Many of us are fond of hill-stations, but loathe visiting crammed full, commercialized hill tops. Of course, we march to hills to enjoy the beauty and calmness of nature. What is the meaning of visiting the place, if it gives the same tedious feeling as of city life? That’s why, when last month my heart was craving to have a lazy, relaxing holiday in hills, I ditched all the usual places and headed to Lansdowne.
Lansdowne is a quiet, serene, and unspoilt hill station nestled in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. It can be visited any time throughout the year whenever you feel like escaping to nature. Although it is well connected to roads, it is not yet commercialized.
There are plenty of reasons to take a trip to Lansdowne some of which are as below.
A network free zone. If you have just got fed up with your smart phone, notifications, social media and similar intrusions, Lansdowne is ideal place for you as no network will disturb your lethargic holiday there.
Oak and blue pine forests. You will get an awesome chance to feast your eyes on beautiful blue pine trees standing against the bold blue sky, shimmering in the sun rays. There is a revered Tarkeshwar Temple surrounded by rarely found Deodar trees, located around 35 Km away from Lansdowne that observes thousands of footfalls every year. Do visit when you are here as the scenery and adventure on the way is an absolute bliss to experience.
Picture perfect morning. An ordinary morning in Lansdowne would be like this.
Awesome view of Himalayan peaks. There is an awesome view point at Lansdowne known as Tip-in-top. You will get scenic views of snow clad Himalayan peaks from here.
Boat ride. You can enjoy boating in Bhulla Lake, an artificial lake.
Activities. You can take pleasure in trekking, nature walks through lush hills. The place is also quite famous for bird watching.
To sum up, Lansdowne is a perfect weekend gateway for groups, families, and anybody who wants to spend some quiet moments away from hustle and bustle of city life.
How to reach:
Road route (from Delhi)
There are three options to reach Lansdowne, but we took the safest and smooth route via NH 34.
Delhi → Meerut →Mawana → Bijnor → Najibabad → Kotdwara → Lansdowne
Travel distance – 260 Km
Travel time – 6 hours with two breaks en route
Time required for the trip: 2-3 days
Don’t Miss: To take quick yummy bites of authentic Chocolate mithai and Bal mithai at Kotdwara.
For more info, contact me at: sonykashyap241@gmail.com
