you’re planning to begin your day early, for trekking or other reasons, keep some food in your room.
Staff – The staff is very courteous, even if short on numbers. What this means is that you should order your meals well in advance. The ideal thing to do is place your order over the phone and reach the dining hall around half an hour before the belly fires begin burning.
Remember, the housekeeping and room service staff has to climb a lot of stairs to get to your room. So, be considerate. Bunch up your requests and tell them in one go rather than calling every now and then with a request.
Maintenance – Maintenance is definitely not something the management can be proud of, but I guess views from the property make you forgive everything else. The room is cleaned once a day.
HOW TO BOOK:
To book a room at the GMVNL property, you need to visit one of their offices (click here to see the list of offices)
Though I made an online booking via the website’s reservations tab, the booking link is currently down for some reason. If it works, you first need to register yourself and once you have entered the booking details, you need to transfer money via internet banking or as a credit card payment. Try the same link (click here) and see if it works.
For Tripadvisor reviews of the property click here
TIP: GMVNL also offers budget accommodation at its Joshimath property and you could take the cable car from there to reach Auli.