Our stay at Norwood Green, Palampur – home away from home

If you are looking for a home away from home and yet don’t want to miss the luxury that a five star hotel offers, Norwood Green, Palampur is the answer to all that you want. We had a pampering, luxurious, cozy stay at Norwood Green, Palampur in the beginning of the year 2017. It is located in the small picturesque town of Palampur in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Right in the lap of the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges. Although Norwood Green call themselves a homestay, the property, the hospitality – the warmth of the staff is nothing less than what you expect from a five star hotel. And why not, when the owner Karan Singh Grewal is known to prioritise the experience of the guests over everything else.

A tour through Norwood Green Palampur

The first impression

As we arrived at Norwood Green Palampur, it was already late evening. In a little hill station like Palampur, it seemed like most of the population had shut their business for the day and already settled in their cozy homes to beat the cold winter night, by this time. But, we found the staff at Norwood Green Palampur enthusiastically waiting for us at the entrance of the homestay. At the very first glance, the property made a mark on me. Standing tall in the dark, with beautiful lights all around the campus, and adoring the villas. Overall, it looked nothing less than a luxurious grand hotel. As we steadied our feet after getting out of our car after a long drive through the hills, the staff took our luggage off the vehicle. And before we knew, they already settled the luggage in our rooms.

Norwood Green Palampur at a glance

The property at Norwood Green Palampur is built more like a home away from home than a formal stay. There is a cluster of individual luxury villas that comprise the property. And each villa has a living room, a dining room and a bedroom at lower floor. A flight of stairs lead to the upper floor where there are three tastefully done bedrooms. There is a beautiful narrow lawn at the front of the property. And each villa has a beautiful backyard where there is a small lawn privy to that villa. So, it is a perfect place for a family get together. And also to enjoy your secluded private heaven amidst all the facilities of a bigger property.

Initially, this property was built for the owner and his family gatherings. However, soon, Karan fell in love with it, and after some pursuit successfully convinced the owner to lease it out to him. Then he assembled a team of like minded people and that is when Norwood Green opened it’s arms to the rest of the world. Now, people from far and wide seek a home away from home in this beautiful property.

Coming back to our story, soon, we were inside the property, behind the staff, climbing a couple of stairs to get introduced to the homestay. As we stepped onto the stairs that lead to the verandah, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful ivy geraniums in small pots, adoring the side of the verandah and the stairs. Then we entered through the main door. And right besides it is a flight of stairs that lead to the upper floor where our bedrooms were there.

The bedrooms at Norwood Green Palampur

These are the rooms that were to be our home away from home for the next two days. However, we had no idea we would be so sweetly surprised by their look and comfort. We and our friend visiting with us, were both provided a huge bedroom each. The room has a huge poster bed in the center. And a beautiful canopy overhead gives the bed an additional charm. There are two fitted cupboards in the room, providing ample space for all your winter luggage.

Then there are wooden furnitures, that go in line with the light walls and the angular wooden finish roof of the bedroom. These include a pair of chairs on one side, side tables and TV stand. Apart from the furnitures, the rooms are well appointed with all the electronic gadgets that you might require during your stay. These being a television with cable connection, hot water kettle along with tea/coffee provisions. And last but not the least, a powerful heater to keep you cozy through the cold nights that Palampur experiences. Apart from this, I totally loved the lighting in the room. Definitely, a lot of thought has been put into the interiors of the rooms to make them this special. And then, like a cherry on the cake, one of the walls has a full glass door that opens to the balcony.

The balcony

The balcony gives a beautiful view of the amazing scenery in the backyard of Norwood Green, Palampur. And it overlooks the beautiful tea estates of Palampur – The tea capital of North India. Plus, behind the tea estates, lies the stunning backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges of Himalayas. At the time of our visit, these mountain ranges were covered with additional layers of snow, owing to the fresh snowfall just the day before. Now, that is called a balcony with a view, isn’t it? Although we had just two wonderful mornings in Norwood Green, Palampur. Still, each of these mornings, as soon as I woke up, I rushed to this beautiful balcony to catch the mesmerizing early morning views across.

The washroom at Norwood Green Palampur

Again, washroom is one place, we all want to check out as a first thing during our stay anywhere. Of course, this is one place, we can’t avoid using :). And I was particularly impressed by the small yet spotlessly clean and beautiful washroom of Norwood Green, Palampur. It is provided with a separate shower cubicle. And a wash basin with a huge mirror. An almost full wall mirror across the shower cubicle gives the bathroom a feel of extra space. There is provision for hot water all the time. And the basic toiletries are all provided, along with fresh and clean towels.

The living and dining area at Norwood Green Palampur

The first thing that we did upon entering our rooms was switching the heater on 😀 as it had started getting colder as the night progressed. There after we proceeded to get fresh. After quickly getting fresh, we decided to head downstairs to explore the rest of the cottage. A couple of stairs from the main level at the ground floor leads to the living and dining area. As we entered this area, the first words that came out of my mouth were “If I ever own a villa, this is exactly how I am going to have it” . And that tells the kind of impression the interiors had on me. As we toured this area, the staff asked us about our food preferences and went ahead to prepare our dinner.

The living area

The living area consists of two beautiful three seater sofas facing each other, a pair of rolling chairs and two single seater sofas. In short, enough for a small family gathering from across all the bedrooms that the villa consist of. So thoughtful. The light floral patterns of the furniture, lightweight and small decor items on the wall behind and a white curtain backdrop give the whole area a very free flowing and relaxing aura.

The dining area

Right across at the other end to the living area lies the dining area. It consists of a 6 seater dining table with comfortable chairs all around. There is a fireplace with a beautiful Buddha painting on the wall besides the dining table. Once again it invoked my love of art. Through all the delicious meals that we had here, I aways sat facing the painting as if I couldn’t get enough of it.

The cute breakfast counter & the kitchen

Near the dining area lies a small breakfast counter and a breakfast preparation area behind it. This is where the staff would put a toaster and warm tea pots for us during the breakfast time. Behind the counter lies a separate kitchen, which looked quiet functional, equipped with all the basics. Although we didn’t use it. Since the staff fulfilled all our requirements as soon as we expressed one.

The backyard

At the other end of the dining area are tall sliding glass doors that open up to the backyard of the cottage. Every day after our meals, we would slide through these doors, just for a short time. We couldn’t help it, given the amazing views and the comfortable sitting that welcomed us in the backyard. There is a small lawn here, private to the villa. Tall plants in pots at the side of the verandah here provide privacy from other adjacent villas. The backyard opens up to the same view as the balcony on the first floor. Plus it has a velvety grass lawn where my kiddo kept jumping and rolling, whenever given a chance.  In the center of the small lawn lies a beautiful small bonfire provision.

Again, a lot of thought has gone into each and everything here from the small flowering plants to the tall ferns. Also, a set of tables and chairs are provided to relax and enjoy the view.

The front yard

Soon after touring the villa and the backyard, we settled for a hearty dinner. After dinner, we retired to our rooms. By this time, the rooms had become cozily warm. And as a result, soon we drifted in deep sleep. Next day morning, we set out to explore the front side of the property. And I have to say, it was equally beautiful. There is a small and beautiful landscaping in front of each villa. With a patch of green lawn in between every two parking space, right in front. And then there are beautiful flowers in pots all around, blooming in different colors and fragrances. As we explored the front of the property, the pet dog came rushing, excited to have visitors. And need not mention, it made our daughter all the more super excited.

The hospitality

While a beautiful setup definitely makes a place nice to stay. What takes it to the next level is hospitality. And this is where full marks goes to Norwood Green, Palampur. The owner and the staff don’t leave a single stone unturned to make sure the guests get the best treatment at their disposal. We were in touch with the owner Karan and the manager Rajesh. However, when we arrived at the premises, both of them were not there. In spite of it, the staff was well informed about our arrival. They immediately shifted us to our rooms, showed us around and went ahead with our dinner preparations.

Whatever special requests we made during the stay like a special meal for our little daughter, was immediately taken care of. There is no formal reception here. Instead, the manager would greet you in person , across the living room. And deals would be done over a hot cup of tea. The staff would bring the meals to the dining room and spread it across. Then they would quietly leave us apart to enjoy our food. While they would still pitch in once in a while to make sure if we wanted anything. They were very courteous, friendly and all the time around to help us out. The whole atmosphere was very homely and comforting.

The food

The food at Norwood Green homestay is homely, and super delicious. Thanks to the cooks, Arjun and Mohit. There is no fixed menu here. Neither a formal restaurant. And that, I felt, brings Norwood Green homestay a step closer to being a true home away from home. We were told the options available, and we happily chose from them. However, they are totally customizable as per your preference. Never once were we disappointed. The portions are huge. And the food is so delicious, we had to literally expand our capacity to accommodate more because it would be a sin to waste such mouth watering delicacies. Also, they prepared a special non-spicy Khichdi for our little one. And it was a pleasure to see the otherwise so picky eater having her meal happily.

The day we arrived, we were greeted with a dinner platter that consisted of North Indian delicacies like Mixed Vegetable, Dal Fry, rice, soft chapatis, chicken curry (for the non-vegetarian friend) and gajar ka halwa (carrot delicacy) in dessert. Next day morning we had Potato stuffed parathas, bread, omelette, steaming hot tea and pickles for breakfast. The hot food made using authentic local ingredients was a delight in the cold climate.

Other Facilities at Norwood Green, Palampur

Apart from the above, Norwood Green, Palampur goes a step ahead of most of the other places in tourism and travel industry by providing additional arrangements. These arrangements are aimed at making the vacation a memorable one for the guests. These include :

• paragliding
• picnic
• treks
• bonfires with live song etc.
• visit to temples and monasteries
• cycling
• pottery making sessions
• yoga classes
• tea factory visits
• toy train rides

But unlike others in tourism industry, they don’t have a formal fixed package. Their plans are flexible, and made according to the preference of the guests and the given climatic conditions at that time. Which, I felt, is really cool.

In conclusion, we had a wonderful time at Norwood Green, Palampur where we were pampered so much. We felt like staying at a second home, away from our home. It added such a charm to our Palampur trip.

Norwood Green, Palampur address: Bundla Tea Estate, Village Lohna, Near Sushma Hospital, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh 176061

How to reach: Norwood Green, Palampur is located quiet close to the main market area of Palampur town. Once you arrive at Palampur, you can set on your GPS or call the staff at the homestay for directions and they will be more than happy to guide you through.

Other useful links:

Head here for tripadvisor link of the property to check out it’s awesome reviews and  this is the official website of the property : http://www.norwoodgreen.in/

Other resources from our Himachal Trips

A hands-on pottery session at Andretta Pottery in Palampur

Exploring Palampur – the hidden gem of Himachal

A unique stay amidst a tea estate at the Lodge at Wah

A family friendly trek at Naldehra in Shimla

Enjoying snow in Manali

A 2 days Shimla Trip Itinerary

The Kalka Shimla Toy Train – a ride of a lifetime

PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.

 

P. S. : Though we were invited by Norwood Green, Palampur to stay over with them at Palampur, the views and opinions expressed here are solely our own and completely based out of our own experience during our stay here.