The Beauty of Wildgrass Resort, Kaziranga

January 9, 2009

We were initially hesitating about where to stay in Kaziranga, as everyone told us that Wildgrass Resort was expensive; but since several people, including also told us that it's the best, we decided to book it. And we were very happy we did!

It turned out that Manju Barua, who owns and runs Wildgrass, went to the same college as KM did in Shillong…St Edmund’s! Here we are, on the last day, as we prepare to leave for Nameri…

Manju Barua KM DM 151208 wildgrass

Though built only some 15 years ago, the resort has been built in a very classic, there-for-a-hundred-years style that speaks of solidity. Here's the lovely woodwork frieze on a small cottage that we pass to go into the main resort: small cottage at entrance wildgrass 141208 The main building also has solid timbering: main building wildgrass 121208 There are two sets of rooms, built in this lovely style, with sloping roofs to keep off the torrential rains in the monsoons: one building of rooms wildgrass 121208 another (red) set of rooms wildgrass 121208 There are also individual cottages, and ours looks so pretty: our cottage in Wildgrass 121208 Manju Barua has actively encouraged the local artists and artisans in the construction of the resort. Everywhere there are tiny, beautiful details, and the great thing is that they are not only in the public spaces, but even in the kitchen cabinets. Local artists were invited to make these lovely paintings: kitchen cabinets wildgrass 141208 Another view of the kitchen cabinets (the kitchen is not open to the public; I went to take a peek and loved the painting so much that I asked and took photographs.) kitchen details 141208 wildgrass The dining area has this lovely old desk as the billing area, with an antique chair: billing table and chair dining area wildgrass 121208 There is a beautiful, painted, old post box behind it! old post box at wildgrass The lampshades in the dining area are hats made of cane. The cane work in Assam has to be seen to be believed! hat lampshade 121208 wildgrass Even elsewhere in the resort, small buildings and balustrades have these lovely touches.That's a wicket gate: wicket gat details wildgrass 141208 The detail on a small staircase in a kind of coffee lounge: wildgrass small staircase detail 141208 Some of the chairs, too, had these paintings! wildgrass chair painting detail 141208 There was a lovely hookah in the dining area, we never got to see if it worked! hookah wildgrass 121208 Even in the grounds and on the walls surrounding the resort, the details were beautiful. Here's a Vishnu-and-fish detail from one wall: vishnuand fish detail wildgrass 141208 Tortoises adorn a gate-post: tortoise gate detail wildgrass 141208 Every evening, there was one form of tribal dance, where the guests were invited to join in: tribal dance wildgrass 121208

I loved this animal-on-animal detail:

lion elephant turtle detail wildgrass 141208

Wildgrass is a resort which I would unhesitatingly recommend for visitors; solid, comfortable, and value for money!