For a tryst with nature and to spend some unforgettable moments with your loved one, head off to ‘The Heritage Club – Tripura Castle’, Shillong.
The Beautiful Resort
Tripura Castle was built in the early 1920’s by the then Maharaja of Tripura who came to Shillong and fell in love with the place. It became the summer retreat for the Royal Family of the Manikya dynasty. Today the main palace is the home to the current head of the Manikya dynasty, Maharaja Pradyot Bikram Kishore Debbarma, who also oversees the hotel.
On the castle grounds is The Heritage Club – Tripura Castle, a hotel nestled atop a hill and spread over 9 acres of green, barely 5 minutes from the city yet secluded and serene. With 38 rooms, each elegantly refurbished, 4 restaurants – bars each serving a variety of cuisine and drinks and club carts to take you from one wing to the other, The Heritage Club – Tripura Castle offers you an ambiance that no other hotel in Shillong does.
With its majestic nature
It had been hectic few months for me with the pressures associated with my job and I felt like taking a holiday. However that was not possible with the responsibilities of my position and leading a large team. That’s when I decided to combine work with a little bit of pleasure. Plans were finalized and I was soon heading to Shillong, a hill station and the capital of the State of Meghalaya.
Meghalaya
The morning flight from Kolkata reached Guwahati – The Gateway to Magical Northeast India on time and soon the hired cab was heading to our destination. We reached Shillong in three hours time and were there at the gate of the resort.
The horse-shoe shaped gate, a symbol of good-luck
And beautiful nature as we approached the reception area
The Reception
And the wooden floor corridor leading to my room
The room options here are many and you could choose between the Heritage wing, Valley view wing or the Forest view wing. I had settled for a Heritage Deluxe room.
My room
The room was quite big with a super comfy bed and a strategically placed sofa next to it to spread out my legs under the blanket, to keep my feet warm while checking out the mails later in the night when it was getting quite chilly.
Also a lovely sitting area to sip my morning tea, while enjoying the beauty outside
After freshening up and a sandwitch for lunch it was time for me to head to our office to meet my teammate and a couple of meetings with few top distributors of our Insurance products in the State. The other purpose of my visit was to conduct interviews for few vacant positions as a result of our expansion in the region, but that was scheduled for the next morning.
Our office
Shillong is considered as the capital of Western Music in Northeast and for residents here, it’s a way of life. Throughout the year music is played and celebrated through music festivals with many Indian and foreign bands participating. It is hard to find a city in India that is as similar to the original blues, rock and roll, death metal or a land like Shillong.
This is the only place which celebrates the birthday of Bob Dylan every year. Also in this area, Bob Marley is hugely popular. They celebrate his birthday and young and old meet to sing and dance to his songs of freedom.
Well I know a place here where you can enjoy the sound of music every night of the week. An integral part of Shillong’s vivid nightlife scene, Cloud 9 is a rooftop nightclub that serves as a prominent entertainment hub of the city. It is situated in Hotel Centre Point, which is a well-known luxury hotel of the region. It was a Friday and with my work for the day over, I was soon heading there to spend a musical evening.
This nightclub justifies its name and provides unparalleled entertainment in the form of peppy party music and open dance floor. It is a preferred hangout zone of music lovers as many popular local bands perform here. With special Ladies Night, events and live music by famous DJs, this nightclub makes sure that the fun never comes to an end while being here. Cloud 9 has a restaurant and lounge named Skye Asia, which serves the best of Asian specialities. Come let’s have some fun together.
The DJ gets into action
Partying begins
The band starts performing
As it was time for few drinks
Followed by my dinner
The next morning was really cold although it was still summer in the other parts of the country. But I love the cold and after my cup of tea set out exploring this beautiful resort. Come along to feel refreshed.
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One of the cottages
And the view from another
Back to my room and after a coffee and freshening up, it was time for my breakfast before settling down for the interviews scheduled for the day.
A healthy English breakfast, including my favorite eggs sunny side up
Ana a relaxed corner for conducting the interviews
The interviews continued till 3 PM with a short break for my sandwich lunch in my room. And then there was enough time left to head to one of the most beautiful location that every traveler to Shillong never misses out on. The Shillong peak.
At a distance of 10 km from the city and located at the height of 1961 meters above sea level, Shillong peak is the highest point of Meghalaya. The peak offers a magnificent panoromic scenic beauty of lush green landscapes as well as the bird’s view of Shillong. I was lucky it was not too foggy on that day.
The walk up
Past the shops selling local handicrafts and more
As I rush to grab the vacant bench to relax a while
And this unforgettable view
Back to the resort I was feeling very hungry after a scanty lunch. So it was time to make up for all the missed calories with a dinner, the thought of which made me happy. I quickly changed into my casuals and called up room service.
My favorite Mutton Biryani
The Heritage Club – Tripura Castle. A royal retreat amidst nature for the perfect holiday or your business trip.
Shillong. Nicknamed the ‘Scotland of the East’. Much more of this charming hill station soon on your fingertips.
I have to wonder how you managed to get any work done while staying at the Heritage Club! I am not sure I could manage it. I would be distracted by the beautiful scenery around me, and want to go for walks to enjoy it more than I would want to work. This place looks absolutely perfect for some rest and relaxation. The views are priceless.
It’s a wonderful resort truly. Next time plan to go there with my wife.
This is a great place for a weekend getaway. A perfect escape from the crazy city life that is not too far but at least secluded and serene. The food looks great. We would love to visit some time in the future.
You are welcome to India and Shillong Clarice.
What an absolutely gorgeous hotel – your description paints a beautifully idyllic environment. It was wonderful to read a bit more about the Shillong area as well, as it is not one I was familiar with. And the music memorabilia really showcased the uniqueness of the region. It seems like such a peaceful place to escape to and enjoy a bit of nature.
What a wonderful place to stay on a business trip. The room looks very spacious and comfortable. I like the nice views from Shillong peak.
Shillong is on my bucket list since long as I still have to cover North East India. Your stay at Heritage club looks amazing as it is all surrounded by lush green landscapes. I loved its horse shoe shaped gate, hopefully it is for bringing good luck. Even the wooden floor corridor leading to your room looks like a very cozy and warm stay.
How cool is that! Staying at a hotel that was once a summer palace of the Maharaja. I would love to stay in royalty. I have never been to Shillong but I will definitely add this place to my list. I will be traveling in India more next year and I would love to visit Shillong.