Hill Fort Kesroli – Step Back in Time!

Hill Fort Kesroli, a 14th century fort is the oldest heritage site in India which has been converted into a heritage hotel overlooking the Aravalli ranges and mustard fields. It’s managed by the Neemrana Hotels Group whose heritage properties are spread all over India. Kesroli is a small village situated in the Alwar District of Rajasthan. It is located at a distance of 155 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway, it takes about 3-4 hours to reach Kesroli. This destination is famous among travellers for the lush green landscape and it’s a good escape from the noisy city, ideal base to visit the neighbouring palaces, museums and sanctuaries of Alwar and Sariska.

I have had a soft corner for Neemrana hotels after visiting Neemrana Fort a couple of times. It is the places which are steeped in history that interest me the most, so we decided to go to Hill Fort for Christmas and escape from the hustle bustle and the much talked about polluted air of Delhi.

We stayed in the well decorated Nirmal Mahal, large and spacious  for three people. Interestingly even the washroom had a balcony. We had a seating arrangement right outside the room as well as a terrace above the room, where we enjoyed the winter sun. There is a Rajasthani Cultural Programme, hosted in the evening which I immensely enjoyed. Every meal was eaten by the pool and the poolside is majestic. Whether its morning, afternoon, evening or night, the poolside is incredibly beautiful for relaxing and soaking in the nature.

There are facilities like spa, a common room with a few games and also a tiny library which will keep you occupied as there is no TV in the rooms and even the network and wi-fi is pretty slow. You can also contact the reception for bicycles to explore the places nearby and ride through the mustard fields.Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet is an excellent spread of a variety of cuisines. Do not miss the paranthas they serve for breakfast, it’s the best I have had in a while. The dinner was good but could have been better. I tried some authentic Rajasthani dishes. Neemrana resorts are famous for their Rajasthani delicacies but the Lal Mass wasn’t too delicious this time.

After dinner, there was a plate of cookies and tiny little brownies placed in our room for the night, incase we felt hungry. Those brownies were so soft and delicious, I forgot to ask for some more and I think might have to go back for those. The staff is extremely courteous and showed high level of hospitality like all other Neemrana resorts. Since we stayed there on Christmas they decided to be our Secret Santa. When I returned after dinner, I saw something on my bed which looked like a gift. On unwrapping it I found some beautiful coasters. That was definitely a very sweet gesture.

                       

HOW TO REACH THERE

It can get a little tricky to reach Kesroli. Take the NH8 towards Jaipur and just before the Dharuhera flyover take the road going towards sector 6 Dharuhera which goes towards Bhiwadi. Once you reach the Dharuhera Bhiwadi road, keep going towards Bhiwadi till you reach the NH25 intersection. Get on to NH25 towards Alwar. This is a beautiful picturesque road with mustard fields on both sides, also you will come across a few toll booths. This road will lead you to the entrance of Alwar city from where you have to turn right towards Bharatpur. Around 8-10 kms on the dusty Alwar Bharatpur road, you will see a small turn with a hoarding mentioning the left turn for the Hill Fort Kesroli. Take the left turn and just 500 metres ahead you will see the fort. It should also be noted that before getting onto NH25, one should refuel their car if necessary as fuel stations are rare to be seen on the first 50 kms of this stretch.

I completely agree with their tagline “We don’t let history become a bygone.”