Weekend by the river’s edge

India is well-known for being somewhere where one just can’t seem to escape people. Even the once hidden mountain paradise region of Ladakh seems to have tourists crawling all over it these days. Yet last weekend, I found somewhere just a few hours outside the sprawling Southern city of Bangalore where it was truly possible to be alone. Admittedly, not every weekend at Riversedge Resort will be one in which you can get the place to yourself, but even if you do have to share it with a few others, the chances are you won’t have to amble far before you find a stretch of the Cauvery River that you can admire or splash around in without there being a soul in sight. This was perfect for me, being something of a water baby. I found taking a dip here to be truly therapeutic.

Riversedge Resort is run by the affable (and slightly eccentric) Bengali hunter-turned-hotelier Shailesh Dutta (pictured below), and his wife must also be mentioned for the mouthwatering Bengali fare that she cooks. The resort is made up of a single house – full of antiques from the doorway (also pictured) to the gramophone – with two attic bedrooms, and a number of self-contained cottages. These are set around a beautiful green area, fishpond and small swimming pool, on land that Shailesh has reclaimed from the bush. Nearby, you’ll find plenty of scope for hiking, some well-preserved churches, ancient banyan trees and – a short drive away – the waterfalls of Shivasamudram.

The Cauvery River, a stone's throw from the resort and not a soul in sight.

The Cauvery River in pre-monsoon times.

Yours truly, during an evening stroll.

A dragonfly pauses long enough for a photograph.

Wild dogs roam the countryside around Riversedge. The ten that come to the resort regularly hardly seem 'wild', though. In fact, they're very friendly.

Left: Shailesh Dutta, Riversedge's owner, looks out from his antique front door. Right: A detail from the door.

Evening sun pours in through one of Riversedge's attic windows.

Rabbits come to say hello. Shailesh is a big animal fan.

Riversedge's friendly staff.