Nilaya Hermitage

Rooms

There are 11 unique and stylish rooms, each designed around a cosmic theme; some cut into the hillside and accessed via steps that disappear beneath the pool terrace; others in Hobbit-like cottages, scattered around the grounds. All except Ganga (a spacious signature suite at the top of the main building) have a small private terrace or sit-out space; most have big picture windows with views of the gardens; none of them conform to any standard shape or regular form. Star, for example, is housed in a round kiln-like laterite dome; Sun (or Surya in Sanskrit) is a subterranean womb of sculpted curves and light sunny yellows. Fire has a wide bed and a little balcony in the trees; Soul and Moon have adjoining balconies, and are ideal for family use.

For the more outdoorsy types, there are also 2 spacious tents: Chandan and Kumkum. Fear not though, for luxury isn't spared. They are fully equipped with four-posted beds, bathrooms, indoor and outdoor seating areas, and space for an extra bed if you're bringing a youngster.

In all rooms and tents, expect an eclectic mix of colonial antiques and ethnic Indian furniture (from Gujarat or Rajasthan). Bathrooms are madly eccentric - some-semi outdoors and all crazy-paved with china mosaics in whatever colour scheme suits the room - but they are well-equipped with efficient showers, hairdryers, cotton robes, shower gels and shampoos and thoughtful little extras, like tubes of mosquito repellent. But for all the glamour, remember that this is the jungle: expect squirrels, the occasional monkey playing on your terrace or on your roof, or the odd frog in the shower.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• WiFi

Eating

Nilaya’s restaurant and bar sits on a shaded laterite terrace overlooking the pool - the latter beautifully illuminated at night. Dinner, included in the tariff, is a set menu and consists of 3 or 4 courses - usually fish or chicken dishes with an East-meets-West flavour. A typical menu might be seafood ravioli, or carrot-ginger soup, tandoori chicken with fresh vegetables (from Nilaya’s kitchen garden), or tuna steak with cucumber spaghetti and dill rice, then tropical fruits with ice cream. The evening's menu is displayed in reception in the morning, giving you time to request changes if the choice doesn’t suit, or if you prefer a traditional Goan curry among other spicy Indian dishes. Like the hotel, dining is relaxed and informal - and candlelit at night; you can turn up in a sarong if you like, though the setting inspires a bit of dressing up.

For lunch there’s a menu of light dishes and snacks (soups, pastas, club sandwiches). Breakfast is continental - muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit salad (the pineapple, papaya, banana and mango are all home-grown or local), breads, and preserves. Hot dishes are also available. It’s served at more or less any time, in a small garden pavilion furnished with tiled tables, but - as with all meals at Nilaya - you can ask to eat in the restaurant, in your room, in the garden, by the pool. And don’t miss a peek into the kitchen. Just behind the music room, it features ceramic mosaic worktops, a live palm tree and a hive of activity - everything here is freshly prepared.

There are a few restaurants a 10-minute drive away, should you want a change of scene. Le Poisson Rouge, J&A's, Little Italy, Sublime and Souza Lobos are all recommended; reception can book tables for you.

Features include:

• Restaurant

Activities

• Do nothing - just hang out. Nilaya is designed for indolent relaxation
  
• Book a massage. There is a dedicated treatment centre offering relaxation therapies, including Ayurvedic massage
  
• Head for one of Goa’s famous northern beaches: the nearest is Baga (6km), but Candolim, Calungute, Anjuna and Vagator are all within a short drive. Beach transfers can be arranged
  
• Take a day-trip to Old Goa, where St Francis Xavier's body lies preserved in the basilica of Bom Jesus. In nearby Panjim, Goa’s capital, stroll along the banks of the Mandovi River, or explore the backstreets, the wedding-cake Indo-Portuguese churches or the faded colonial villas of Fontainhas, the old quarter
  
• Go shopping: on Wednesday, head for Anjuna beach for the hippy flea market; on Friday, take a taxi to Mapusa - with its bustling weekly market (everything from spices to hardware). On Saturday, there’s a lively night market in nearby Arpora. If you like Nilaya’s style, head for Claudia and Hari’s own Sangolda ‘lifestyle store’, near Panjim
  
• Arrange a special outing, snorkelling and scuba diving, or a picnic: Nilaya’s travel desk can help with bespoke excursions to more or less anywhere in Goa

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Fishing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome; extra beds or babycots can be provided; there is an extra nightly charge for children in extra beds. Those under 12 sleeping in their parent's bed only pay extra for breakfast and dinner.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms and tents can fit an extra bed or babycot, but Soul and Moon have adjoining balconies so are especially good for families.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Nilaya is a 5-minute drive into the hills above Arpora in Goa - an inland village, 6km from Baga beach - and some 45km from the international airport at Dabolim.

By Air
Goa Dabolim International Airport is your closest. Most guests arrive here either by charter flight from Europe or via domestic flights from international airports around India (chiefly Mumbai or Delhi).

From the Airport
Once in Goa, getting to Nilaya is simple: just arrange for a hotel transfer (included in the room rate), from the airport or from another north Goa hotel. Transfers from Margao or from south Goa incur additional charges, enquire when booking.

By Train
If you're already in India, an alternative is to take the recently upgraded Konkan railway - an overnight trip from Mumbai to Margao in south Goa; it takes around 10 or 11 hours and the hotel can collect you from the station.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.