King's Cliff~ Yes, that's the name of one of two places we stayed during our trip to the beautiful hills of Nilgiri in Tamilnadu.I absolutely love places with a history and this old colonial mansion which now is a hotel is charming. 
The well manicured green lawns with white wrought iron chairs & exotic varieties of flowers almost takes you back hundred years when butlers in white served hot cups of high grown Nilgiris tea to the 'Sahebs'. Well, they still do:-)
So we sat back and soaked in the beauty of the view of the hills through the windows of 'Earl's Secret'- The restaurant which lives up to it's reputation of serving delicious food.
The well manicured green lawns with white wrought iron chairs & exotic varieties of flowers almost takes you back hundred years when butlers in white served hot cups of high grown Nilgiris tea to the 'Sahebs'. Well, they still do:-)So we sat back and soaked in the beauty of the view of the hills through the windows of 'Earl's Secret'- The restaurant which lives up to it's reputation of serving delicious food. 
Sinfully delicious brownie with ice cream & chocolate sauce which they serve you on the porch after a heavy afternoon lunch & before you doze off reading a delightful novel.The nine rooms are named after the works of 'Shakspeare' and each comes with a fireplace. *sigh* well it's been a while since I have been near a fireplace and slept to the sound of crackling wood.
A live-band playing our all-time favourite rock numbers, the bright winter sun, the chirpy birds, the waiters serving hot tea with chocolate cream cookies... 
Night falls, temperature dips, peaceful silence & a knock at our door. In comes a man with chocolate-mint candies, an extra woollen quilt & firewood to light our fireplace:-)
We were in heaven:-) Sweet dreams people, next post when I wake up;-)
This is very quaint, I've never been to the Nilgiri hills, but that shot of the brownie in the little restraunt has convinced me. (one would think it would be the beautiful view ;) )
ReplyDeleteYou take very charming images Arch, like the flower by the brownie.
Hope you had a gr8 time there! Missed ur posts!
ReplyDeleteYou have a happy blog.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of Indian sweets and have tasted many of them. But I was told that the ones made in India are better.My neighbor from India bought me some and she comes from kanpur or Jaipur. ( she mentioned both the cities) But in most of your tours I only see browniesand the like that we have it here. So is the Indian sweets rare in your part of the country and the tourist places that you visit?
Neslie Smith
( I was told about your blog by my neighbor)
masala chai- You should visit the Nilgiris:-) I am sure you'll love it:-)
ReplyDeletepriya- Thanks:-) Yes, we did:-)
Neslie- Thanks:-) Glad you like India sweets:-)
Well, India's rich and diverse history can be traced from the variety of cuisines. The continental flavour is the legacy left by the British who ruled for over 200 years , the French and the Portuguese.
King's Cliff is a colonial British mansion which has been converted into a hotel and hence the cuisine served also has that influence.
Do drop by often for more on Indian design:-))
Archana
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love everything in your blog.
The B&B in Nilgiris sounds so quaint and charming. and the brownie with chocolate sauce and coffee. ah. my definition of bliss. i have been craving for a good brownie for the past year. maybe i should just try to bake it myself. or go to King's cliff :)
oohh.. Im just sighing after reading your post- it has a langourous quality that just makes me want (to like u did)- curl up with a book. I've told u this before- Im contacting u 1st when I head south for info on where to put up :) Super pretty place!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful getaway!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Arch!!
So glad you allow me the pleasure of visiting India through your eyes.
So glad we have met.
Wishing you the best!
xo
Constance
Sounds like you had a fun and relaxing vacation! Nice locale and lovely pics!
ReplyDeletewow...this makes me want to take a vacation and take a trip to the nilgiri hills..
ReplyDeletetoo bad.. i can't!
Such a quaint place! It's so good to be away in a places like this where you feel that time has its own gentle pace...
ReplyDeleteI can almost taste that brownie!
:-)
So, that's where u were so long!:) Detoxified for the new year ;D
ReplyDeleteI wish you a wonderful year , my friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy to find you again this year.
Where have you been ?
Oh!... your holiday sounds heavenly....thanks for showing us such beauty and letting us experience the good life through your pics and posts..
ReplyDeleteI would love a piece of that brownie....or may be a chocolate cookie :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like it was a beautiful, restful, and inspiring place to be, so very lovely and charming. Very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love your photos of Earl's Secret! I hope you'll continue to post entries like that. I felt like I was there. What a lovely spot!
ReplyDeleteOh you lucky thing! It is beautiful. ;)
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful. your blog is always so exotic to me - probably mundane and everyday to you, but to me - it's the most wonderful in the world!!! Thanks for the inspiring photos as usual.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I love your photos. Your photos are not just of objects, they seem to set the mood and tell a story. I mean, they bring into your post what reams of words would! Loved the charming B&B. Like vineeta, am going to dig through your blog or pester you before my trip to the south. I had stayed in Bengaluru for quite some time but you manage to show me places that I haven't even heard of.
ReplyDeletehey arch - i've just discovered this blog - well it's fabulous. I'll most certainly use your recommendations when we visit India :)
ReplyDeleteHi Archana,
ReplyDeleteVery nice inspiring blog you have. I especially liked the ganesha where you kept it near balcony with flowers. I too got the same ganesha but didn't know how to keep it in a nice way. Thanks for inspiring...... I linked you in m blog!
cheers
rajani
i had been there couple of years ago it indeed is lovely place. Very welcoming, not to mention the awesome breakfast buffet. Love the rustic feel.
ReplyDeleteArchana have been following your blog for a while now and must say its very very imperssive, I just adore the way you make even the simple things look beautiful.Your blog is very cheerful and colourful. I must confess your blog has inspired me to get in touch with my creative side and I hope to start bloging sometime soon on all the decorative ideas that are simple,easy & cheap quick fixes we cann do to make life a little more colurful and fun. Good luck to you and thank you once again :-)
We are posted in Wellington currently - so Ooty is hardly a distance. King's Cliff is our favourite restaurant and we go there at least once every month. Love the food... more than that.. love the colonial look of the place. Arch, do feature the French place in Coonoor - http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/09/19/stories/2010091950240700.htm
ReplyDeleteMc Iver Villa.. it's justa 10 minutes drive from our home and is simply awesome!!
Just came to say that we stayed here a couple of months back. My in-laws stayed in the room you were in, while we were in Midsummer, and yes, we had the crackling fire to lull us to sleep too. And live music in the lounge as well! We loved all their properties.
ReplyDeleteShalini~ Glad to hear that:-)
ReplyDelete