On Nainital and Mukteshwar: A Lake, Deodars and Maple Leaves - part 2 of 2
Wonderlands around Shimla...
The mountains, when covered with dense forests may look similar, but
something is surely in the air. When it comes to driving nothing beats the
romance of snaking in the hills around Shimla. Is something actually in the air
of Shimla and surrounding places or it is just
the unparalleled beauty of this heavenly region...?
Outskirts of Shimla are the places which separates
visitors from explorers. If you ask people if they have visited Chail, Kufri,
Mashobra and Naldehra; there is good chance to hear that most of the people
would have ended on Kufri only. These four locations can be covered in a day if
you start from Shimla before the first ray of the sunlight. Though you may also
enjoy a night stay of perfect solitude at Chail or at Naldehra.
To explore these out of the world spots where blanket of Pine and Deodar trees grace the landscapes, this eternal vagabond started his early morning drive to Chail (51 km. from Shimla) to get an authentic morning mystic feel of the valleys. Till Kufri (20 Km. from Shimla) you will find many visitors. Once you will move ahead from Kufri, its only nature and yourself, enjoy the symphony of birds chirping, whistling of tree leaves and your camera clicks.
Escape to Lansdowne...
Work pressures are sucking me, I cannot breath, city is so congested,
traffic situation is so pathetic, I cannot take time for myself… Hey dude chill, give me a break…no no no dude you
have to take a break from your mundane profile. And there is no other way than
travelling out somewhere to Relax,
Rejuvenate and Reclaim your inner self. But…But. But…where, how and
when are a few hurdles which prevent us from coming out of the vicious circles
of our lives.
Exquisite planning and strategy is not at all required to travel but yes, a heart full of passion and enthusiasm. "Where there is a will, there is a way". One extended weekend was more than enough to arouse the vagabond inside me. Selecting Lansdowne, that was the only planning I had to do. Start early from Delhi in order to escape the chaotic traffic in Meerut. Post Meerut driving is a sheer treat, almost deserted highways gave us abundant time to appreciate the adjoining farms and stretches of cultivating lands. Trees planted along the roadside makes the journey more comfortable.
Bijnor and Najibabad will pass in a flash and in no time, you will be in Elephant park, which is situated at the outskirts of Kotdwar. Park was too tempting to take a break and step out of the car, but "Resist the Temptation". The moment if you look around you will find a skyline dominated by the hills. That is something seriously very hard to resist. Guys keep on moving, but take due care in driving as splendid landscapes appearing on either side are worth taking away your concentration, which you cannot afford at all while driving on the hills.
Romancing the Wilds "JIM Corbett"
To be honest we all crave for such delicacies of lives. What a life it will be if I get a chance to say at such a place. However our cities have become a concrete jungle, where even getting fresh air is a luxury. In the race to achievement we become so occupied that we miss out the charming aspects of the life.
Isn't it enticing... |
By 1:30 PM, we were inside the resort. If this was the indication for the things to come, the "Club Mahindra" resort was as beautiful as anything.
A swimming pool and a well equipped Gym was like icing on the cake. I was imagining the extent of enjoyment I will be having for the next 2 days.
Also I got the rare chance to stand on the riverside, watch the mountains out of the balcony and see the falling rains. What more you need for a weekend trip...? The resort is strictly for families.
Day 1: Hopping around
After taking the breath and our lunch, we started looking out for nearby spots. Hardly 100 m. from our resort, we were in for a surprise in form of a signboard in right hand side, pointing towards a Lord Shiva Temple. Without a second thought our feet started following the direction.
In store for us was an out of the world trekking adventure. We were going up the stoned way, which used to get constricted too much and at places it we had to cross the falling waters. It was like a walk in the woods at places and at some places we used to use our hands to move ahead. Well, Manual trekking is indeed enthralling.
By the time we returned back, it was all dark. Since the swimming pool had closed by then, we decided to hit the Gym. After sweating out for an hour we went back to our apartment. By then our stomachs had started craving for food, food food....Dining under the skies was our moment which we will cherish for rest of our lives. Thanks to Club Mahindra for the memories
Amazing Natural beauty at this place |
Walking over the bridge to cross Kosi river to reach the temple presents you with a panorama par excellence. It is easy to get carried away, but please keep our concentration intact. I would not give too much efforts in describing in words the Magnificence of this pace. Check out for yourself:
Feeling the chilled waters of river Kosi bestow you with a heavenly experience. However I was unable to enjoy it for long as the temple personnel asked me to come out as the river was flooded at that time. Well big things come in small packages.
I failed to notice that it had started to rain. What can be more amazing than having the snacks in a make shift dhaba (hotel). Chowmein and Tea never ever had or will taste better.