The quaint village of Kanatal

Surrounded by mountains, the sleepy quaint village of Kanatal is located in North India, in the Uttarakhand district. At a height of 2,590 m, this lovely hill station is less popular than its neighbouring cousins, Mussoorie and Hrishikesh which makes it a perfect getaway. Although it does get a little chilly here, Kanatal also gets a lot of sunlight. No gloomy weather here. Only cheerful smiles.

However, given the remote location, there are no medical stores. You have to go to the nearest town of Chamba to get your supplies from the local market. We love lesser explored destinations and were glad we chose this village over the buzzing tourist traps.

On our first day there, we sipped on a cup of hot chocolate as we watched the sun go down. We could not get over the mountains. No matter what light you see them in. They never cease to amaze.

We stayed at the Club Mahindra resort at Kanatal. The resort as you can see has a breathtaking view. The location is fantastic. The Tehri forest is right opposite the resort. Want to for a walk in the forest every single day? You absolutely can.

The rooms have a small balcony, perfect for a morning tea/coffee break. The staff was very attentive and courteous.

This cozy resort has only 37 rooms. The resort has a cabin-like feel with its wooden panelling and decor. They also have a spa, a bar and a fitness center. A treadmill overlooking the beautiful Sivalik mountains! Dreamy much? We think so.

One drawback was lack of network and Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is available in the reception area. But networks worked only when we got out of Kanatal towards the bigger towns.

Activities in Kanatal:

Kanatal is a great place to relax and read a book. Enjoy the peace and quiet. Take a walk amidst nature. And that's exactly what we did! 5 slow beautiful days away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

One of the things to marvel at in Kanatal is the Tehri Dam. The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India and one of the tallest in the world.It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River.

You can rent out a boat on the spillover water of the dam. There are no self drive boats though. Also, remember to take a cap and sunglasses if you plan to reach mid-day (like us). It got really hot and sunny when we were around the dam and the thought of sitting in a boat under the scorching sun for half an hour seemed like a terrible idea. Try and reach around 4 pm to avoid the harsh winter sun.

Tehri Forest and Adventure Sports

Tehri Forest is an amazing place to hike and try out adventure activities like rock climbing, valley crossing etc. If you are staying at Club Mahindra, it is very convenient since you can cross the road and enter the forest. There aren't any maps in the forest or network, so stick to the main roads. If you follow the forest path, you can reach an apple orchard. Since we visited during winter, we didn't get a chance to see any greenery or apples. But near the orchard, there is a clearing which gives the best view of Sivalik mountains.

We love adventure sports and when the lady at the Club Mahindra activity desk suggested we try some, we couldn't resist. There are different types of adventure activities that you can try in the Tehri Forest. Both beginners and pros can participate.

We tried rappelling for the first time and it was quite challenging, despite choosing the beginner one. The rope walk was the most difficult of all the activities and the zip line was the easiest.

Glimpses of the Cherry Blossoms

Yes! You read that right. You can see cherry blossoms here! Read more in our first encounter with cherry blossom post. If you are visiting around November-December you can catch glimpses of the beautiful cherry blossoms.

Getting there:

Nearest airport is Jolly Grant airport - Dehradun which is 92 kms, approximately 3 hours from Kanatal. The nearest railway stations are Rishikesh and Dehradun. Dehradun is 85 kms and Rishikesh is 75 km.This article was originally posted on 'Siddharth and Shruti'

This article was originally posted on 'Siddharth and Shruti'