Wednesday 2 April 2014

A Weekend at Hill Fort Kesroli

Stark, romantic and imposing... those are the words  that came to mind when I first set eyes upon Hill Fort, Kesroli. This 14th century fort, just over two hours drive from Gurgaon, is now converted into a heritage hotel and is part of the Neemrana group of hotels. 

I have been wanting to visit for the longest time. Sitting atop a rocky hillock, it looks out over the flat plains below and offers some spectacular views of the rural countryside from atop its ramparts. 


I love places like this, places steeped in history- places that have an atmosphere. Don't expect to be pampered though, the way you would be in a five star hotel. Hill Fort Kesroli is more along the lines of a boutique hotel. It's not grand and the rooms don't ooze luxury. The charm of this heritage hotel lies in the fact that it allows you to relax and enjoy yourself in a historical setting. 


This small fort has been lovingly restored and is a wonderful place to escape and disconnect from city life. We used it as a base to explore some of the sites around Alwar. We also drove down to the Chand Baoli step well in Abhaneri, which is about an hour and a half away.




We stayed in the Bhaaj Mahal, a tiny quaint little room which was cozy and pleasant in spite of its size. The staff were incredibly helpful and pleasant and the food was really good. One of the things I enjoyed most was afternoon tea, which was served on the lawns. Along with the tea they served these tiny little banana and almond cakelets which were absolutely delicious and something I'm going to try and replicate at home. 



I was so taken with Kesroli Fort that I went a little crazy with the camera. I simply couldn't stop clicking pictures:) Much to the amusement of the hubby, who joked that he had created a monster by getting me the new camera :) But I really couldn't help myself, there were just so many pretty things to capture. The charming gardens, the rambling bougainvillea growing on the walls with its riot of red and pink flowers that looked so pretty against the mustard walls. On our last day there, I woke up early and carried my cup of coffee and my camera up onto a turret close to our room. From there I gazed out over the plains below. The mist was still creeping along the plains and it was magical and a little eerie. I closed my eyes and could almost imagine hearing the whispers of the fort's past occupants, or feeling the presence of the stoic guards that would have stood guard in that very spot centuries ago.

I'm getting a little melodramatic now so I'll stop before you start rolling your eyes :) 


[Images- Shalini Pereira]

All images have been clicked by me. Please do not use images without prior written permission



13 comments:

  1. I thought I recognised those blue chairs! It's so beautiful I understand why you took so many photos there. Nice to read about your experience there!
    btw, I wrote about Neemrana fort here http://www.chaiacupoflife.com/a-16th-century-palace-converted-to-a-modern-hotel-neemrana-fort

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    1. Neemrana is next on my list... may do what you did and just drive down for the day :)

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  2. So charming! Never knew there was such a place near Gurgaon.

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    1. Renuka its really a hidden gem... a wonderful short weekend retreat

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  3. Lovely captures Shalini !!! Love the historical feel the place has to it.........I'm glad you had a good time:)

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    1. Thanks Sruthi... it's a wonderful place... you must visit when you're next in Gurgaon :)

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  4. Lovely place. Now I want to visit it, thanks to your pics

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  5. The photos are fantastic. Makes me want to pack my bags and go immediately. And to buy an SLR too!

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  6. wow. I want to go there next. Lovely post.

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  7. Hi Shallni.... thx for your post..looked like i am sitting in the fort itself..I am planning to visit this weekend.. Can you suggest if this month is fine for a family visit as i have a 2yr old kid.

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    1. Hi Shally thanks for dropping in. I'm so glad you liked the post. It may be a little hot right now, especially if you want to see some sights close by like Chand Baoli, which is a step well about a 1.5 hr drive away. But they have a nice pool so if you are just going there to chill it should be ok. Still I'd maybe wait till it cools down a little or you may end up being in your room for most of the day :) Hope this helps...

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    2. Hey shalini... thx ya for quick reply..i was longing for that but checked rite nw. hmm we actually dnt hv plans to visit nearby places but yes..pool was one attraction :) also as of now we are not getting any rooms thru online booking. Wt do u suggest for the booking? Even if we go this season..shall we js start and then look for rooms availability on the spot or defer our plan to a week or so and go only if we have a reservation in hand?

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    3. When we had gone, we had booked online. Try calling them and asking about room availability... I would not recommend going without having a room confirmed though... there aren't too many other options once you are there

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