Dhupgarh - The Roof of Satpura

Texan Landscape - Dhupgarh

Pachmarhi is a very well known hill station in Central India. It boasts of verdant forests, rolling hills and murmuring brooks.However the jewel in Pachmarhi's crown is definitely Dhupgarh - the highest point of Satpura, which is also the highest point in Central India.

The Towering Dhoopgarh Peak

We visited Pachmarhi this October & no matter wherever we go, for sightscene, our day wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Dhupgarh on the afternoon. It's almost 9 kilometers from Pachmarhi, and almost couple of thousands higher in altitude. So once you come to Dhupgarh, you can feel the chill, and get to see the vast expanse of Satpura's.

Road to Dhupgarh via Satpura NP

The road to Dhupgarh is stunning. It slowly climbs uphill through the forested slopes of Satpura national park. Apart from the very touristy seasons, this road remains relatively silent, and on the wee hours gives a possibility of an encounter with the wildlife at Dhupgarh. Our Guide, narrated how couple of years back, he met with a raging Bison, on the way back from Dhupgarh in the evening.


He also mentioned that to protect the wildlife, from 2011 the forest department has banned entry of vehicle before 9.30 a.m., which means people can't enjoy the sunrise from Dhupgarh anymore :(

After a short hike

The last 3-4 kilometers of the road is quite steep, and gains height considerably. Once you reach a certain height, there are points, which gives a brilliant panorama of the Satpura hills. We were prepared for some short hikes, and found a real vantage point to enjoy the Sapura's.

Rolling forested hills - Satpura

The verdant rolling hills of Satpura, just after the monsoon, was really a treat to the eyes. We enjoyed the beauty from every nook and corner.

Nagaphani Peak

Just before reaching Dhupgarh, we came across the famous Nagaphani peak. This is a sacred peak for the local people. During Nagpanchami, people from central India, flock to this place for a 12 kilometer hike down to the valley, which is famously known as 'Nagdwari Piligrim Trek'.

The Flats - on the top

Once we reach the top of Dhupgarh, we were utterly surprised. It's a complete flat land. Walking down this forested path, you will never realize, you are actually on top of 4500 feet above MSL. That's the beauty of the Step Mountains.

The Nature Interpretation Center

On the top, there's a nature interpretation center, which boasts of some stunning photographs of the landscape in and around Pachmarhi. It also gives you a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Khorku tribes, which dwells in sleepy villages inside the Satpura National Park.

The famous Sunset with behind the rolling hills

Dhupgarh is famous for its stunning sunsets. After visiting the Nature Interpretation Center, we came to the sunset point, which has a very well laid out gallery, to sit and enjoy the day's end, sipping on a hot cuppa. The sun was already started to go down, and the nip in the air certainly made us realize that we are on a ridge @4500 feet.


The rolling hills on that twilight looked absolutely surreal. As far as we could see, It was the mighty Satpura with its vast expanse.

Satpura @Dusk

As the sun dipped below the horizon, it marked a perfect end to an amazing few hours at the roof of Central India!!


One Last time for the day

Kanha - In pursuit of the elusive big cat

Barasingha - The success story of Kanha

When we decided to visit Kanha in early may, we were a bit skeptical about the heat.
Poeple said Kanha could be really hot during this time. But at the same time more heat means more chance of animal sighting near the water holes. So we decided to go ahead with the plan.

We booked 3 safaris in Mukki zone, and started our journey via Bilaspur.  We reached Bilaspur from Kolkata via Mumbai mail. We had our travel arrangements done by 'MP Tourism'. The already arranged Innova was waiting for us in Bilaspur station, and we soon started our journey towards Kanha.

Kanha is more than 200 kilometers from Bilaspur, we passed through Bilaspur-Mungeli-Chilpi and reached Kanha after 5 and a half hours.

Kanha Safari Lodge run by MP Tourism

Kanha is situated in an elevated plateau, at 600 - 900 meters above sea level, so even though the plains of Chattisgarh & MP were scorching, the weather in Kanha was more pleasant, the dense forest cover around, also added some respite from the heat.

We checked into 'Kanha Safari Lodge' run by 'Mp Tourism'. It's aesthetically built along the banks of river Banjar with all modern amenities. From the private balcony of the rooms one can have a great view of the forest & river. The resort has 6 standalone units, with 3 units having 2 AC deluxe rooms on 1st floor and 2 AC rooms on ground floor.The other 3 units only have 2 AC rooms on ground floor.

Just beside the lodge, along the river, there has been a nature tail created, which runs through the thick woods along the river for almost 2 kilometers. We didn't have any safari booked for that day, so during the afternoon we walked on that trail, occasionally got down at the riverbed and had a splash at the river water. It was quite refreshing.


Banjar River View - From Watchtower

A watchtower has been built on that trail, which gives a good view of the river & the surrounding forest. We climbed to the top floor of the tower and had a nice view of the buffer zone.

At evening we visited the nature interpretation center and saw documentary on Kanha. It was really informative, and depicts how much effort everybody has to put in, to make the project Tiger a success.

Next morning we started our safari from Mukki gate. Saw a group of Barasinghas on the grassland. One of the success story for Kanha is the conservation of Barasinghas.It is the only place in India where Barasinghas can be found. Surviving near extinction, they are now quite a few on numbers in Kanha. Saw this flock on the early morning light.


Flock of Barasingha

The day was a bit cloudy. Probably that's the reason we saw a lot of peacocks dancing with their colorful plumage in display.

The Dancing Peacock

Next on the list was Gaur. As our gypsy got closer to it, it gave us a nonchalant look and then continued with munching on the leaves. It looked like these animals now have got pretty 'used to' with the prying eyes of the tourists.

The Gaur

Kanha meadows & the Barasinghas

The real beauty of Kanha lies in its sprawling meadows. These meadows were mostly created when the villages were relocated from inside the national park area. These meadows are basically grasslands spreading acres. A lot of herbivorous can be seen in those grasslands. Saw these one with a talab (small lake) in the middle. Its a popular place among the Barasinghas, who mainly feed themselves on the algae grown at the waterbody.

The other beauty of Kanha is its luxuriant Sal trees. During the early summer the trees were full of new leaves, giving the entire forest a greener look.

Gaur at Minkur

Over the last few years, Mukki zone has established itself among the top zone in terms of tiger spotting in Kanha. We asked guide about the recent spottings and he said Minkur Nullah is one such place where tigers are spotted recently. So in search of the tiger we did some rounds around Minkur Nullah. Minkur is a picturesque place with a stream of water flowing gently along the slopes. Saw a lot of animals like Gaur & Cheetals at Minkur. However the big cat remained elusive.

Kanha is also famous for its avifauna. We were not deprived from these either. Saw Indian Roller & Crested Serpent Eagle. The Red Jungle Fowl can also be seen quite regularly.

Cormorants are also quite frequent alongside the water bodies.

The morning safari was quite pleasant in terms of weather. The jungle remains cool for the most part of the safari, only during the last part of the safari, post 10 a.m. things starts to get a bit hot.

Indian Roller Bird @Kanha

We had two more safaris on next day morning & evening. While the morning safari was as usual, We had an eventful evening safari. Saw a group of Jackals & Wild Boars in the evening safari.

Jackal in the woods

Gaur was quite a common sight in the evening, specially on the open meadows. We even had our road blocked by this group of Gaur for sometimes :)

Gaurs - Controlling the traffic

In search of tiger we kept on vising the talaos, anticipating the big cat will come for a sip of water. But it continued to play hide and seek with us. Time was  running out , and as we were getting a bit anxious of not been able to track the tiger, we heard a calling sound which suggested the tiger is somewhere around. The calling sound was coming from the banjar river bed. We tracked the sound and went there and saw a group of Barasinhas really alert in their body language, which suggested the big cat is definitely near by. We waited for almost 15 minutes, but it remained elusive. We had to leave the place to make sure we exit the gate before 7 p.m. Saw this Sambhar dear en route leaving the park for the day.

Sambhar - Our last sighting of the evening

Kanha with its sylvan surrounding and its inhabitants mesmerized us. The thick forest of Kanha is definitely a respite from the urban concrete jungle. It should be visited not only for the tiger, but also for its beauty & to appreciate the role it plays in wildlife conservation.

Kalpa - Into the Land of Buddha

Himalaya at Kalpa

When I planned to visit Kalpa, in Kinnaur, people back in Kolkata said you are going to the doorstep to heaven. After visiting Kalpa, I could surely agree to them. I have indeed been to the doorstep to heaven, if not into the heaven.

Fagu & Narkanda

The journey towards Kalpa started on an early summer day, from Fagu in Himachal. Fagu is an extremely beautiful place with lush green valleys and apple orchards all around. Those seeking respite from the urban chaos of Shimla, Fagu can be an ideal leisure destination for them. We reached HPTDC's Apple Blossom Hotel at Fagu on a rainy afternoon which later turned into a heavy thundershower. I was worried, if I would get a clear sky in Kalpa. The view of Kinnaur Kailash range from Kalpa, is to die for and I hardly wanted to miss that. Luckily things got cleared up late in the evening and we got some rain drenched view of the valley in Fagu.

 Valley view from HPTDC Fagu

Next morning we started really early from Fagu. By 9 am we reached Narkanda, one of the highest area, in the Hindustan-Tibet road. The view from Narkanda is superb. The lofty hills covered with thick deodars were looking fresh, after the overnight rain. In the lower slopes we could see the apple orchards. It was early summer, the flowering season is over, and most of the trees were now laden with baby apples.

Driving Past Narkanda to Kalpa

We had our breakfast in a road side restaurant in Narkanda. We planned to drive nonstop from Narkanda to Kalpa, which could take almost 6 hours. So we refueled ourselves with a heavier than usual breakfast. 3 sumptuous tandoori alu parantha with some red hot chutney and a cup of piping hot Pahari chai with a milk and sugar overdose. In the cold morning, it was the best thing we could have asked for.

After Narkanda we started climbing downhill till Rampur. Rampur is a busy town, on the banks of Sutlej, and the erstwhile capital of the Rampur Bushahr region. The markets were crowded, and the weather was hot. Only beauty was the streets canopied with violet Jacaranda - a summer gift of the nature in this region. We quickly drove past Rampur, and once again purred on the hilly roads. Within next hour we crossed Jeori, the last big settlement in this route and entered Kinnaur. A gate erected on the roadside greeted us – ‘Welcome to Devbhoomi Kinnaur’.

Entering Kinnaur...

As we entered Kinnaur district the road condition deteriorated a bit. From Fagu till Jeori it was a silky smooth drive, within the Shimla district, however Kinnaur, being a remote district, the development seemed to have taken a backseat. The roads became narrow, and more rugged. But it was still manageable. The traffic also became less. We could hardly find cars and buses coming from opposite end. It took us another hour to reach Wangtu. As soon as we crossed Wangtu, we realized we are in for a rough ride. The metaled road gave way for a dirt track. The next 35 kilometers till Powari, would be like this. Our car somehow crawled in this nonexistent road, for next 3 hours to reach Powari. Along the way we had the raging torrent of Sutlej as the only companion. The population along the road was also nonexistent. With the rugged mountain all around us, It felt like we were driving through a different planet altogether.

Entering Kinnaur - The Raging Satluj with Kinner Kailash in backdrop

From Powari, we left the Hindustan Tibet road, and took a detour towards Recong Peo – the district headquarter of Kinnaur and more popular as ‘Peo’ among the locals. The road condition improved. We started climbing uphill, the vegetation also changed, we could see more deodar and apple trees in the hill slopes. 
Suddenly after a sharp bend, the mighty Kinnaur Kailash range appeared in all its glory. It was so close, it felt like you could almost touch it. We understood, we were entering the Devbhoomi. For the rest of the journey till Kalpa, the mighty snow peaks accompanied us. It was almost 2.30 p.m. when we reached Kalpa. We had covered 214 kilometers of road in 7 long hours.

Kalpa - The First View

Kalpa - The Jewel of Kinnaur

Kalpa was love at first sight. It had to be. We had our accommodation booked in the Kinner Kailash hotel run by HPTDC. It is on the highest point at Kalpa, and from the compound you get an unobstructed view of the Kinnaur Kailash range. Even in an early summer afternoon, the sky was clear enough to let us enjoy the majestic mountains. The Kinner Kailash Sivalinga which is a monolithic 73 feet high stone, was also clearly visible on top of Kinner Kailash peak. This Sivalinga is indeed a wonder of the nature. How a 73 feet high stone is standing on top of a mountain peak, is beyond imagination, but that’s why Kinnaur is called the Devbhoomi.

Kinnaur Kailash Cottages

The hotel is aesthetically built, in traditional style with wood finish, which blended perfectly with the nature. The check in was hassle free. We had the booking of the Kinnaur Kailash cottages - a separate building couple of steps away from the main Hotel building, which housed two beautifully decorated suite cottages on upper floor. We immediately liked the accommodation. After the long journey, we were tired, so refreshed ourselves with a nice bath, and had a quick nap. The nap had to be short enough so that we don’t miss on the nature’s bounty much.

What a view - Primary Health Centre Kalpa

By 5.30 p.m. we were back in outdoors. In these western part of India, sunset doesn’t happen before 7 o clock. So we had ample time to enjoy a quick walk around the village and enjoy the surroundings. 
Kalpa is one of the larger villages in Kinnaur. Due to the apple production, the economy of the area is also developed, and the living standard of villagers are also quite high. That reflects in the village houses. Most of the house in the village is double storied, have nice traditional decorations and typical Kinnaur style slate roofs. 
The culture is a mix of Hinduism and Buddhism. There is a definite influence of Tibet in Kinnaur’s culture, and Kalpa is no different. The village has a monastery and a temple side by side, and they remain in complete harmony. When we were walking through the village, the monastery was playing the chant of Abolokiteshwar, and the divine music reverberating from the high hills, created a magical ambiance in the entire village. This chant is a symbol of peace, and Kalpa probably was the best place to play that music.

Sunset on Jorkanden Peak at Kalpa

Next in store for us was a brilliant sunset. The setting sun painted the majestic Kinner Kailash range in its golden hues. All the snow peaks starting from Kinner Kailash in left to Jorkanden in right were painted in gold. The entire range in its golden avatar created an ethereal effect. Slowly the sun set, and the golden peaks turned white once more. As the evening set in, I thanked the almighty for creating such a spectacle, and letting us experience the same.

Himalaya from hotel Kinner Kailash compound

The evening created another surreal effect in Kalpa. Since the snow peaks are so close in Kalpa, even in the moonlight they could be clearly visible in distance in their white attire. As soon as the sun set, the nip in the air became a chill, and we had to huddle inside the quilt. But that didn't prevent us from enjoying the nature. 
Through the big French window in our cottages, we could clearly see the majestic snow peaks even in the moonlit night. We switched off all the lights inside the room, to reduce the reflection and to clearly see the mountains. It was really an awesome experience.

Birding at Kalpa - Coal Tit

Next Morning - At Roghi & Kothi Villages

Next morning we wake up early to watch the sunrise. Though not as spectacular as the sunset, the morning colors in the sky looked amazing. The birds were chirping in the orchards. I tried to click few of them, and after few attempts got some decent snap of a ‘Coal Tit’ and a ‘Himalayan Bulbul’.

Roghi Village Kinnaur

After a hearty breakfast we once again set out to explore the vicinity. Roghi village, situated 3 kms. walking distance from Kalpa is another scenic spot in the region. The road that goes to Roghi is one of the most dangerous road in this entire region. It’s a single lane narrow mountain road, with a sheer drop of more than thousand feet along its edge. One such corner of this road is named as suicide point, and aptly so. If you have vertigo, please don’t travel in this road. 

Road to Roghi from Kalpa

We walked along this road, enjoying the scenic beauty. The Snow Mountains were visible in the distance flanked by occasional deodars. Roghi is a typical Kinnauri hamlet with slate roofed village houses and apple orchards. As we entered the village, people greeted us with a smile. We roamed around a bit on the nook and corner of the village, visited the Vishnu temple on the village, and returned back to our hotel. More than the village, it’s the road which enticed us.
Next we drove back to Recong Peo, for some marketing. Peo has quite a bustling market square. We were looking for some authentic Kinnauri shawl. We got that in a shop. The shawls were beautiful, with intricate designs. However the range starts from 10K onwards. That was too high for us, so we had to drop that plan. Apart from apple Kinnaur is famous for Rajma. So we bought some local rajma as a token from the market.

Durga Temple at Kothi Kinnaur

During return we visited the beautiful Durga temple at Kothi village, which is in between Peo and Kalpa. The temple has intricate wooden carvings and a sprawling courtyard. Kothi is a model village under the Swach Bharat Campaign. The cleanliness around the village was really astonishing. It was really a pleasure to walk around the squeaky clean village lanes with Snowy Mountain in the backdrop.

The afternoon was once again spent in the hotel compound watching the brilliant sunset once more.

Our sojourn in this beautiful part of world was coming to an end. But we made a promise to ourselves to come back to the ‘doorstep to heaven’ once more. Kinnaur is the gateway to Spiti, so maybe it is Spiti where we will find the heaven on earth. Till then, let’s hope Kinnaur keeps its pristine beauty alive!

Travel Tips

When Visiting Kinnaur, you can start your Journey from Fagu, instead of Shimla
HPTDC Fagu Apple Blossom is a very scenic Hotel
Start early and drive non-stop from Fagu to Kalpa. It will take around 7 hours
HPTDC Kinnaur Kailash is the best accommodation at Kalpa
Kinnaur Kailash cottages have beautiful suite rooms with privacy
Walk aimlessly around the villages near Kalpa. They are beautiful.
Come early April. The apple orchards will be in full bloom with white flowers

Sitlakhet and Syahi Devi - A winter tale in Kumaon

Himalaya at Sitlakhet - from the foliage

Sitlakhet is a sleepy serene mountain village in Kumaon, just 32 kms away from Ranikhet. Its only during the peak season, when people come here to stay in the KMVN bungalow, unable to find a room in some other famous places, but this place certainly deserves more attention from the nature lovers.

 In winter Sitlakhet is as beautiful as some of the other well-known places like Kausani or Ranikhet. Or perhaps it is even more. With the 400 kms Himalayan snow peaks dominating its sky line, and its sylvan settings, it’s certainly a place to relax and rejuvenate.

Himalaya at Machod - my driver Diwan Singh 

We started our journey towards Sitlakhet after staying a night in KMVN Mohaan. The route from Mohaan towards Sitlakhet is a dream to drive. The route goes past Mohaan-Machod-Tarikhet-Ranikhet-Majkhali-Kathpuriya-Sitlakhet. The 74 km stretch between Mohaan and Ranikhet has very little traffic, and the most important part is just after crossing Machod, which is about 35 kms from Mohaan, the Himalayan snow peaks will accompany you for the next 70 kms, till you reach Sitlakhet.

Machod is a very nice place enroute. It boasts of a view of both the Gahrwal and Kumaon ranges. As we reached Machod, we were completely awestruck with the view it offered. We could see the entire Gahrwal and Kumaon range starting from Kedarnath peak on the Gahrwal range in the left and till Panchachulli peak of Kumaon range in right. Just to enjoy the view, we halted there for half an hour. A halt like these has to be spiced up with some hot beverages in winter. A cup of piping hot Pahari Chai made in the wood fire was readily available in the local tea shop, which felt like a bliss.

Enroute Binsar Mahadev

After Machod, our next stop was Binsar Mahadev, which is a beautiful temple complex situated in the midst of pine forest. The place is on an undulating valley, and with the sunlight peeping through the foliage it created a very romantic setting. One can walk for hours in the pine forest. The temple complex is squeaky clean and divine in its atmosphere. We paid our homage to the almighty and continued our journey.

Himalayan view at Majkhali

 We drove past the beautiful cantonment city of Ranikhet, its famous golf course and reached Majkhali. Majkhali is also famous for its Himalayan view, and it didn’t disappoint. Against the clear blue winter sky we could see the entire Kumaon range in front of us. Leaving Majkhali we reached Kathpuriya shortly. Here we took a detour from the Ranikhet-Kosi road, and started our uphill climb towards Sitlakhet.

The road that connects Sitlakhet with Kathpuriya is beautiful. Canopied with pine trees, the route climbed its way uphill. In between we were crossing small little Himalayan hamlets with 10-15 houses, and some step farming on the hills. The area near Sitlakhet is famous for its orchards, and one can find peaches, and plums hanging from the branches in summer. There was a heavy snowfall in Kumaon a week ago, so as we gained elevation we could see some proof of it. The step farms were covered with snow. With the snow covered hillside, and mighty Himalayan snow peaks on the distance, the route certainly looked awesome.

Snowfall at Sitlakhet

Kathpuriya to Sitlakhet is a mere 12 km drive, so we reached Sitlakhet, within the next half an hour by 4 p.m. The only accommodation available here is the KMVN rest house, which stands on a hill commanding mesmerizing Himalayan view. We checked into the deluxe room in first floor, which has direct terrace access. From the terrace one could see the Himalayan range starting from Nandaghunti in left to Panchachulli in right in all its glory. Against the crystal clear winter skyline they were dazzling like silver crowns.

Sunset at Sitlakhet

If Darjeeling hills are known for its sunrise, Kumaon is famous for its sunset. The reflection of the setting sun, paints the Himalayan peaks in myriad hues. So after getting refreshed and refueled with some hot veg pakora and Pahari cha, we gathered ourselves into the viewing terrace for the sunset. The snow peaks had already started appearing golden, and for the next 15 minutes we saw a mastery artist painting its warm colors in the Himalayan canvas. As we approached sunset, the snow peaks turned tangerine, then red, and for the last time before turning white until next morning, it appeared pink for couple of minutes.

As soon as the sun set, the ambience changed completely. The ’nip in the air‘ suddenly became a chill, and we decided to get into the room. The reminder of the day would be spent with adda reflecting on the day’s activity amidst the silence of Sitlakhet.

Trishul at Sunset - Himalaya from KMVN Sitlakhet

Next morning we wake up with a surprise. Sitlakhet is famous for Syahi Devi temple, which is 3 km uphill trek from Sitlakhet. In the wee hours in morning, the temple started playing bhajan - ‘Govinda Bolo Hari Gopal Bolo’. In the tranquil dawn, that divine chant in the air, and the Himalayan snow peak in the horizon really made us realize why Himalaya is called the abode of God.

Himalaya - from the Syahi Devi Tempremises

A trip to Sitlakhet is not complete without a visit to Syahi Devi temple. Post breakfast we started our hike towards Syahi Devi temple. It’s a 3 km complete uphill trek though the thickly wooded slopes of Sitlakhet. A cobbled stone pathway has been created for the ease of devotees to identify the route better. Otherwise in the deep forest it is not very easy to find the proper way. Syahi Devi temple is very popular among the locals, so in spite of the 3 km arduous trek, we could see a lot of local people on the trek route. Especially it’s a must for the parents to come with newly born baby. As we climbed uphill the Himalayan views got better and better. The higher altitude also brought us some more snow to enjoy. 

Syahi Devi Temple Premises - with my wife

It took us almost a couple of hours to reach the mountain top. On the top of the mountain there is a small village, probably of the priest’s family, and the divine Syahi Devi temple. The temple is simple in its architecture, but the beauty and the grandeur of the Himalayan peaks in front has made this place special for us. We were standing on the highest mountaintop in Sitlakhet. In front of us there was no obstruction. All we could see   is the entire Kumaon range in its dazzling white attire. We entered the temple sanctum sanctorum and offered our prayer. There was no hustle and bustle inside the sanctum sanctorum. The beauty of the Himalaya and the surrounding peace would have made even the most atheists of us fall in love with the almighty. The chimes of bell created a perfect symphony on that divine atmosphere.

The trek down the temple is relatively easy. We came back to our guest house in an hour, and after a sumptuous meal with home style chicken curry and rice, all we could think of was a siesta.

Nandadevi at Sunset - Himalaya from KMVN rooftop Sitlakhet

The sunset was as spectacular as the last evening, and as we approached our last few hours in Sitlakhet, we decided we will certainly return to this lovely village on a future winter trip. Till then let’s hope that it keeps its pristine beauty alive!  

Chaukori - Up Close With Nanda Devi

 Chaukori is not for everyone! If you ask me to describe Chaukori in brief this will be my reply. It's serene secluded, a tiny little village with hardly 20-25 families. It doesn't have the basics to be a tourist destination - a taxi stand, a restaurant or a souvenir shop. But what it has is gorgeous Himalayan views, and some very friendly people who will make your stay memorable.

Himalayan Range From Chaukori Tea Garden

After a 3 hour silky smooth drive from Almora via Barechina-Dhaulchina-Sheraghat-Berinag when we reached Chaukori it was almost 1 p.m. Most of the Kumauni’s were taking a siesta by then. So the place looked completely desolated. We straight headed towards the KMVN TRC.
It was early April, still offseason in Kumaon. So getting a room with the best possible view was not of any problem. The very hospitable manager suggested us room number 201, the top floor corner most super deluxe room. We readily checked in and freshened up. The long journey had made us hungry, so after a tasty meal, we went for a quick nap.

Sunset Colors at Chaukori

On the afternoon we just sat on our balcony enjoying the Himalayan view. The location of KMVN is absolutely superb. It sits on top of the highest hill in Chaukori, giving a 180 degree panoramic view of the Himalayan snow peaks. From left to right we could see Nandaghunti, Trishul, Mrigathuni, Nanda devi, Nanda devi east, Matkoli, Nandakhat, Panchachulli, and Annapurna in Nepal. It was slightly cloudy in the afternoon, which is pretty usual during spring season. So even though the snow peaks were visible, they didn't appear at their majestic best. But still the rolling hills, the cool breeze laden with the Himalayan scent, and the peaceful ambience made it a perfect place to relax and escape our busy city life.

The Twin Peaks of Nanda Devi at Chaukori

A cup of piping hot tea and some sumptuous onion pakora are the perfect companion in such an atmosphere. We also didn't deprive ourselves from that pleasure. As time progressed, the clouds build up further, and we had a short spell of hailstorm in the late afternoon. Once the storm was over Chaukori appeared bright and sunny, in its refreshing best, and the bonus was a rainbow stretching itself on the horizon.


The sunset suffused its tangerine paint in the snow peaks, and the chirping of the mountain birds returning to their nest created a perfect end note for the day.

The wee hours in the morning are the best time to enjoy the mountain views. Chaukori is no different. It was freezing cold when we got up at 5 am in the morning to enjoy the sunrise. The sky was crystal clear, it was still dark, and under the starry sky in front of us we could see the majestic Himalayan snow peaks standing! Chaukori is the place to enjoy Nanda devi at its majestic best. The twin peaks – Nanda devi and Nanda devi east looks tantalizingly close from here.

Himalaya From KMVN Chaukori Lawn

 Slowly the sun came out from behind the Panchachulli peaks and as the first rays hit the Nanda devi twin peaks – it turned crimson red. Gradually it turned gold and when the sun came out completely it was dazzling in its snowy white. In front of us we now could see the majestic Himalayan range under the crystal clear blue sky.

Trishul - From Chaukori

After a filling breakfast with alu parantha and sabzi, we went for a stroll along the nooks and corner of Chaukori. Chaukori once had a tea garden and was boasting of Uttaranchal tea. But its heydays are gone. The deserted tea factory is almost in its ruins now. But the view from the desolated factory building is fantastic. The place is almost 500 metres from KMVN. From here we had a clear view of Trishul. Trishul looks quite different in Chaukori than what it appears in Kausani. It is off course much closer in Chaukori, but the famous trident shape is somewhat missing from Chaukori.

View from the tea factory

We spend the day doing nothing. Sometimes sitting in the KMVN lawn enjoying the view, and sometimes watching the snow peaks in complete awe from our balcony. We had plans to visit patal bhubaneshwar cave, but when you have the hypnotizing Himalayan snow peaks in front of you, you could hardly move!

The weather god scripted the same story for us in the afternoon - A spell of shower on the late afternoon, and then Chaukori once again coming up bright and sunny. The tweeting mountain birds once again made a perfect endnote for our last night in Chaukori!