“This house is 152 years old,” he said. The walls are thick and sturdy, just like the way it’s done in olden times. There’s something incredibly charming about staying in a place which is older than the oldest man in the world. This house was built when the British ruled India.
After crossing the (in)famous 36 hairpin bends to reach Ooty, we felt a sudden drop in temperature. Ooty’s 16 degree Celcius welcomes us with a craving to have tea and pakoda.
Milton Abbott Estate in Ooty is next to the Gymkhana golf road. The road that leads to the property was a path less taken. Big tall silver oak trees and horses grazing on both sides. We happily missed the turn to the estate and drove away. A quick call to Mr Lionel, the caretaker, told us about the sharp (Read: Hidden) turn that leads us to the beautiful estate home by Saffron Stays.
Saffron stays are a micro hospitality collective set of leisure homes across India. Each of these leisure homes is handpicked and curated to enhance the experience. All their homes give the warmth of a homestay while giving you the comforts of a hotel/resort. Such a lovely concept, no?
Milton Abbott was precisely how we had imagined. Beautiful with a classic old world charm and huge. There was a big clean lawn with different coloured flowers laid out on every side. Mr Lionel and his wife Rosanna are the caretakers of Milton Abbott estate, and they have been for over 15 years! They are originally from Sri Lanka, settled in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. They made sure our staycation was perfect.
What we loved
The Food: Mrs Rosanna had made a great south Indian meal for us when we just arrived. Sambar, rasam, veggies, papad, curd and white rice. Such an unforgettable meal as we had under-eaten our breakfast anticipating a lousy time with the 36 hairpin bends. Every meal we had in Milton Abbott Estate was special. We woke up to a great Srilankan breakfast of string hoppers, stew and a coconut chutney powder with high Ooty tea. We had our lunch at the lawn. They went out of the way to arrange a little picnic basket of lemon rice, veggies and some munchies. It was the perfect weather for a picnic lunch! 🙂 Special mention for the hot herbal soup. Ask for it if you visit this place. You can thank us later.
The Service: Mrs Rosanna cooks, and Mr Lionel takes care of everything else; Right from serving our dinner to fixing the firewoods for the fireplace. They went out of the way to make things we like to eat and giving us the required space. They have two cats and two adorable dogs. He took us around and showed his herb garden from where the previous night’s soup’s ingredients came from. Soup-er no?
The Interiors: The charm of this 152-year-old home with a fireplace that works is unparalleled. Milton Abbott estate decorated beautifully with elegant drapes and cushions. It’s soothing and unique. Our room had a blue theme to it. Right from the carpets to the curtains to the bed runners, everything complied with the idea. Our very comfortable four post bed made so much of a difference to our little holiday!
What we did
Relished every bit of the meal prepared by Ms Rosanna
Had a little picnic by the lawns
Walked around the estate befriending their pet dogs and cats
Played board games with a fantastic guest couple at Milton Abbott Estate
Sat by the fireplace and warmed ourselves up when it was 9 degrees outside.
Sounds like a perfect winter holiday no? It was.
How did we reach
Milton Abbott Estate is in Ooty town. Ooty is roughly 260 Kms from Bangalore. We, as usual, drove down and the road was magical. Except for the last 20 km which has about 36 hairpin bends. (Yes. you read that right) So if you are motion sick, take a lot of breaks and go very slowly.
Milton Abbot Estate by Saffron Stays in Ooty has to be your Next Check-In.
Book your stay at Milton Abbot Estate here: https://goo.gl/UqUM6J
Here is a little video we shot during our wonderful time here: