Thursday, 21 September 2017

Mini Staycation at Raichak on Ganges

Hello Chicas,


I had been yearning for a vacation for the longest time and one fine day I was surprised to receive an invite to review the property Raichak on Ganges. I was super excited to travel after so long and that too, along with my travel bud Jyotika. Raichak on Ganges is a first of its kind development in Eastern India, and was the first in Eastern India to make it to the league of small luxury hotels of the world. It is a 100-acre project being developed by Ambuja Realty. Opened in 1997 as a landmark in West Bengal, today it proudly stands as a piece of art amidst 65 acres of landscaped greenery against the backdrop of the river Ganga and a stroke of the blue skyline beyond.


The property comprises of the Ffort Raichak luxury hotel, a boutique resort called Ganga Kutir and the Anaya destination spa, along with numerous country homes that dot its landscape. The hotel also treasures some memorabilia of the British period, which include a clock, a grand piano, perfume bottles and swords. You can also visit the port city of Haldia situated on the other side of the river Hooghly.

Getting there

Raichak on Ganges is situated just 50 kilometers to the south of this bustling city and is a quick 90 minutes drive from Kolkata. We booked a car to reach the resort and the two way journey cost around INR 3500. As there is no direct route by train to reach Raichak, I feel that renting a car is the safest option. The ideal time of visiting Raichak is during the period between October and March, when the temperature drops down and becomes pleasant.

Day 1 at Ganga Kutir

We were greeted by the staffs with refreshing watermelon welcome drinks and headed towards the Ganga Kutir which boasts of a perfect hybrid of traditional elegance and modern luxury. The resort consists of tastefully done up rooms, a library, as well as a pool whose edge melds into the waters of the river. We stayed at one of the Deluxe rooms which was very spacious and gave a spectacular view of the pool overlooking the river. After taking a tour along this part of the property, we headed off for a quick dip at the pool which was followed by breakfast by the pool area. After freshening up, I dressed up in a comfortable maxi for lunch at Reflection. I was mighty impressed by the buffet spread, they had a special Bengali theme buffet and I really enjoyed the fish curry. Post lunch we clicked some pictures at the garden area. The maxi turned out to be a savior as the weather was quite humid. After a stroll in the garden area we headed out to explore the Ffort area.

Day 2 at Anaya 

We spent our second day at the Anaya Kutir where we got our own duplex. The interiors of the villa has been done in blue and white which exuded Santorini vibes. The ground floor has a living area and a small kitchen while the first floor comprises of the bedroom and the bathroom. I felt the bedroom was too compact with a very little scope for movement inside the room. However, the living area was pretty spacious and it straightaway opened to the courtyard with a huge swimming pool. The Anaya Spa building has the look of a rammed earth construction on the outside. Two types of facades clad its exteriors; red brick and a central dome like structure that is clad in shimmery white mosaic. Day 2 was again super relaxing, spent most of the time lazing around at the villa and spoilt myself with a luxurious spa session at the Anaya Spa by L'occitane. You can read more about my experience at Anaya Spa here. For our meals, we headed to the Reflection at Ffort. Again the a la carte menu was quite impressive with a vast option of different cuisines. We tried a few North Indian dishes and my favorite pick was butter chicken. A special mention goes to the walnut brownie served with salted toffee sauce which was truly heavenly. However, I feel they should work on their breakfast menu. Although there were many Indian options for the breakfast, the English breakfast menu was very limited and not up to the mark.


Things to do at Raichak on Ganges
  • Pari- A river cruise to catch the first rays of the Sun. Pari has a 50 people capacity on the Lower Deck in the Air-condition boardroom. The Upper Deck naturally is open-air and can accommodate 60 people comfortably. It is the perfect set sail experience on one of the most beautiful rivers in the world.
  • River Side Walk- Immerse into the serenity of the Ganges by walking along the pathway, designed exclusively to provide with the best experience of the river.
  • Cycling- Bring back childhood memories as you ride around the beautiful resort, soaking in nature and modernity alike.
  • Paddle Boating- Steer your way through the beautiful waterway at The Ffort Raichak with paddle boats. Another way to revive your childhood memories with your friends and family.
  • Gymming- For all those who like to work out while travelling the Magna Charta Gym offers state of the art equipment to sweat it out.
Raichak on Ganges is a perfect getaway to escape the hustle and bustle of the city life and enjoy amidst the nature. If I had to choose among the two resorts I stayed at, I would pick Ganga Kutir as represents a perfect blend of traditional aesthetics with modern luxury.
Picture Courtesy: Jyotika Baijal

Ganga Kutir

Tired but always ready to pose!:P

Deluxe Room in Ganga Kutir


Gazing at the beautiful sunset

Favorite corner in our room at Ganga Kutir

Acting all touristy! :D

Day 1 by the poolside

Sunset at Ganga Kutir

Strolling around

Water Baby Forever

Post swim sipping some watermelon juice

Ffort Raichak

Anaya Kutir
Them Latina Vibes!
Retro Love!
Favorite corner in the villa

Spent my Day 2 in PJs

Tariff:

Deluxe Room at Ganga Kutir - INR 11,600
Duplex at Anaya Kutir - INR 8,800

You can check out more details of the different room types and the respective tariffs here.

Thank you for stopping by!
Hope you all enjoyed reading the post.

Much love.
Ritika x

Outfit Details:

Tropical Pants: Max Fashion
White Ripped Tee: Forever 21
Maxi Dress: Forever 21
Swimsuit: Thrifted
Denim Embroidered Skirt: Max Fashion
Tiered Sleeves Top: Forever 21
Pajama Shirt: Forever 21

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