Thinking of heading to the mountains ? Why not take in a trek or two … we promise it will be a brilliant experience even if you haven’t done anything like this before! In this episode of our podcast we tell you about our experience doing two beginner level day treks in the pristine mountains…
Category: Uttarakhand
The Landour List
Perched high up in the hilly Deodhar forests, with views of the Garhwal Himalayas to the north and the plains of Dehradun to the south, Landour is a world away from its downstairs neighbour, bustling Mussoorie. Six weeks of travelling around Uttarakhand, whilst full of wonderful experiences, was exhausting and we were looking forward to…
The Women Changemakers of Uttarakhand
I started my professional life training elected women across villages in India with an NGO based out of Delhi. At 22, fresh out of college, with a head full of ideals it was a sobering and humbling experience, one that has shaped many of my life choices and perspectives. These village women, with the right…
Photo Story: People of the Hills
Besides the wonderful views, invigorating walks, wholesome food and perfect weather one of the reasons we love Uttarakhand was the people. There is a special something about the people of the hills. Their ready smiles, easy nonchalance and generous hospitality means that you are never far from a good conversation and a steaming, sweet, cup…
Tungnath: A great trek in Uttarakhand for beginners
Babyyy!!! Leave me and go …. I can’t walk any more! I looked back, grinning, at Ambika, who was a few steps behind me, her tongue sticking out panting. Don’t worry it’s just a little more, I said, secretly hoping I was right! During the last half hour or so our breaks had increased exponentially…
Blissful Binsar: Life in a Wildlife Sanctuary amidst snowy mountains, virgin forests & the chance to spot Leopards!
It was a beautiful day for a walk in the forest. Coming from the plains where in the summer nature turns yellow and brown, it was pleasantly surprising to see how here in the hills, in the middle of May everything was still a deep green. We were in the Binsar, a protected wildlife sanctuary,…
World Environment Day: How 3 days in a village without water taught us lessons in conservation
It is World Environment Day and as social media fills up with #WorldEnvironmentDay posts, it got us thinking… given the situation we are in today, shouldn’t everyday be World Environment Day? It’s been a month since we have been travelling in Uttarakhand and even in these pristine environs where one would expect to encounter the…
Almora, Kumaon’s popular hillstation offers plenty to those willing to explore.
What is in Almora? It’s just like a big market! It will be nice, its an old town! insisted Ambika We were in Ramghar, arguing about our next stop. I wanted to move ahead to Kasardevi, which I had been told was a nice peaceful place to spend a few days with chilled out cafes,…
From Mukteshwar to Ramghar: Finding our hill legs
A version of this story first appeared on Firstpost.com as part of a series of weekly dispatches from the road in Uttarakhand. #FTravellers “It’s only 6-7 km, you can walk, it’s easy,” advises the guy at the lone store that was open in the Mukteshwar market. He went back to unpacking cucumbers from a large crate…
Uttarakhand: A summer in the mountains
This one has been a long time coming. For the last two summers we have talked about escaping the maddening Mumbai heat and heading to the hills, but somehow it never materialised. This year too it looked like it may not happen, as a planned trip to Sikkim in April became a victim of a…