Dopaar Resort
Dopaar is an intimate boutique forest retreat perched in the deodar cedar forests of Chakrata, 92 km from Dehradun at 2,118 metres. The name “Dopaar” means “midday” in the local Jaunsari dialect — the hour when the deodar forests are flooded with golden light and the Himalayan peaks seem to float above the ridgeline. It captures the essential spirit of this extraordinary place: the extraordinary quality of light in a high-altitude forest that seems to illuminate the world from within.
The resort comprises 12 hand-crafted units — stone-and-timber cottages, forest rooms, and a luxury treehouse suite — all built using local materials and traditional Jaunsari building techniques. No concrete was used in construction. The buildings seem to grow organically from the landscape, and 200-year-old deodar trees shade the pathways between them. Electricity comes from solar panels; hot water is solar-heated; and the kitchen garden supplies herbs, vegetables, and salad leaves for the farm-to-table restaurant.
Dopaar's location in the Chakrata range gives it exceptional access to some of Uttarakhand's least visited natural landscapes. Tiger Falls (6 km), one of the state's highest waterfalls, is accessible via a forest walk from the resort. Deoban (23 km) at 2,800 metres receives heavy snowfall in winter, making it one of the most rewarding snow destinations in Uttarakhand. The forests around the resort are rich with wildlife — leopards are occasionally spotted on the resort's camera traps, and the bird life is extraordinary: Himalayan monal pheasants are regularly seen on the forest paths.
Dopaar is designed as a place to disconnect: the TV screens in rooms are deliberately small; Wi-Fi is available only in common areas; and the programme of activities centres on guided forest walks, village visits, birdwatching, and evening storytelling sessions around the communal fire pit. Guests who come to Dopaar seeking genuine immersion in the Himalayan landscape are never disappointed.