Authentic Stays

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We've partnered with excellent places to stay, that are unpretentious, genuine and unique. All of the properties listed here have been through our stringent selection process with primary criterion being the authenticity of the experience they deliver.

Of course, each of them also excels on other quality standards of service, cleanliness and comfort, but not at the cost of authenticity.

PS: We are always looking to include more and more excellent places on this list . If you know of, or own, any place that deserves to be included here, do let us know.

Browse the map, or scroll down to see the complete listing.

CGH Earth Group

 Kerala, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu



CGH Earth properties are mirrors held up to the environments and communities they are born from. Nothing has been added that does not already belong. Because nothing more was necessary. The results are experiences as immersive as they are authentic.

Here is a list of their excellent properties:

Bangaram Island Resort, Lakshadweep
Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom, Kerala
Marari Beach Resort, Mararikkulam, Kerala
SwaSwara, Gokarna, Karnataka
Brunton Boatyard, Cochin, Kerala
Casino Hotel, Cochin, Kerala
Kalari Kovilakom, Palakkad, Kerala
Spice Coast Cruises, Lake Vembanad, Kerala
Spice Village, Thekkady, Kerala
Visalam, Chettinad, Tamil Nadu
Maison Perumal, Pondicherry

Camp Forktail Creek

Corbett Tiger Reserve



Surrounded by dense Sal forests, this rustic but terrific place is ideal for nature lovers. The place is run by a young, enthusiastic couple, Ritish Suri and Minakshi Pandey. Accommodations are in safari tents or mud huts, with elevated wooden floors and attached toilets. Customized walks, safaris, and birding and angling trips include the services of a resident naturalist or tracker.

Half- or full-day game drives into the National Park can be organized. In addition, they organize camping trips into the forest reserve and multiday elephant safaris. Delicious buffet-style meals are served in "The Thatch"; lit by lanterns at night (note: there is no electricity -- it's the real jungle experience!!), it houses a collection of some 700 books for guests to peruse.

Neemrana Non-hotels

Multiple locations across India.




The fifteen Neemrana 'non-hotels'- from the 14th to the 21st centuries offer a panorama of 700 years! In settings which many a king and queen have called their home. You can sense that feeling too as you raise a toast to the bygone builders whose creations you enjoy.

Here's a list of their properties that we highly recommend:

Neemrana Fort-Palace, Village Neemrana, Delhi-Jaipur Highway
Glasshouse on the Ganges, Near Rishikesh
The Hill Fort Kesroli, Near Alwar, Rajasthan
Hotel de l'Orient, Pondicherry
Villa Pottipati, Bangalore
The Verandah in the Forest, Matheran
The Ramgarh Bungalows, Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand
The Piramal Haveli, Shekhawati, Rajasthan
The Tower House, Cochin
Bungalow on the Beach, Tranquebar (Tharangambadi), Tamil Nadu
Green Hills Estate, Coorg, Karnataka
The Baradari Palace, Patiala
The Pataudi Palace, Village Pataudi, Gurgaon
Le Colonial, Cochin

Clifftop Club

Auli, Garhwal, Uttarakhand



Ski vacations in winter and trekking in alpine meadows in summer (or even to the Valley of Flowers or Kuari Pass) ... check out this high-altitude adventure resort in Auli.

You can also book these other Club Group properties though us and avail of our special prices:

Mountain Club, Bhimtal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand
Alpine Club, Nainital, Uttarakhand
Rangers Club (opening soon), Corbett Tiger Reserve

Infinity Resorts

Corbett, Bandhavgarh, Rann of Kutch, Kanha.
Coming soon to: Kaziranga



At Corbett: All suites have private balconies with a breathtaking 180 degree view of the Kosi River, the forest and the Himalayan foothills.

At Rann of Kutch:  In the heart of an oasis lies this luxurious tented camp. The timeless appeal of the desert and wild adventures, combined with comfort and style makes it special.

At Bandhavgarh: Luxurious accomodation set beautifully in the midst of thick bamboo groves.

At Kanha: Nestled on a sloping hillock, amidst thick mahua trees and bamboo groves and near the Mukki gate of Kanha National Park.

Arco Iris

Curtorim, South Goa.



A 100+ year-old elegantly restored colonial house built on a sprawling, terraced, 1.5 acre property in a quiet village in south Goa, about 7kms from Margao (Madgaon). The hosts, Bennita and Ganesh, reside on the premises to offer their assistance with just about anything which will make your stay in Goa memorable. Experience the authentic Goan life here.

Philipkutty's Farm

Backwaters - Kumarakom, Kerala



For a non-resorty stay in Kerala's backwaters, check this special place out -- family run, great food (cooked by hosts themselves), and surrounded by 18 hectares that include banana, mango, nutmeg, coconut, and pepper plantations.

Ek Chidiya

Nathuakhan, Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand.



… where ‘farm fresh’ does not stand for a pizza flavour, where ‘jungle’ is not preceded by ‘concrete’, and where an uphill climb has little to do with corporate ladder. Ek Chidiya cottage – set amid terraced fields at village Nathuakhan, 40 km ahead of Nainital, in the Himalayas – is surrounded by reserved pine forests on two sides, and quietude on all.