ITC Daringbadi Resort

ITC Daringbadi Resort sits like a well‑kept secret on the mist‑clad plateau of Odisha’s “Kashmir of the East”, and the only thing louder than the chill is the coffee‑scented lobby that pretends to be a monastery. Arrive in January–February when the fog is thin enough to see the tea‑plantations but still cold enough to make the heated blankets worth the extra rupee; March brings a sudden thaw that turns the yards into soggy carpets. The rooms are surprisingly spacious for a hill‑station, but the true draw is the open‑air dining at the Bamboo Terrace: order the locally sourced bamboo shoots curry at dusk and watch the sun disappear behind the silver‑sanded paddy fields. Skip the high‑tea in the lobby lounge – it’s a tourist‑cliché served on porcelain that’s been reused until it cracks. For a genuine off‑track experience, book the sunrise trek to the nearby Raghunath Waterfall; the guide will point out wild ferns that you’ll never see on a brochure. The resort’s spa is over‑priced, but the Ayurvedic foot soak is decent if you’re willing to ignore the plastic trays. Two nights is honest; three lets you savour the quiet before the monsoon turns the roads into a river of mud.