Auli & Binsar in July end?

amit_mj

Hi guys,

I was searching for content and reviews for people who have travelled to Auli & binsar and i stumbled upon this site. I should say its a wonderful & a very resourceful site. This is my first post on this forum after registering today.

I plan to go for honeymoon to Auli from 20th July to 27th July and to binsar from 27th July - 3rd Aug. I plan to stay in club mahindra Cliff top in auli and club mahindra property in binsar.

i want to know:
1)how the climate will be during this time in auli & binsar. Is it gonna be a nice time for honeymoon?

2) I will be travelling in 1st Ac from Delhi - haridwar in mussoorie express. Is the travel in 1st class ac safe on this route?

3) Also road travel from haridwar - Auli & from Auli - Binsar. How safe are the roads since its monsoon time.

4) Please provide me better plan for sight seeing in above duration.

Would appreciate if you guys can give me suggestions.

AJ

spicetrekker

See replies in red font

amit_mj

hi spicetrekker. Thx for your reply.

Yes i am a CM member and have already done my booking. I was not lucky to bump into this site when i did my booking. But since the booking is already done, i hope its a good climate out there during the monsoon. Yes monsoon should be a nice time for a honeymoon.

By the way - i checked out the website of Kalmatia Sangam. Should say its a nice resort. The pics look great. Looks like bad luck as missed out on this resort.

I would like to know what all i can see around Auli and Binsar. Since its a week stay at both the place. I was considering travelling to Nainital by reducing my stay at auli and binsar by 1 night each and visiting nainital for 2N/3D. What you suggest. Or u suggest travelling to Kalmatia Sangam from Binsar.

AJ.

spicetrekker

Well around Auli- i.e. Joshimath - there is a lot to see provided you can trek. frankly other than Tapovan and the temples at Joshimath iself I cannot think of what else you can do without trekking - as I see you would want options which involved leaving Auli in the morning and coming back in the evening again to Auli - as your acco has already been booked. I think 2 days in Nainital are good - of all the big hill stations that I have seen (shimla, Mussorie, Ooty, Kodai etc) I find nainital to be the best. Around Binsar there are a number f options such as Sun Temple Katarmal, the Binsar sancturay itself (as CM is outside the sancutary), Jageshwar. These will require you to have your own transport, as I am not sure you can otherwise do a daytrip and back using public transport

amit_mj

Yes i plan to hire a cab for 13-14 days since i will be travelling from Haridwar to Auli and Auli to binsar and from there to Kathogam station.

Any idea if car can go upto Auli Clifftop resort since the post i read said that we have to travel by cable car to Auli resort.

Any suggest you can offer if its better to hire car from Mumbai in advance or check out at haridwar station for better deal.

Also, if u can, pl suggest good accomdation for Nainital.

spicetrekker

Well I had gone to Auli sometime back when most cars did not go to Auli - only 4x4s could go or atleast that is what my taxi driver told me. Best thing to do would be to call Auli clifftop and findout.

Well advance booking from Mumbai would mean that your trip is hasslefree, but to my mind you will certainly get better rates in HDW; but look at this if you get say Re 1km less at HDW at 200 kms per day (min) it would be around 2800 rs less - your call whether the amount is large enough for you to afford a small incovenience at HDW.

Since you have a car and the season you are going for Nainital I would certainly recommend you go and look out the hotels and also bargain. There are many - but given your other choices at Binsar and Auli - I think you will prefer a luxury place. There is Shervani Hilltop and a few others. There are some good options just outside of Nainital also- For eg I had stayed at Sattal and since I too had a car we used to just drive to Nainital for the day.

amit_mj

spicetrekker thx for your replies. seems u the only one on this site who is replying and helping me out with suggestion.

I do plan to book a 4x4 for auli. I would call clifftop as well to check if they have a travel desk that can arrange vehicle.

For Nainitl trip - yes since its honeymoon i would prefer a luxury place with best comforts. I checked the site of shervani hilltop. Looks good. Any other destination you can suggest?

Also need ur review reg CM Clifftop & Binsar property. Since CM Binsar is gold crown property, i trust it to be a nice property with best comforts avail in that region. Same i belive would be clifftop. what u think?

AJ

capt_mahajan

Kalmatia Sangam is the one.

Be prepared for a snootish crowd, though.

Dilliwala

Amit, a few points:

1. Sorry, but I can absolutely not recommend Auli in the monsoon. It's at 2800 m altitude and much more prone to rain than lower places. There'll be no views, and no walks most of the time, unless you're very lucky. And altho being stuck indoors for long periods is not necessarily undesirable during your honeymoon , I doubt that's what you're looking for. spicetrekker is right about the road - from GMVN to CTC (about 1.5 km) it is in bad shape at the best of times, but during the monsoon it practically gets washed away and even 4wd has difficulty.

2. CM is not at Binsar, they're 21 km away. Nice place for a chill-out, but that's it. Read this thread.

3. 14 days is a long time to spend in just 2 places in Uttaranchal during the monsoon, not to mention that 7 days at Auli will drive you nuts. It really isn't suited for day-trips even if you ask me, but then that's my personal opinion.
You shud add at least one more place like Nainital, or better Bhimtal, or even better Mukteshwar (this valley gets a little less rain). The Cliff Top people have resorts at the first two also, if they have a tie-up with RCI/CM for these places too I wud seriously be thinking of scrapping Auli and doing let's say Binsar, Bhimtal and Mukteshwar if I were you.
In fact then you'll do just Kumaon, for which you don't need to go to Haridwar anymore, go directly Delhi-Kathgodam.

amit_mj

Hi dilliwala,

Dude u scaring the hell out of me.
1) is the journey gonna be SOOO BAD from haridwar - auli, even if i take a cable car to auli from joshimath?
2) actually i preferred the idea of spending time by getting cut of from the world, but sure out of 7 days, i did had plan to go out for sightseeing/trekking for 2-3 days @ auli. u think its possible to do that?
3) With your review, i feel like cancelling my booking @ auli. we are 2 couple travelling to auli & binsar. I m a member with CM but the prob is if i plan to cancel, my friend stand to loose his booking cost as i have done booking through RCI and total amt works out to 20000+ for my friend reservation. So u really dont think its worth a trip to auli?

Amit

Dilliwala

Amit,
The journey Haridwar-Auli is a different thing to staying at Auli. I commented on the stay, I still think it's the wrong season. But since you've already booked and if you don't mind coping with the rain, then fine.
Of course you can roam the area - Badrinath, Tapovan - but Auli is not well-connected. So it means taking the cable-car into Joshimath every time you want to go somewhere, or if you hire your own vehicle driving extra 15 km and back each time.

I don't think you shud cancel if there's money to be lost, just take your chances in that case!

amit_mj

Thx dilliwala,

cable car 2 way trip cost 400, and if i plan to hire car for my entire stay from auli - binsar, i think taking care upto clifftop would make sense, instead of spending 400x4 ppl = 1600 per day if we plan to see other places.

I wish to know:
1) Road from joshimath - clifftop is it ok?
2) I had planned to hire car for 14 days and use the same car from Auli - binsar. I guess its 10 hr long drive again. a) is the road journey safe during monsoon? b) or you suggest any nice place to stay for a night between Auli - Binsar?
3) I plan to cut my stay @ auli from 7 nights to 5 nights and instead stay for 2-3 nights @ Nainital.

Amit

Dilliwala

1. Joshimath to GMVN Auli is ok. GMVN to CTC as I indicated above - jeepable only. If the monsoon is severe this year, check the condition with the CTC people beforehand re what sort of vehicle to hire.
From their side, what they do is run their own jeep to/from GMVN to pick up guests.

2. Road is ok. You do have to be mentally prepared for some delays though, due to road-work, land-slides, etc.
You'll have to come back to Karnprayag on NH 58, then go Simli-Narayanbagar-Tharali-Gwaldam-Baijnath-Bageshwar (dream route, very scenic ), then take the Almora road to Basauli village, where CM is.
Another member has reported some damage to the Tharali-Gwaldam-Baijnath section, but an experienced driver shud be able to handle it.
If you want to stop on the way - Gwaldam!

3. Good idea. Bhimtal or Mukteshwar wud be even better.

amit_mj

1) Since the journey from Haridwar - auli is 8-10 hr drive, is there any nice place on the way where we can halt for breakfast and lunch. The other couple travelling with me is not an indian, therefore the place for dinning has to be really nice. Any idea if theres any goods dinnine joint?

2)How long is the journey from Auli - Nainital. Which major cities fall inbetween the route? Also pl inform if there are very good dinning area inbetween auli - Binsar route?

joie-de-vivre

Amit,
1. I dont think haridwar-auli (approx 270 kms.)can be done in 8-10 hrs, and that is also in this season of landslides...
2. Auli-nainital - time dunno, but route is like this ; Auli - joshimath - karnpryag - adi badri - gairsain - dwarahat - majkhali - almora ( from where direct to binsar ) or to nainital
3. another short route from karnpryag to binsar ;
karnprayag - kulsari - tharali - gwaldam - baijnath - bageshwar - binsar