Jilling Estate--the perfect holiday retreat!

Jilling Estate

Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas among the Kumaon ranges of Uttaranchal, Jilling Estate is the perfect holiday retreat for those who enjoy basking in the arms of nature.

Enjoy the view of Nanda Devi, walks to a spectacular ridge through the woods, camping on the ridge, bonfire nights.Spread over 120 acres of oak and rhododendron mixed forests to walk around in and a very healthy bird and animal population to view. And the snows are straight ahead with Nanda Devi, the highest peak, dominating. The height ranges from 6000 to 7200 feet above sea level and have snow in winter. 


Enjoy the natural organic vegetables and a few apples, plums, apricots and chestnuts. 

The estate has a rich and varied wildlife. There are jungle cats, mountain deer, wild boar, a great variety of Himalayan birds and occasionally bear and leopard. It is fed by a mountain spring with pure mineral water and on clear days there is a breathtaking view of the eternal snows. There are long and peaceful walks where you will have the forest all to yourself.

In the evening you may have your meal around a bonfire under the stars or besides a crackling logfire in your room. There are villages a few kilometres away and it is enjoyable to interact with the hill folk. Not being connected to the road Jilling is a peaceful haven ideal for nature lovers. Bird watchers will find it specially enriching. 

They do not take more than 4-5 couples at a time. The accommodation is dispersed and guests can roam freely and be quite alone. Sometimes, they take out small groups of around 8-15 people to the high altitude border areas for trekking tours of 6-12 days depending on the area.

The best time are from April-June and September-October. Kumaon is not very crowded with tourists and the scenery is stupendous with wild flowers in bloom stretching from the high altitude pastures to the snowline.

Alternately, they take out motor trips with camping gear and food, and guests can bed down in comfort at scenic locations away from crowded rest houses etc. Apart from visiting beautiful and interesting places like historic temples, caves etc., you can also incorporate light activities like hiking and fishing. 

Jilling is a 2 km walk up from the road head. 

A 9 hour drive from Delhi (or an overnight train) makes it an ideal weekend getaway if you need some time off to rejuvenate.

There is nothing like a firsthand experience to find out what Jilling is all about. 

To see pictures of jilling estate cottages view jilling estate photogallery