My trip to Uttaranchal

jaydeepy

My report of the trip to Uttaranchal is not for the avid trekker or the adventurous kind. It is a trip of a family with a kid & senior citizens. Here is my full trip report

Day 1: 9 Oct 2009

I had done my train bookings 3 months in advance. I had booked my rest houses with kmvn well before time. We travelled on the 0477 Pune Nizamuddin Super fast Special. It is anything but a super fast train. I was aware of the arr/dep history of the train. But the timing of the train suited us. The train departed on time. But by the time it reached H Nizamuddin it was two hours late (out of which one hr. was outside Delhi). Food on the train is not good & service is pathetic. The train is unclean & not attended properly to by the staff. I advise to carry some food on board which we fortunately did. We reached H Nizamuddin stn. at 6.30 pm. Immediately, we went to the prepaid auto booth as advised on this forum. We paid for 3 autos as we were 8 people plus our luggage. But I was disappointed with the system. There was no cop controlling the rickshaws & the drivers refused to take us to the Delhi Sarai Rohilla stn. Finally when I complained to the person in the booth, he took us to the cop who was atleast 300 metres away from the booth. He single handedly & not so successfully was trying to control the rickshaws. At last he managed to get hold of 3 autos for us. Delhi Rohilla stn. is at least an hr. away from H. Nizamuddin stn. I paid Rs. 120/auto. I advise to keep a gap of at least 3-4 hrs. between subsequent trains which our experience showed us to be absolutely worthwhile. At the Delhi Rohilla stn., we were told that the Ranikhet Express would not be departing from that stn. but would be departing from old Delhi from 1 Oct to 31 Oct. Mind you, this was not reflected on www.irctc.co.in. It was already 8.30 pm. So I asked whether we could get any local train to go to old Delhi. The railway official advised us to travel on the Mussorie Express using the ticket of the Ranikhet Express. The TTE’s were extremely cooperative in allowing us to put our luggage in the doorway of one of the compartments. The Ranikhet Express was jammed to capacity & we realized that we were fortunate to book ourselves on this train. I advise to book on this train on the 1st day of the opening of reservation procedure & that too through an agent. The train gets full within minutes of the opening of the bookings. The II AC compartment was clean & proper inspite of the crowd which made us realize what the 0477 was lacking. In the morning, Kathgodam stn. greeted us right on time. The stn. is wonderfully clean & quaint unlike Pune or Delhi. We had booked ourselves a Tavera through KMVN. The driver failed to show at the stn. I immediately rang up the kmvn officer in Delhi whose mobile no. I was carrying. I apologized for ringing up so early though I less intended to. He assured me to look in to the matter. Within minutes he rang me back to tell me that the driver was from delhi & he was stuck in a traffic jam at Moradabad. He asked to take another car to Nainital. There are a lot of cabs of various sizes & order outside the Kathgodam railway stn. & we immediately hired a Tavera. The officer had assured me of a refund of the amount. The cab driver charged me Rs. 700 to Nainital which is around 40 kms. away. I was least bothered about bargaining. I advise to book a car with the drivers as mentioned in this forum. KMVN had charged me Rs. 3000/day for the Tavera which was atleast Rs. 500 more than the amount offered to me by the car owners around the stn. I am sure that during the off season one would easily get a car for Rs. 2000 or so. But I had done my bookings before joining this forum & kmvn rules stipulate a cutting of 15% of the amount of cancellation (Anil Bisht had also offered me a Tavera for Rs. 2500). We reached TRH Sukhtal without any hiccups. The hotel is 2 kms. away from Naini lake. The rooms are basic but spacious & clean. The staff was courteous in welcoming us. Cleaning of the room was done properly with soiled towels replaced with fresh ones.

Day 3: 11 Oct 2009

After having our baths & breakfast at the hotel (breakfast is complimentary in the kmvn rates)(coffee is great!) we started on our tour of Nainital. Our original driver reported to us by 11 am. He was a young local lad working for the kmvn transporter in Delhi. His name was Govind. Throughout my tour his driving was safe & efficient. He was courteous, bubbly & very cooperative. I strongly recommend him for Uttaranchal or tours originating from Delhi. His mobile no. is 09873553042. First, we visited the lake view point on the way to Kilbury. We had a look through the binoculars at the various spots of Nainital & clicked some photographs. The view of the Naini lake is absolutely stunning. Kilbury was a disappointment (Maggi was yummy!). There were no views of the Himalayas & they were showing the same points previously seen from the lake view point. Make sure to ask the guy what he is showing before agreeing to pay up. Next we went on a horse ride for viewing the various points of Nainital. I always make sure to experience everything that is on offer even if it adds a little to the expenses. So we all opted for the horse ride (senior people included). The horse guy charged us Rs. 450 for a 8-10 km. trek. It was worth every penny that he charged us. He had to pay Rs. 200 per horse to the union & I thought the rest was a reasonable amount for his efforts. He took us to ‘Land’s End’ from where the view of the Khurpatal lake was awesome. ‘Dhorchi Seat’ was the highest point from where one could admire Nainital. We enjoyed ourselves for 11/2-2 hrs. on the horse though often we were on the edge of our seats (saddle literally). Make sure that you insist on one person accompanying each horse purely for safety reasons. Our past experience in Rohatang had taught me so & I insisted on one person per horse before agreeing to pay him. Next we had our lunch at the Nani Nanu dhaba on mall road. The rates of the menu were matching Pune rates. But the quantity of food was lavish & so was the taste. I recommend this restaurant to be visited at least once. Later we had a boat trip on the Naini lake. It was 5.30 pm. We hired a paddle boat for 2 persons for Rs. 100 & a manned boat for 4 persons for Rs. 160. My wife & my kid went with me in the paddle boat & the rest of our people went into the other boat. The ride was a wonderful experience though it left my wife a bit tired from her paddling efforts. My kid had a whale of a time. It was 7 pm & two of our people left for the hotel in the car. We started strolling on the mall road & looked at the wares the shop had to offer. The candles looked impressive. I bought myself a Nest & Wings map of Kumaon. We walked to the Naina Devi temple from the mall road. The visit to the temple is a must in Nainital (even for the atheistic). It is very beautiful, clean, serene & calm. The temple closes at 8 pm & it was just the right time to visit it. It gives a very commanding view of the Naini lake. We helped ourselves to some momos & Thukpa soup at the Tibetan market besides the temple. The momos were good but nothing exceptional (the ones at Green Café, Manali behind Hidimba temple are better). We walked the 2 kms. back to the hotel. The weather was chilly but nice. My kid did not even wince once during that walk.

Day 4: 12 Oct 2009

In the morning after breakfast at 10 pm we visited the cave garden. It is very close to TRH, Sukhtal. The entrance fee to this garden is Rs. 30/person. A visit to this garden is a must. It is a very unique experience & the garden is very well maintained by kmvn. Next we had a ride on the ropeway. It offers an excellent view of the Naini lake. People short of time in Nainital can skip this ride. It is nothing special & the fee is Rs. 150/person. Later we visited Bhowali, which is around 11 kms. from Nainital. It is the fruit market of Uttarakhand. We came back to Nainital & had lunch at Purohits, a restaurant on mall road. We had the entire day to ourselves. I send the senior people to the hotel in the car. We purchased some candles on the mall road & had a boat ride on the lake once again. We strolled along the pathway around the lake, next to the Tibetan market. We also paid a visit to the Bara Bazaar. It is recommended to purchase candles here than on the mall road as the shops here offer a wider variety & better prices. I recommend ‘Mehrotras’ in the bazaar as a shop to purchase candles.

Day 5: 13 Oct 2009

In the morning we visited the zoo. The entrance fee to the zoo is Rs. 25/person. No private/tourist vehicle is allowed near the entrance of the zoo. A shuttle service from the mall road facilitates the movement of tourists at Rs. 20/person. If there is shortage of time then you can afford to give the visit a miss. There are many better zoos in India.
After this, we commenced on our journey to Jageshwar via Almora. The Kainchi Dham temple on the way is excellent & well maintained. Just outside the temple there is a stall offering excellent ‘Jaljira’ at Rs. 10/glass. We also visited the Golu Devata temple at Chitai. We had a simple lunch of dal, rice & roti at Garam Pani on the way.
Just as soon as we entered Jageshwar the view of the magnificient Dandeshwar Mahadev temple elicited an expression nothing short of ‘wow’. But it was already late in the evening. So we decided to go to the main Jageshwar temple in the morning. The TRH at Jageshwar was clean & spacious. A stroll along the road offered a good view of the Jatganga river & the deodar forests beyond. A simple meal of aloo ki sabzi, rice & chapattis took care of our dinner.

Day 6: 14 Oct 2009

In the morning we visited the Jageshwar group of temples. It comprises of 124 individual temples. The main temples are the Mahamritinjaya & the Jageshwar temples. It is a heritage site coming under the purview of the Archeological Survey of India.
Later we also visited Vriddha Jageshwar. On the way we got our first glimpses of the snow clad Himalayas of our tour. The view was simply fabulous. We started on our journey to Munsiyari at 9.30 am. It was a long & tiring journey. On the way we had a halt at Berinag for lunch. Also some minor repairs had to be carried out to the car. We reached Munsiyari at 7.30 pm. We did not get a view of Birthi Falls as it had got very late in the evening. As soon as we reached the TRH, I rang up Gangaram whose number I got from the TRH. His new number is 09456542753. He promised me to guide me to Khalia top in the morning. I also asked him to arrange a horse for my kid. He asked me to get some lunch packed for our trek. Nothing was available at the TRH. So the manager requested a shopkeeper to open his shop so I could get some grub for our trek. I purchased some tit bits from the shop opposite Pandey Lodge. I also got a loaf of bread from a baker whose residence is very close to the TRH. Now you know that bread is available in plenty in Munsiyari. Gangaram quoted me a price of Rs. 1000 for the guide & a horse for my kid together.

Day 7: 15 Oct 2009

The morning greeted us with a magnificent view of the Panchachuli peaks glittering like gold in the first rays of sunshine. In the morning Gangaram reported at 6.15 am. We started to Khalia top at 7 am in our car. Our car dropped us to the base at 8 kms. from Munsiyari. We left off one our senior people at the hotel. But the horse guy did not show up on time. So we started on our trek without the horse. As we reached about ½ a km. from the base, my aunt found it very difficult to continue. So Gangaram & me dropped her at one of the huts of the farm workers. We gave her a packet of food & as our car had already left she agreed to pass her time waiting for us. The horse guy showed up & we continued on our walk. It was awesome walking up to Khalia top with great views of the Panchachuli & Chiplakot peaks. Kudos to my father & mother, who are both above 65 yrs. of age for completing the trek successfully.
By the way, KMVN is coming up with a TRH at Khalia top. So guys, hurry up & do the trek if you have not done it. I am sure it would not be the same once the TRH is completed. Why don’t we on this forum protest against starting of the TRH?
On the way back we collected our aunt who to our surprise had a very good time. She had her lunch at one of the farm worker’s hut & she had spent her time roaming with the lady around the farm. We were dead tired from our exploits. But before retiring we went to the Nanda Devi temple.
The view of the Gauri Ganga valley from the temple is superb & matches even some of the views from Khalia top. We came back to the TRH & asked the cook to prepare some coffee & pakoras. The hot pakoras made us realize how famished we were. We had a bath in our rooms, took an early dinner & retired for the day.

Day 8: 16 Oct 2009

In the morning we started at 8 pm towards Patal Bhuvaneshwar. On the way we had a short stop at the Birthi Falls. The Gauri Ganga valley appeared stunningly beautiful on the way through the hills. Birthi Falls was a sight to behold & we really enjoyed our walk to the bottom of the falls with tiny droplets of water wetting our faces. We reached Patal Bhuvaneshwar at 3 pm. The cave temple is protected by the Archeological Survey of India & is a must see. Later we went to the Kali temple at Gangolihat. We reached Chaukori at 6.30 pm.

Day 9: 17 Oct 2009

The day started with a stunning view of the sunrise through the Himalayan ranges. The sun was shining in its full glory on the Trishul, Nanda devi & Panchachula peaks. After our baths & breakfast we went to the musk deer park. Later we had a very simple meal of dal, rice, rai ki sabzi, roti at a small road side dhaba. The food at TRH Chaukori is awful & one is advised to search for food outside. The rest of the day was spent at leisure in Chaukori.

Day 10: 18 Oct 2009

In the morning we started at 7 pm towards Bageshwar. On the way we had breakfast at a place called Kunda. The owner of the stall served sumptuous samosas with cholas topped with green chutney. All this at a price of Rs. 10/plate. From Bageshwar we went to Baijnath.
The Baijnath temples are magnificent edifices of ancient architecture & are as beautiful as the Jageshwar temples. They are clean & very well maintained. From Baijnath we visited the tea gardens at Kausani. After lunch at a nearby restaurant we bought ourselves a small packet of Kausani tea.
Then we checked into the TRH at Kausani. We had a walk in the campus of the TRH. The campus is clean, very well maintained & boasts of one of the best among all the TRH’s of kmvn. As we were enjoying our walk around the campus we had tea at a small shop down the road. It was very well made & certainly enjoyable in the late evening chill. After dinner we retired into our rooms.

Day 11: 19 Oct 2009

In the morning we enjoyed the wonderful view of the sunrise at Kausani. The Nandagunthi, Trishul, Mrigthuni, Maiktoli, Nandadevi peaks were glittering in the early morning sunrise. We purchased some apricot jam & soap, a speciality product of Uttaranchal. After breakfast we started on our journey towards Ranikhet. We reached Ranikhet around 12 noon. After lunch at the TRH we strolled along the roads of Chilanaula.
We visited the Haidakhan temple & had dinner at a local dhaba. We retired into our rooms after dinner.

Day 12: 20 Oct 2009

In the morning we had a good view of the long Himalayan ranges during sunrise. At 10 pm we left our TRH at Chilanaula.
We visited the Binsar Mahadev temple. It is located amidst a thick forest of pine trees near Sauni village. It is a must see for its serenity & cleanliness. The temple also runs a gurukul school up to 12th std. Then we visited the Chobatia gardens. We purchased some cans of rhodenderon & litchie juices. We started traveling towards Naukuchiatal. On the way we bought the famous ‘balmithai’ of Uttaranchal. We visited Bhimtal & reached our TRH at Naukuchiatal at 6 pm. We had dinner at the TRH & retired into our rooms.
Day 13: 21 Oct 2009

Early morning greeted us with a grand view of the beautiful lake of Naukuchiatal. We had a early morning walk along the lake shores.
The lake & its surroundings are all lined with thick trees. Various birds & butterflies were seen dancing amidst the thick foliage. At 8 pm we enjoyed a boat ride in the lake for half an hr. We had hired two boats & the boat guy charged us Rs. 150/boat. After a wonderful ride we had breakfast at the TRH & immediately started our journey towards Delhi. We continued with the same car that we had hired for our Uttaranchal sojourn. On the way we had lunch at a road side dhaba. It was a long & tiring journey as roads in UP are very bad. It is advised to travel between Kathgodam & Delhi by train. We reached our hotel in Delhi by 7 pm. We had hired ‘Hotel Midtown’ in the Karolbagh area. Hotel Midtown is very clean, well maintained and has all the proper amenities. The staff is courteous & very welcoming. After checking in, we decided to stroll in the Karolbagh area. But the shops had already started closing down. We decided to have some light grub at a nearby restaurant as we were not game for an heavy dinner. We retired into our rooms later.

Day 14: 22 Oct 2009

In the morning after breakfast we started on a tour of Delhi. We visited the Indira memorial.
Then we enjoyed the grand view of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rajpath & India Gate. Then we had a look at the famous Bahai Lotus Temple. We then visited the ‘Akshardham temple’ for which we were all eagerly awaiting. No words are enough to describe the Akshardham temple. It is a sight to behold & all the tourists should visit it to admire its beauty & magnificence. It is made in red agra & dholpur stones & is very intricately carved. We spent around 4 hrs. at the temple which we found to be insufficient. A tourist must spent at least a day at the temple to properly admire its beauty. We also had a look at the various exhibitions inside the temple. A person is charged Rs. 125 each for all the exhibitions & they are a must see. It includes a boat ride through the cultural history of India & a short film on the life of ‘Swaminarayan’ whose followers are the caretakers of the temple. We then had a ride on the famous Delhi Metro. Later we did some shopping in the famous Karolbagh area, had dinner in our hotel & retired to our rooms.

Day 15: 23 Oct 2009
This was the day on which we had to catch our train back to Pune. In the morning we had an early breakfast of toast & coffee. We had our car drop us at the H Nizamuddin stn. We took the 2630 Yeshwantpur Sampark Kranti Express to Pune. The train departs at 8.55 am. But it started at 9.30 am. But it is an excellent train. It is clean, well kept & toilets are good too. The food is ok. The train made up for the lost time & reached Pune at exactly the scheduled arrival time of 11 am the next day.

sonusonia11

hi
Thanks for the info it really helps first timers ..i am planning to go with my inlaws and kids to nainital corbett park in april end next year ..it would be great if u can let me know the driver who took u around was he the one showing the places around or did u have to book someone else for the sightseeing too
and also was the driver provided by the hotel ? i would really appreciate ur help
thanks

delhiwala

Nice description Jaydeepy !

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puchoo

thanks for sharing such a detailed report.

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jaydeepy

Hi sonusonia,
Welcome to the forum. My driver was provided by kmvn. He was the one showing me around. But my car was booked from delhi. You could book your car from Kathgodam with the drivers whose numbers you can get from other articles on this forum if you want to save money.

rtandon

Fantastic! Most meticulously written and picturesque description.

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Rajeev

spicetrekker

very detailed information, thanks

nycank

Great report.

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