For couples looking for an oasis of greenery where they can stay in tranquil environs and enjoy breathtaking natural surroundings, the newly launched The Gateway Resort Damdama Lake, Gurgaon is an ideal destination. Nestled in the lap of Aravalli Hills, the resort is spread across a sprawling 20 acres of a nondescript village whose inhabitants are in luck as property developers have taken a fancy to the place due to its proximity to Damdama lake.
Teeming with a wide variety of trees like gulmohar, bargad and ashoka, the place is ideal for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi and the NCR. The resort is a two-hour ride from Delhi. One needs to start off during morning or afternoon as chances of getting lost in the woods at night are pretty high. One wrong turn and you find yourself navigating on a bumpy road with thick forest on either side. As I found out, meeting a handful of villagers speaking the local dialect isn’t of any help..
On entering the Gateway, one gets the feeling that this is heritage property. Offering 78 spectacular rooms with serene view of the greenery, the Gateway is just a stone’s throw from the Damdama lake, which owes its origin to the British.
The resort has been designed from a botanical garden, densely planted with massive trees and shrubs. A horticulture survey of the land documented 1,790 full-grown trees of varying heights and girths. The resort has been recreated in a way to make guests get a feel of nature. They are made to soak in the ambience by wandering through the resort.
As part of its CSR initiative, Gateway is trying to create awareness among locals about the ill effects of open defecation, especially near the lake. Apart from greenery, the resort has sporting facilities for tennis, basketball, state-of-the-art gym and spa.
Gateway offered free foot, back and shoulder massage free to guests who came to enjoy the festivities on the inaugural day.
The resort has also made good utilisation of space by organising adventure sports for those who want to use brawn and brain to accomplish the task.
Since the resort seeks to provide authentic Haryanvi cuisine, it invited housewives — living in the neighbourhood — to find out which ingredients they use to cook dishes at their homes. And one of the housewives helped in preparation of a traditional dinner when this reporter along with other scribes were invited for a two night stay there. With such a specialist in home cooked food, the media contingent had no other option but to opt for a non-vegetarian thali, where the veggies still dominated.
The next day in the carnival, an elaborate feast was laid out with imported Basa fish procured from Vietnam competing with local quail, Italian parma ham competing with sushi. Do not miss the mouth-watering Mughlai dishes like nihari, biryani and tikkas.
While partaking their lunch, the guests were regaled by Generation X dancers, who gyrated and contorted to foot stomping numbers from hit Bollywood songs.
The resort plans to have more such outings on an intermittent basis.
