(A travelogue by Ayush Sood)
A cantonment town in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, Lansdowne is
one of the most serene and quite places I've ever visited. It's not like it is an undiscovered spot/secret retreat, you've
probably heard of it and it's very easily accessible via roadways at a very
modest 1700 metres above sea level.
There's a catch though, there's absolutely nothing to do there.
(Which is
exactly why its perfect for a weekend getaway and I'm going to tell you why.)
The Part Where You Take A Road Trip
Google Maps got us there without a hitch. By that I
mean we got lost once and had to ask the locals but that's more of a ritual at
this point. Lets be honest though, getting lost on road trips is kinda fun (Or
is it just me?).
Anyways not much else to say tbh, the roads might be a little bumpy at a few
points but it's nothing to be too worried about.
The Part Where You Unwind And Slow It Down
There are about 48 hotels in Lansdowne (as a quick
Google search will tell you so I leave that up to you). In my experience, you can't go wrong anywhere since all you need is a bed for the night (trust me
on this). My hotel was the Garhwali Inn which is located just outside the cantonment area. The host were very gracious and the hotel provided a very scenic view.
 |
| View from my bed hehe |
The only downside being that my friend didn't approve of
their Maggi, so if that's your thing, you might want look some place
else.
Anywho, the sole purpose a hotel in Lansdowne serves is providing you with a
place to crash for the night - or a roof to gaze at the stars alternatively,
and a view you can enjoy with your travel partner(s) while you unwind and enjoy
your weekend getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the same cityscape
you're so used to during the day.
My tip : Look for some place affordable where you'd be fine lounging around (Make sure you're comfortable with the washroom - if you're particular about it?) and try to book a room with an open view towards the valley because it's absolutely stunning and that's all you'll be doing irrespective of where you are - inside or outside the cantonment area.
The Part Where You Do Some Sightseeing Something
Well I might've kinda sorta lied when I said there was nothing to do in Lansdowne (Absolutely nothing to do, heh) but it really depends on what your definition of things to do is. Lansdowne as it is, has a very limited things on its itinerary and there's only so much you can do on a weekend getaway before you make it too hectic and it loses its meaning.
The few
options that you have aren’t very tasking ones though. It could be a short
drive to Tip in Top – the highest point in Lansdowne which makes for a scenic
view; Bhulla Tal Lake – the artificial lake made as an effort by the Garhwal
regiment; and St. Mary’s church – A very well-maintained church you shouldn’t
miss out on. Or a long one to Tadkeshwar Dham – A secluded Shiva temple 2 hours away from Lansdowne.
The Part Where I Tell You What I Did
After spending the night on the hotel roof under stars with a cozy bonfire, cold winds blowing and a good ol’ bottle of Old Monk with us, we left post breakfast for Tin in Top.
Tip in Top is the place where you expect to run
into families enjoying the
Lansdowne experience to themselves. The view here is fantastic, you can
admire it for a while before heading off to the left and entering the forest
part of Tip in Top.
 |
| The path has a gate in the way, it’s usually unlocked. |
This place is great. It’s a little trek-y but a little down the path there’s a nice spot where you can relax and enjoy a little respite from the usual city life – right in the middle of a forest.
 |
| My friends are SO weird. #sorrynotsorryguys |
Next up is Bhulla Tal. You could ride a boat here or
enjoy the scenic view the regiment has worked hard to maintain. I chose to do
the latter. Tbh, it’s a lovely place and I spent a while there but it’s only
worth grabbing lunch there and moving on unless you REALLY like the view and
wanna admire it for a while.
[Editor (On the author's special request): Did you guys know that there's a thing called Electric Boogaloo? Read about it here.]
The Part Where I Tell You What Really Happened
There comes
a time in everyone’s life that they have to make a choice and it’s seldom an
easy one. I had to choose between St. Mary’s Church and Tadkeshwar Dhaam. I
chose the latter. Can’t say I regret choosing Tadkeshwar but I do regret not choosing
St. Mary’s as well.
My tip: Cut
the time you spend in Bhulla Tal a lil’ and try to visit both places, I accept
thanks by mail. I also accept PayPal.
After much
debate and a lost show of hands, we set out for Tadkeshwar post lunch. I wasn’t in the most willing mood and the
salt was real but it wasn’t long lasting. Before I knew it, I lost myself in a
mini-road trip through the valleys with the windows rolled down, enjoying smooth
roads and gentle cold winds to a mellow soundtrack drowned only by our voices
as we playfully bit at each other’s heads for not being better planners.
Tadkeshwar
is that it’s a pretty renowned Shiva temple that sit’s cozily in the middle of
thick, high canopied forests of Deodar and Pine. The forest path to the temple
trails through several twists and turns, teeming with wildlife all around and
sounds of multiple mellow temple bells ringing in the distance. The raw
beauty around is nearly tangible as you walk through.
Spend your
time here roaming around and visiting the temple. Ring the chain of bells that
lead in and out of the temple, pay your respects to the god and deities and
look up to wonder how a tree that high ends up looking exactly like a trident –
let your mind and body wander for a while.You won’t notice how you lose time
on the clock.
PS: Check
out the local Maggi as you leave, it’s pretty good but just let the guy do his
thing and don’t ask for "Plain Maggi" or you might just regret it. (Ask me how
I know that one.)
Aaand we’re
already at the end of the list – not much, is there?
Less is more, enjoy the change of/in pace/scenery.
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So those are
my 3 reasons on why Lansdowne is perfect for a weekend getaway. I hope I made a
convincing case, in case I didn’t, thank you for reading through that and
giving it a chance. There are obviously other contributory factors that make or
break such a plan but those vary on chance and on personal factors. There’s
only so much you can do about the weather and overbooked hotels but they
shouldn’t pose a problem anytime other than Peak Season. (Remember these things
called summer holidays/break we had in school? Yeah that’s Peak/On season.)
If by any
chance I DID incept you and planted the Lansdowne seed in your head, please
share your experiences, I’d love to hear from ya’ll!
Don’t
worry about it being too hectic though because once you’re on your merry way to
enjoy the experience Lansdowne has to offer, you’ll realize that it’s very easy
to enjoy of all of it at your own pace - be it a quick one so
you can unwind in peace at the end of the day or be it slow so you can take in
all the beauty and serenity that sets it apart from the cityscape - as a weekend getaway.
Once again,
thanks for your time spent reading this. I hope to see you guys sometime soon!
Until next time, have a good one. 😊
---
(Extra: Behind The Scenes)
1. The people and the weather. I had no interaction with the people and the weather was f**king sunny as f**k.
2. Frickitty f**ck I can’t think of anything else to make a case for Lansdowne.
3. I give up.
3. I give up.
PS. Pragya is the greatest editor of all times, she made this post 10 times more fun to read. I am forever indebted and owe her for all her awesome.
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