Dolkhar

Style

Altitude slickness

Setting

Himalayan foothills

Cradled in the mountainous embrace of the Indian Himalayas, Dolkhar is the Ladakhi resort owner’s ode to her grandmother – who once lovingly tended the apple and apricot orchards around which seven split-level villas now stand. The careful conversion of her family home and Ladakhi landscape-inspired interiors were the handiwork of local artisans, who will happily share their ancient crafting secrets with you over a cup of sea-buckthorn tea. Delve into plant-based dishes, drift into meditative bliss during guided breathwork, and discover rugged trails trodden by snow-leopards and pashmina-producing goats.

Facilities

Rooms

Seven standalone villas.

Checkout

9am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 11am.

More Details

Rates include a seasonal breakfast spread of freshly-picked fruits from the orchard, local herbal teas, Indian coffee blends, and a selection of traditional savouries. A free steam room and sauna session is also included.

Also

The mountain setting and split-level villas mean that the resort is virtually inaccessible for wheelchair-users.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Kitchen garden, orchard, Himalayas-facing terrace, doctor on-call, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: smart TV, coffee machine, air-conditioning, herbal-tea-making kit, oxygen support, and Bare Necessities organic bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each of the seven duplex-level villas is a cocooning stay clad in locally made materials. The exposed emerald-green stone walls (sourced from the nearby village of Chilling) are softened by yak-wool throws, cushion covers, and earthy-coloured rugs which have been hand-woven by women from Kharnak. Every little detail has been carefully considered – including the two beautifully crafted wooden trunks at the foot of your bed, which hold extra blankets for chilly Himalayan nights. The views from your rabsal balcony across the fruit-tree-dotted courtyard towards the purple-tinged peaks are equally enchanting from every villa, and change quite dramatically with the seasons from snow-blanketed in winter to apricot- and apple-laden in the warmer months.

Spa

Like the rest of the resort, the spa is a soothing space which is rooted in Ladakhi traditions, using specially concocted oils, singing bowls and such… Ancient healing rituals are infused with local aromatic herbs, and guided-meditation sessions with breathwork ease you slowly into high-altitude life. The steam shower and sauna are perfect post-hike relaxation zones, to help warm weary muscles from mountainous treks. And there’s an alfresco activity deck for yoga classes to really get into the Himalayan flow.

Packing Tips

Dolkhar’s connections with Ladakh’s creative community of potters, metal-workers, and weavers will make you want to save room in your suitcase for some hand-crafted treasures.

Also

Accessing your villa is a bit of an art form. You’ll be given a hand-forged key to a traditional Ladakhi lock, turning an elaborate lever mechanism which will satisfyingly clunk into place.

Children

Welcome, but tackling Himalayan trails and acclimatising to the high altitude is best left to older Smiths.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Ask for one of the rustic wooden tables by the Himalayas-facing windows.

Dress Code

A haute take on hiking gear – pitch up, look sharp.

Hotel Restaurant

Tsas (which translates as ‘garden’ in Ladakhi) is where vegetarians go to dine in high-heaven beneath locally woven lanterns. The menu is entirely plant-based, and is almost exclusively supplied by the resort’s kitchen garden (other ingredients which can’t be home-grown are sourced from neighbouring farmers and small mountain villages). There are hints of Japanese, Spanish and French influence at play here, but Ladakhi flavours always shine on each plate. Hungry hikers can fuel up on hearty chutagi (a local shell-shaped pasta) stuffed with ricotta and garden greens, and served with an arabiatta-inspired sauce. The Lucknow-style vegetarian Galouti kebabs (made with local turtle beans and apricot-chilli chutney from the orchards) are an absolute crowd-pleaser. For a lighter end to your meal, order the chuli almond tart, a citrus-sweet tangy treat topped with apricots and lemon meringue. For an elevated mountainside experience, the seven-course chef’s tasting menu is a must-try.

Hotel Bar

Cresting the resort’s top floor, Dolkhar’s bar (open daily between noon and 10pm) is the height of sophistication – with stonkingly good views to match the mountain-inspired palette inside. Exclusively reserved for villa guests, you’ll never have to fight for a front-row seat to watch the sun sink over the snow-capped peaks. Happy hours run from 4pm to 6pm each Wednesday, when you can quench your thirst with sea-buckthorn-spiked martinis and scotch infused with smoked naas (Ladakhi barley) – though we’d recommend drinking in moderation at altitude to avoid what we call the Himalayan hangover.

Last Orders

Breakfast is from 8am to 10am, lunch from noon to 3pm, the all-day-dining menu from 3pm to 7pm, and dinner from 7pm to 10.15pm.

Room Service

Vegetarian delights are delivered to your villa between 8am and 10pm.

Planes

International travellers should fly into New Delhi, then take a connecting 90-minute flight to Leh’s airport, Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (which is a 10-minute drive from the resort).

Automobiles

Self-drive car rentals aren’t an option in Ladakh, so you’ll need to hire taxis for further afield sightseeing – the hair-raising mountain roads are best left to local drivers to navigate anyway.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

You’ll be in safe hands with Dolkhar’s travel desk, a team of local experts who create bespoke itineraries from a dizzying array of lesser-trodden day-trips and activities. Weave your own pashmina from goat wool with the nomadic women of Kharnakling, learn how to throw clay the Ladakhi way in ceramic classes with father-son potters Ajang Tsepal and Rigzin in Likir, or take the short trek to Sumdha, a village of metal-workers, for a welding workshop.

Arts and crafts aside, the resort can organise guided hikes taking you up and over some of the most scenic Himalayan trails, past Buddhist monasteries and fluttering prayer-flags. Unravel the layers of Silk Road history on the Pashmina Trail, which follows in the footsteps (or hoof-prints) of Changra goat herds – highly-coveted for their ‘soft-gold’ wool which has been spun as cashmere for centuries. Go in search of the hidden village of Henasku along the history-steeped Leh-Kargil highway, or seek out the Gangchenmo glacier – a flower-filled summer route which takes you past the paradisiacal Sapi Lake. Wildlife lovers should ask about visits to Drass in off-grid Mushkoh Valley, where rare Himalayan brown bears roam the rugged slopes, along with Tibetan wolves, red foxes, and the occasional elusive snow leopard.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .