I remember writing those lines on a sun-warmed rock, when Misty was nothing more than a quiet dream breathing between sky and wind. There were no walls then — only open horizons and a tenderness too sacred to name.

Those words never left me. And sometimes, when light spills softly across the orchard and the mountains stand in their ancient stillness, I realise — we are living that dream here at Misty Mountains. For three years we searched for land that felt less like an investment and more like belonging. And then we found this hillside. No road. No electricity. No water. No comfort of certainty.

But there was silence.
There was wilderness.
There was a fragment of heaven tucked into Kumaon’s folds.

On our very first walk to the orchard where Misty now stands, we missed a leopard’s deer kill by mere seconds. The forest still trembled with it. At that moment, we understood — this land was alive. We would not conquer it. We would learn to live gently within it.

Nearly twenty years have passed since then. Stone by stone, season by season, we built this place from scratch. It has shaped us as much as we have shaped it. And the dream still unfolds — deeper, quieter, more meaningful with time.

Ambika and I made Misty our home long before it became a retreat. We ran it like an extended homestay for many years. Now that we have shifted to Haldwani, as part of a different life stage where our daughter takes precedence, it is a retreat, as much for us, as it is for our guests. We are here often enough, to recharge on everything misty and find our balance. 

Our team, led by our host manager - Samson Mesih, love pampering our guests - those who cherish the offbeat and the unhurried.

Misty is not about spectacle. It is about stillness. About golden mornings and unplanned walks. About sitting in mountain sunshine while the Himalayas quietly change colour before your eyes.

If these words feel like an echo of something within you, come. Walk the orchard paths. Breathe deeply. Let the silence find you.

You are always welcome to share our little soul sanctuary at Misty Mountains, Jhaltola.