My weekend visit to Lansdowne and Rishikesh

rishabh6296 · Apr 13th, 2008, 13:28

Hi friends,
last week i was fortunate to get a long weekend of 3 days so i made a quick plan and headed to the nearest hill station Lansdowne.
Day 1:
Left Delhi at 6 A.M and the route that we took was Delhi-Meerut-Mawana-Najibabad-kotdwar-Lansdowne. The weather was murky and it was drizzling all day so it added to the atmosphere.There were a few traffic bottlenecks in Meerut but we managed to reach Lansdowne by 12:30 P.M. The drive from Lansdowne to Kotdwar was absolutely beautiful. The drizzle had given a new sheen to the hills and foliage and it was all so wonderful We checked in GMVN TRH which at 1150 rupees was steep for its services.After lunch the sun tore through the clouds and the place was abuzz with life. We took a few aimless walks in the tranquil environments of the city and saw some amazing birdlife

Our aimless walk and hide and seek with the amazing birdlife of Lansdowne brought us to Bhulla lake, managed by the jawans of Garhwal rifles.

After that we move towards Tiffin top, in the way we saw two beautiful 19th century churches; St. Mary's and St. John's church.

We didnt get any Himalayan views from Tiffin top nevetheless the view was breathtaking enough.

Day 2
Day two bought more rain and some interesting visitors on the balcony of my room.

After some time we Left for Rishikesh hoping to come again for a longer spell , in Rishikesh we stayed in Ganga Resort rs. 900 and 10 times better facilities, unfortunately due to rains rafting wasnt happening so we explored Rishikesh's spiritual and neo hippie mixed culture . Here is the view of Ram and Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh.

Next morning we left for Delhi refreshed by this short but wonderful break.

puchoo · Apr 13th, 2008, 13:59

Lansdowne is one of the prettiest , quitest hillstations i have been to and pretty high on my list in terms of visiting again...!

Dilliwala · Apr 14th, 2008, 00:06

What route did you take to Rishikesh, rishabh?
Dugadda/Paukhal, Gumkhal/Dwarikhal, thru the jungle from Kotdwara, or back to Najibabad?

I see the good old Red-billed Blue Magpie put in an appearance.

One of my fave hill-birds.

chAos · Apr 14th, 2008, 10:24

Glad you had a good time; thanks for the pictures.

>>Is that a frog that the blue bird is holding?? Looks like part of frog dangling from behind the branch he's on, doesn't it?<<

capt_mahajan · Apr 14th, 2008, 10:47

Rishabh, nice writeup and pics. Thanks.

SSG · Apr 14th, 2008, 11:06

Hi Rishabh, I was in Lansdowne last sunday 13/4/08 on a whirlwind trip to Pauri and Lansdowne over the weekend.
Just some pointers for anyone who wishes to combine the two and does not have own transport: the share taxis in Pauri take about 3 hours (Rs.70) to go to Ghumkal,from there Lansdowne bazaar is a short Rs.10 30 mins bus ride away. The last jeeps from Lansdown to Kotdwar - the nearest railhead - is at about 6:00 pm - it is usually a jeep with bald tyres, iffy battery and lights, hence the journey down to the plains in the gloaming is ....FUN!

PS: OT but Pauri,especially the GMVN was fantastic, where else can you get a 250Km panorama of the Himalayas,from Swargarohini to Nanda Devi less than 8 hours drive from Delhi? Lovely thick virgin forests and walks.

Dilliwala · Apr 14th, 2008, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSG

PS: OT but Pauri,especially the GMVN was fantastic, where else can you get a 250Km panorama of the Himalayas,from Swargarohini to Nanda Devi less than 8 hours drive from Delhi? Lovely thick virgin forests and walks.

Yep, Pauri is quite the hidden delight. Did you go up to Kyunkaleshwar for the view?

(I take it you mean 6/4, unless you got back this morning!)

rishabh6296 · Apr 14th, 2008, 15:18

Quote:

What route did you take to Rishikesh, rishabh?
Dugadda/Paukhal, Gumkhal/Dwarikhal, thru the jungle from Kotdwara, or back to Najibabad?

I see the good old Red-billed Blue Magpie put in an appearance.
One of my fave hill-birds.

I wanted to take the jungle route but due to rains it wasnt in a vey good shape so i had to take the Najibabad route however we traversed Chilla to reach rishikesh.

Quote:

Glad you had a good time; thanks for the pictures.

>>Is that a frog that the blue bird is holding?? Looks like part of frog dangling from behind the branch he's on, doesn't it?<<

Yes Chaos it is a toad on which the bird was feeding.

FYI everyone there are 2 GMVN's in Lansdowne one near the Bazaar and the 2nd at tiffin top.They are constructing wooden treetop kind of cottages at tiffin top which should be operational by peak season.

SSG · Apr 14th, 2008, 16:08

@ Dilliwalla

Yes you're right i went last weekend 4-6 April,2008. I went to Kandolia and then walked past Ransi to Kyunkaleshwar on the saturday and on Sunday walked on the 'Upper Road' from Pauri to Buakhal - 5 km of the most enjoyable forest walk, the rain had also cleared so I could see the Swargarohini range and Chaukhamba through the trees.

Dilliwala · Apr 14th, 2008, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by rishabh6296

FYI everyone there are 2 GMVN's in Lansdowne one near the Bazaar and the 2nd at tiffin top.They are constructing wooden treetop kind of cottages at tiffin top which should be operational by peak season.

Good news!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSG

I went to Kandolia and then walked past Ransi to Kyunkaleshwar on the saturday and on Sunday walked on the 'Upper Road' from Pauri to Buakhal - 5 km of the most enjoyable forest walk, the rain had also cleared so I could see the Swargarohini range and Chaukhamba through the trees.

Not fair!
I spent 2 nights in Pauri and 3 in Khirsu in April '06 - no views from Pauri, and partial views only 2 morns from Khirsu! Ah well, such is life.

But great area, isn't it? The view from Kyunkaleshwar must be FANTASTIC. Probably the closest point from where one can see the hidden Kalanag from the south. Bandarpunchh must have been clearly visible too.
Were you staying in the Kandoliya FRH by any chance?

shahronakm · Apr 14th, 2008, 19:28

Rishabh, nice bird pics. Thanks

Ronak.

rajivphoto · Apr 15th, 2008, 14:56

Hi Dear

Good going

Rajiv

rishabh6296 · Apr 17th, 2008, 11:19

Quote:

Hi Dear

Good going

Rajiv

Is this Rajiv from trekearth and treknature?

rajivphoto · Apr 17th, 2008, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by rishabh6296

Is this Rajiv from trekearth and treknature?

LOL

Yes yaar. Your friendly neighbor.

Keep in touch

Rajiv

rishabh6296 · Apr 18th, 2008, 10:31

[QUOTEYes yaar. Your friendly neighbor.

Keep in touch

Rajiv][/quote]

Great! havent seen you posting a lot of pics lately?

Apr 13th, 2008, 13:28	#1
rishabh6296 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: new delhi Posts: 769	My weekend visit to Lansdowne and Rishikesh Hi friends, last week i was fortunate to get a long weekend of 3 days so i made a quick plan and headed to the nearest hill station Lansdowne. Day 1: Left Delhi at 6 A.M and the route that we took was Delhi-Meerut-Mawana-Najibabad-kotdwar-Lansdowne. The weather was murky and it was drizzling all day so it added to the atmosphere.There were a few traffic bottlenecks in Meerut but we managed to reach Lansdowne by 12:30 P.M. The drive from Lansdowne to Kotdwar was absolutely beautiful. The drizzle had given a new sheen to the hills and foliage and it was all so wonderful We checked in GMVN TRH which at 1150 rupees was steep for its services.After lunch the sun tore through the clouds and the place was abuzz with life. We took a few aimless walks in the tranquil environments of the city and saw some amazing birdlife Our aimless walk and hide and seek with the amazing birdlife of Lansdowne brought us to Bhulla lake, managed by the jawans of Garhwal rifles. After that we move towards Tiffin top, in the way we saw two beautiful 19th century churches; St. Mary's and St. John's church. We didnt get any Himalayan views from Tiffin top nevetheless the view was breathtaking enough. Day 2 Day two bought more rain and some interesting visitors on the balcony of my room. After some time we Left for Rishikesh hoping to come again for a longer spell , in Rishikesh we stayed in Ganga Resort rs. 900 and 10 times better facilities, unfortunately due to rains rafting wasnt happening so we explored Rishikesh's spiritual and neo hippie mixed culture . Here is the view of Ram and Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. Next morning we left for Delhi refreshed by this short but wonderful break.

Apr 13th, 2008, 13:59	#2
puchoo Forum Leader Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi & Himachal Pradesh (Shimla) Posts: 3,671	Lansdowne is one of the prettiest , quitest hillstations i have been to and pretty high on my list in terms of visiting again...! __________________ Cheers! Sidharth puchoo.wordpress.com

Apr 14th, 2008, 19:28	#11
shahronakm Maha Guru Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,448	Rishabh, nice bird pics. Thanks Ronak. __________________ My Picture Gallery

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Apr 14th, 2008, 00:06	#3
Dilliwala Figment of the imagination Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dilli Posts: 3,545	What route did you take to Rishikesh, rishabh? Dugadda/Paukhal, Gumkhal/Dwarikhal, thru the jungle from Kotdwara, or back to Najibabad? I see the good old Red-billed Blue Magpie put in an appearance. One of my fave hill-birds.

Apr 14th, 2008, 10:24	#4
chAos I have a theory... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: aphyd Posts: 753	Glad you had a good time; thanks for the pictures. >>Is that a frog that the blue bird is holding?? Looks like part of frog dangling from behind the branch he's on, doesn't it?<<

Apr 14th, 2008, 10:47	#5
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,096	Rishabh, nice writeup and pics. Thanks.

Apr 14th, 2008, 11:06	#6
SSG Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 55	Hi Rishabh, I was in Lansdowne last sunday 13/4/08 on a whirlwind trip to Pauri and Lansdowne over the weekend. Just some pointers for anyone who wishes to combine the two and does not have own transport: the share taxis in Pauri take about 3 hours (Rs.70) to go to Ghumkal,from there Lansdowne bazaar is a short Rs.10 30 mins bus ride away. The last jeeps from Lansdown to Kotdwar - the nearest railhead - is at about 6:00 pm - it is usually a jeep with bald tyres, iffy battery and lights, hence the journey down to the plains in the gloaming is ....FUN! PS: OT but Pauri,especially the GMVN was fantastic, where else can you get a 250Km panorama of the Himalayas,from Swargarohini to Nanda Devi less than 8 hours drive from Delhi? Lovely thick virgin forests and walks.

Apr 14th, 2008, 16:08	#9
SSG Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 55	@ Dilliwalla Yes you're right i went last weekend 4-6 April,2008. I went to Kandolia and then walked past Ransi to Kyunkaleshwar on the saturday and on Sunday walked on the 'Upper Road' from Pauri to Buakhal - 5 km of the most enjoyable forest walk, the rain had also cleared so I could see the Swargarohini range and Chaukhamba through the trees.

Apr 15th, 2008, 14:56	#12
rajivphoto Rajiv from Delhi Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 20	Hi Dear Good going Rajiv

Apr 18th, 2008, 10:31	#15
rishabh6296 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: new delhi Posts: 769	[QUOTEYes yaar. Your friendly neighbor. Keep in touch Rajiv][/quote] Great! havent seen you posting a lot of pics lately?

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