My travelogue on Lansdowne

pranavganesh

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shahronakm

pranavganesh,

Excellent piece of travelogue on Lansdowne. It def. seems a very peaceful & scenic place.
Thank you very much for posting the same.
I & my wife are a mirror couple of you. We also like to go on trekking & on adventerous tours.
Can't wait to see pics of the same, please post here or send link.

Ronak.

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pranavganesh

I am sorry Ronak.......I dont have pictures of Lansdowne readily available with me right now.....

But believe me .....its a marvellous place....you will relish going to that place ..far from the maddening crowd

mridula

Lovely travelogue, your love for the special place shines through.

Lansdown has been on my radar but somehow or the other I have missed going there till date. Have to go there soon.

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http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

pranavganesh

thanks Mridula.....your appreciation is indeed heartwarming...


Do visit Lansdowne ...and let me know of your experiences

sego

Sounds like a nice place, a few years ago a friend visiting Canada mentioned this place to us and we never reached there, but another time I will check it out.

kullukid

Great post Pranav, somewhere i've also always been intrigued by but never bothered going due to lack of info, but it's definitely on my list for next time after reading your description. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered! KK

manuraman

Hi there,

read your travelogue. I would like to tell you that you are one among the very few people who actually go to hill stations to soak in the ambience. Most of the guys go there to watch a circus, and if the circus' not happening they make it happen.

keep that high, on lansDOWNe

M Raman

shahronakm

I truly agree with manuraman, keep it up pranavganesh.

Ronak.

Dilliwala

Hi,
Great write-up, and thanks for posting it. Reason being there's another thread on IM trashing Lansdowne which I think is way off the mark. But that poster seems to be one who prefers a circus, as manuraman said. Agree with your assessment of Lansdowne, it is a great little place, one of few in the hills where I didn't mind strolling thru the bazar (did u try the sweets-shop on the left at the bottom of the hill? Best in town.) Generally my view of bazars in the tourist-traps is: ugh!
U certainly covered a lot more ground in your time there than I did! I'm more of the driving type, did go down the road in the direction of Rikhnikhal, which was a pleasant drive. Also took a day-trip to Pauri.
Stayed at Fairy Dale Resort. Altho you're right that the staff are good, in general I think the place rates an OK only - the reviews I've read in some sites/papers are over-rated. Next time I'll stay at GMVN - they have 3 categories of rooms, including budget.
Just one correction: In Garhwali, the word 'khal' is freely applied to mean both - 1) a saddle connecting two ridges, and 2) a mountain pass, as in Kunwari Khal (the REAL name of Kuari Pass - boy, did the Brits ever mess up that one!). I think the correct meaning is the first, since there are many more saddles with a name ending with 'khal' (nearby settlements acquire the same name) than there are passes. But u know how it is - what's in a name? A pass by any other name wud be just as high....

Sadanand Kamath

I whole-heartedly second the views of all the posters to this thread on your excellent write-up
During my younger days, somehow I felt that I should make visits to three places - Gwaldam, Lansdowne and Pauri as a side trip to Garhwal treks . But when you are in a group, this is not always possible. Your write-up has renewed my wish to visit these places sooner than later.

Sadanand

deeps79

Beautiful place it and i loved every moment of it, when i was there last yr........me and 2 friends of mine went there for a road trip and made it to lansedown from delhi in 4.5 hrs flat
(i m not joking)

i will try to post the pics of place in 2-3 days......till then u can enjoy the beauty of tiffin top here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyso...7594531144458/

Dilliwala

If u leave early enough, 4.5 hours is entirely doable (from Delhi outskirts, I'd say?).
Little known fact (except by those of us locals who've been there ) - Lansdowne is the closest hill-station to Delhi, even closer than Mussoorie. (The Rishikesh to Shivpuri stretch does not count).
Nice panorama shot that, with Jaiharikhal clearly visible. Pity about the clouds; same happened to me when I was there for 3 nights in Feb 05 - it poured and thundered the first, and then 2 cold, blustery days, but luckily the sun was out. No snow-views on either day. Funnily enough, I've been there two other times on day-trips (going out from the North-western end of Corbett) and saw the snows each time!

whereisvj

Pranav ,you wrote a fantastic account of your experience , thanks for sharing

I did my schooling and passed out from there 94-97 .It is one of the best hill stations in India and relatively unknown. I went there after 10 years and summed up my journey here .
http://whereisvijay.blogspot.com/200...al-rifles.html
I agree with dilliwalla , it is closest to Delhi and I've some mor pictures .which i can share .Let me know if you want

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2...0/IMG_0603.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...18544&s ize=m

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Cheers,
Vijay Pandey
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vj_pics/

solo_trekker

Hiya...
Lansdowne is one of those places which makes u a bit selfish...! You just wanna keep the blessed place for yourself...!
The way it has been for decades...!
Those hedges on the british-kinda cottages, the bougain villae creeping over the walls in all the hues and colours... and what not... those walks... mmmmm... Anyone who has had anything to do with the services will just indulge in our favourite national past-time - nostalgia...! Sheer Nostalgia...!
The paved walk to the church is a good experience and the best thing is that u just don't meet any tourists...! yes, that sounds like a misnomer or somethin' but then, thatz the way it is... some places deserve to be kept the way they have been... and kudos to the garhwal rifles for maintaining the township - it is absolutely spic n span...!
The best ofcourse, is the beautiful drive to lansdowne - it is divine...! I have travelled on quite a few roads across the length n breadth of the country; and lemme assure u, the road from kotdwar to lansdowne is definitely one of the very best in terms of scenery, n everything else u want on a drive...!
Cheers...!