Dharana at Shillim

The DeSouza brothers, William and Denzil, visited the Western Ghats as children and fell in love with its wildness and beauty. It initiated what was to become a lifelong passion in conservation and education. From the moment of acquiring the 2,500-acre Shillim Estate that comprises mountain range, farming fields and dense forest, the family have spent the last 30 plus years conserving, restoring and developing the land in the most sustainable way with an expert team of designers, engineers, horticulturalists and ecologists to create the eco retreat that stands today in harmony with the landscape. The team revegetated the slopes, cutting thousands of metres of contour trenches to recharge groundwater and cultivate new grasslands, shrubland and forest. A nursery was planted in 2003 to provide new plantings and produce for the retreat, and now grows over 100,000 plants. Following the loss of William de Souza to cancer, the vision for Dharana at Shillim for the family became more than just an eco-retreat and conservation project. It would become one of the world’s foremost wellness destinations. It opened its doors as Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa in 2013. After parting ways with Hilton in 2024, Dharana at Shillim officially opened in June 2024 as a new fully independent wellness retreat and is positioned as a global wellness leader led by William’s son, Gavin de Souza.