Anyone going to Mussoorie/Landour?

Oh !!!! is that so.. thats a pity when i visited Sterling mussourie some years ago...i observed it wasent one of their better maintained properties, but the approach roads were ok.. so if that has gone downhill, its all the more depressing...seems to bear out what someone said somewhere..." Most hill stns these days are obnoxious, fumy, deforrested and polluted versions of the plains. Might as well just buy an AC unit and watch Animal Planet on Cable TV rather then bustle oneself out of the city only to find more city atop a hill...."

I've been starting to think about what to pack with me... I've been to India twice (2 x 5 weeks), been to a "pub" (I'd call it a club!) in Bangalore, been to a village in the Thar desert, ... but I haven't been to the language school in Landour!

I'll be there from about September till about November/December, and I'll stay at Wolf's Burn. What do I need? Is it still rainy in September? How cold will it be in November/December? Does Wolf's Burn have heating (ever)? Will it be damp? (I'm used to cold in Finland, the coldest last winter was about -35, but our home has double glazing, central heating, and hot water!)

I think it's the time to reread this thread. Good walking sandals/shoes are a must, a cosy woollen cardigan I always have with me in India, some kind of coat?, my Hindi books, ... <thinking aloud>


Oh, I've cancelled my booking at Dev Dar Woods via email; told that I've needed to change my plan, and need to cancel my booking. Didn't tell him that I needed to change my plan because of the feedback from guests! (Might still need the cheese and jam....)

I killed the Landour thread!

Time to get the defibrillator out in that case.

Stand back. KACHUNK!
Here we go again:

It's raining tigers and wolves right now and the up-country rivers are flooded, but most of it will have stopped by mid-Sep. There will still be a few showers till end-Sep.

Max 18-22 C, min 10-14 C.

A light woollen along with a heavy - cardigan or sweater - wud be a good idea against the cold, altho coming from Finland I don't know whether u'll find Muss that cold (there's no central heating anywhere though). A coat is a good idea if it's also the water-resistant type. If it's heavy/light enuff, u cud leave behind one of the above woollens, in case u want to travel light.

Yes, Tabor is still there. It's a residence-cum-office for some sort of social organisation.

There's plenty of info about places to stay in Delhi on this site. Check the various threads under 'Delhi' and 'Lodging and Hotels'.

Sorry, I saw afterwards that there are other threads on hotels in Delhi.

Thanks, Dilliwala for the info on Tabor. I was also interested in your info on the weather in September, as I have been debating whether to go at the beginning, mid or end of September. I think mid would be good, because I'd like to see the clouds and mist around the mountains, and everything will be lush and beautiful. The tree ferns, the moss, the orchids, the leeches...! And at the same time the rains will be ending soon.

To Ploink: although I haven't been to Mussoorie for a long time,I remember needing a sweater and coat in December, even in the classroom!

And I plan to take good light-weight hiking shoes, although we also used to manage OK in sandals and even heels! Some paths are smoother than others, but for walking on the little hillside paths, the hiking shoes will be most comfortable.

And you'll want an umbrella and/or a water-proof coat, and rain boots or a change of shoes because your feet will get wet in the rain, and things dry slowly during the monsoon.

Hi Anondi my sis!! Thanks for letting me know about this site!

Nice to hear that Tabor is still there. I remember the spectacular scenery, the rats living under the floor and all the wildflowers. And yes, the torrential monsoon rain. Even in Dehra Dun when it was clear, there were often thick clouds over Mussoorie. One thing to keep in mind, Mussoorie is a lot higher elevation than the plains, and the air is a lot thinner. Don't expect to be able to hike or bike at your usual pace right away.

[QUOTE=anondi;371510] we also used to manage OK in sandals and even heels! Some paths are smoother than others, but for walking on the little hillside paths, the hiking shoes will be most comfortable. QUOTE]

Do you remember wearing chappals when it was pouring rain? I don't know about you, but going uphill in slippery chappals is not something I'd plan to do

[QUOTE=ploink;368934](I'm used to cold in Finland, the coldest last winter was about -35, but our home has double glazing, central heating, and hot water!)[quote]
Forget about double glazing and heating of any kind. In March, I, a Swede, slept in all my day clothes and was fortunate enough to have two blankets. April was OK, though.

Yes, it's steeep from, say, Ivy Bank to the school.

Ha ha, oh dear, no, I'm, not expecting double glazing and the like in India! I merely meant that I'm used to the cold outside in Finland. When I lived in the UK I froze inside even though the temperature was above zero; I'll expect the same in Landour, then - I was wondering how cold is cold there, though.

When I lived there, I always left in mid-December and came back near the end of February. But I know they had a fair amount of snow and it was definitely below freezing at times during the winter.

It's a cool site! lots of good info and almost like a mini vacation every time I visit!

True!
Thanks for all the advice everybody. In three weeks I'll be in Delhi!

Bon Voyage!

By the way, although I haven't been there for a long time, I'm sure there are some shops in Mussoorie that have nice coats and shawls. And I assume that there is a tailor where you can get clothes made to your own design as well. Maybe someone who has been there recently can confirm?

When I was there centuries ago, you could get tailor-made clothes to fit you just right, for 30-50 rupees per article. I am sure the price would be higher today, just a little bit That was when you could get cigarettes for 2 rupees per pack of 10.