Luxury Heritage hotel · Binsar
Mary Budden Estate
A restored 19th-century estate inside Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, named after its last known resident, Mary Budden. Run on solar power and harvested rainwater, it offers a handful of rooms, home-style meals and guided forest walks.
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · CommonsMary Budden Estate is one of a few privately owned estates that predate Binsar's 1988 sanctuary status. The heritage cottage, empty for decades, was restored and opened to guests in 2011, with a newer cottage added nearby. The estate covers about five acres of oak and rhododendron forest at around 2,400 m, and is listed with Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Binsar is walking country, and the estate has mapped walks of different lengths through the sanctuary, with guides who know its birds and plants. It runs on solar power and rainwater harvesting and aims to be plastic-free, so expect limited electricity and no television. Meals are home-style and often Kumaoni. Book well ahead; rooms are few.
Why we use it
- Heritage estate inside Binsar's oak forest
- Guided walks and birding from the door
- Solar-powered, plastic-free and very quiet
Best for
The photo shows Binsar, not the property itself.
Trips that stay here
Sleep here on a trip
Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Kasar Devi and Binsar, slow and private
Private car with driver
Photo: Skalvanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Signature
Kumaon in depth: lakes, orchards and oak
Private car with driver
Around the stay
Binsar
Binsar is a 45.6 sq km wildlife sanctuary of banj oak and rhododendron about 30 km north of Almora, rising to about 2,400 m at Zero Point. Come for the dawn view of the high Himalaya, birding in old oak forest and nights without traffic. Stay inside at the KMVN rest house or Mary Budden Estate for one to three nights.
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Sunrise walk to Zero Point
Walk 2 km through dark oak forest to the watchtower at Zero Point, about 2,400 m, and watch the sun light the snow peak…
Photo: solarshakti · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Birding in Binsar's oak forest
Binsar's old oak forest is one of the best places in Kumaon to see Himalayan forest birds and pheasants. A slow dawn wa…
Photo: Rajborah123 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Village trails on the edge of Binsar
Walk from the sanctuary edge down old paths to the terraced villages below, past naulas, stone houses with slate roofs …
Questions
About Mary Budden Estate
Is Mary Budden Estate inside Binsar sanctuary?
Yes, it is one of a few private estates inside Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Guests pay the sanctuary entry fee at the gate.
Is there electricity at Mary Budden Estate?
The estate runs on solar power and rainwater harvesting, so electricity is limited. Expect lights and charging but no heavy appliances or television.
What is there to do at Mary Budden Estate?
Guided forest walks, birding, the Zero Point sunrise, reading and meals by the fire. It suits travellers who want quiet rather than sightseeing.
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Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
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Photo: Abhijit Kar Gupta from Kolkata, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
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