A former family hunting lodge at the edge of the Shivalik foothills near Siswan Dam, converted into one of the most quietly exceptional nature homestays near Chandigarh. Mickey Sidhu spent 15 years in Silicon Valley before the forest pulled him home. The birds have been arriving ever since.
The name Antler Woods is honest about its history. The antlers on the wall — the name on the gate — tell you that this property was once a hunting lodge, that the family that owned this land in the Shivalik foothills near Siswan Dam were people who came here for the forest in its older, more transactional sense. The conversion from hunting lodge to nature homestay is not incidental. It is the story of the place.
Mickey Sidhu is the person who made that conversion. He spent fifteen years working in International Sales in California’s Silicon Valley, the kind of career that provides security and removes you, incrementally, from everything you grew up near. When he returned to India, it was the outdoors that reclaimed him — specifically the mountains, the rivers, and the forests of northern India that he had grown up alongside. In 2004, he founded The Himalayan Outback with Misty Dhillon, a specialist outdoor company offering fishing, trekking, wildlife, and birdwatching expeditions across the Indian Himalayas. Antler Woods — the family’s former hunting lodge near Siswan — became its base, and eventually its centrepiece.
The transformation was not just aesthetic. It was philosophical. A property once used for taking wildlife from the forest became a property devoted to observing and protecting it. The antlers remained, as honest testimony to the history. The guns did not.
The Property
Antler Woods sits opposite Siswan Dam on the main road through the Siswan forest area, approximately 25–30 kilometres from Chandigarh city, at the edge of the Shivalik foothills — the outermost range of the Himalayas, where the plains give way to the first low, forested ridges. The property is spread across terraced land: levels dropping down the hillside, each terrace planted with forest trees and fruit orchards, framed by wide open sky and the uninterrupted green of the Shivalik forest canopy.
The Siswan area is one of the least-known green corridors near Chandigarh — a forest zone that most of the city’s residents have never visited, despite being less than an hour away. The Siswan Dam itself creates a reservoir that attracts waterbirds throughout the year and migratory species in the winter months. The surrounding forest — a mix of sal, bamboo, and mixed deciduous woodland — holds leopard, sambar deer, wild boar, porcupine, and a remarkable diversity of birds that make this one of the best birdwatching locations within easy reach of any major north Indian city.
The Rooms
The rooms at Antler Woods open onto uninterrupted green views — the terraced orchards and forest trees of the property, with the Shivalik forest beyond. The warm interiors carry the particular character of a former hunting lodge: wood, heritage objects, the antlers that give the property its name, the general atmosphere of a building that knows its own history and wears it honestly. Modern comfort is present in the form of beds, bathrooms, and the careful attention of the Himalayan Outback team, while the aesthetic is deliberately that of a naturalist’s retreat rather than a resort room.
The tariff is approximately ₹12,000 to ₹13,000 per night for two guests, including breakfast. The property operates as a boutique bed and breakfast — meals prepared from fresh ingredients, delectable cuisine described consistently by guests as a highlight of the stay.
The Birdwatching
Antler Woods has become, over the years, one of the most celebrated birdwatching bases in the Chandigarh area, and the depth of Mickey Sidhu’s expertise — built over two decades of guiding naturalists and birdwatchers through the Himalayas — is the reason. The Siswan area supports an extraordinary diversity of bird species: over 200 species have been recorded in the surrounding forest and reservoir, including wintering raptors, migratory waterbirds, and a wide range of resident Shivalik forest species.
Guided birding walks, led by Mickey and the Himalayan Outback team, begin at first light when the forest is most active. These are not casual nature walks — they are the product of serious ornithological knowledge, conducted with the patience and attention to detail that separates genuine birding from forest tourism. Guests who come specifically for the birdwatching consistently describe the experience as exceptional by any standard.
The birding trips are not limited to Siswan. The Himalayan Outback’s network extends across the Shivaliks, the Siwalik foothills, and further into Uttarakhand — guests can arrange multi-day birdwatching itineraries from Antler Woods as a base, accessing habitats that are rarely visited and holding species that are genuinely difficult to find elsewhere.
What to See and Experience
Short hikes through the Siswan forest area are guided by the team — trails through the sal and bamboo woodland, along the reservoir edge, and up the terraced hillside that gives views across the plains toward Chandigarh. Picnics in the forest, fishing lessons in the dam area, and the simple pleasure of sitting on the property’s terraces watching the birds move through the fruit trees are the core activities of the Antler Woods stay.
The broader Himalayan Outback offering — fishing expeditions to the mahseer rivers of Uttarakhand, wildlife safaris, trekking in the higher Himalayas, curated journeys combining multiple outdoor experiences — can all be accessed and arranged from Antler Woods, making it an ideal starting point for a longer north Indian outdoor itinerary.
Chandigarh itself — Le Corbusier’s planned city, the most architecturally distinctive urban environment in north India, with its remarkable Capitol Complex, the Rock Garden created by Nek Chand from industrial waste and broken crockery, and the serene Sukhna Lake — is less than an hour away for those who want to combine the forest with the city.
Why It Stays With You
There is a specific quality that properties built on the edges of forests carry when they are managed by people who understand and love the forest: a quietness, an attentiveness, a pace set by the light and the birds rather than the schedule and the itinerary. Antler Woods has this quality, and it comes directly from Mickey Sidhu — a man who gave up a Silicon Valley career for a life in the Indian outdoors, who turned his family’s hunting lodge into a place devoted to watching rather than taking, and who has spent twenty years learning the forests and rivers of northern India with the dedication of someone who intends to keep doing it.
The antlers on the wall are a reminder of what it used to be. The birds singing outside the window every morning are the answer to what it became.
Plan Your Visit
Address: Antler Woods, Main Road, opposite Siswan Dam, Baddi, Siswan, Punjab — 140110 Phone: +91 98156 05847 Email: info@himalayanoutback.com Website: himalayanoutback.com/boutique-bb/ Instagram: @thehimalayanoutback Booking: Direct via website (Inquire Now) · Also via email
Owners: Mickey Sidhu and Marina Sidhu (Rana Sidhu also listed as owner) Parent company: The Himalayan Outback (est. 2004, outdoor expeditions specialists) History: Former family hunting lodge, converted to nature homestay
Location: Opposite Siswan Dam, Shivalik foothills, approximately 25–30 km from Chandigarh city Property: Terraced land · Forest trees and fruit orchards · Shivalik forest surrounds · Wildlife-rich woodland · 200+ bird species in the area
Accommodation: Boutique B&B — rooms with forest views, warm lodge interiors, heritage antler décor, private bathrooms, free Wi-Fi Rate: Approximately ₹12,000–₹13,000 per night (breakfast included) Meals: Breakfast included · Delectable cuisine · Fresh ingredients
Experiences: Guided birding walks (dawn, led by Mickey) · Short forest hikes · Fishing lessons · Picnics · Nature photography · Multi-day birdwatching itineraries (Himalayan Outback network) · Himalayan trekking, fishing, and wildlife expeditions available
Rules: No firearms · No loud music · Phones on silent in public areas · Smoking only in designated areas · Guests accompanied by staff for walks outside premises
Getting There — Chandigarh Airport (IGIA Mohali): approximately 30–35 km from Siswan — around 45 minutes by road. — Chandigarh Railway Station: approximately 28 km — around 45 minutes. — From Chandigarh city: approximately 25–30 km via the Chandigarh–Baddi road through the Siswan forest area — around 40–50 minutes. — From Delhi: approximately 280 km — around 5 hours via NH44. — From Shimla: approximately 80 km — around 2 hours. — From Kasauli: approximately 40 km — around 1 hour. — The property is on the main road opposite Siswan Dam — coordinate exact approach with the team on booking.
Nearby — Siswan Dam and reservoir: adjacent · Chandigarh: 30 km · Rock Garden (Nek Chand): 30 km · Sukhna Lake: 32 km · Kasauli: 40 km · Pinjore Gardens: 25 km · Morni Hills: 50 km · Shimla: 80 km
Best Time to Visit: October to March for the best birdwatching — winter brings migratory species to the reservoir and the forest is at its most active · November to February for the clearest weather and the widest diversity of birds · April to June for the Shivalik summer, warm but beautiful in the forest · Monsoon (July–September) for the lush green of the Shivalik forest — spectacular, though some forest trails may be muddy.
