A quick weekend getaway, far away from the daily chaos, surrounded by the real touch of nature- a resort in the lap of Himalayas with the feel of being on the top of the world.
It's around 300 kms (8-9 hour drive) from Delhi with major part through the low lands and the last 50 kms through the hills, perfect for people looking for a long drive with a relaxing destination. As the route goes through Delhi-UP-Uttarakhand, its advised to leave early in the morning crossing the city before the traffic begins. The GPS directs well to the destination and advisable to track it on.
On the long drive, on way we crossed the major cities of Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Kashipur and Ramnagar. Starting early in the morning at 6, with a aim to reach by lunch- we carried packed snack along to avoid having long stops. A quick cutting chai near the Ghaziabad Toll was the first stop and the journey went non-stop further.
On the highway, around the regions of Garhmukhteshwar, running along are a chain of roadside bamboo craft sellers. The sellers majorly have bamboo chairs on their charts, in various shapes and sizes, but there's more to hunt out.
The city- the highway- the wide roads and the thin lanes, crossing all we reach Kashipur, get the real Uttarakhand feel. Kashipur as on the foothills, see a wide range of seasonal fruits and a good buy. A city offering dhabas and restaurant, even the brand fast food outlets for one to enjoy a brunch. A brunch for all and the drive went on.
In a very short time we touch the next city- Ramnagar. A bigger city with facilities to get fully equipped for the upcoming mountain ride. It's advised to stop at Ramnagar to get a check done for the fuel and air in the tyres, as next coming is the rocky mountain with rare of the services. All set from the city, now is the journey further into the forest leading to hills.
The city roads of Ramnagar, gradually merge into the woods of Jim Corbett National Park, but the destination remains unseen. Straight following the roads we went deep into the forest and after crossing all, from a steep upward turn, begins the hills. Curves, turns, slopes running up and down, we go on with the frequent horns- "Blow horn on turns." Kilometers away, we started seeing the rocks painted as E*N with a direction arrow but the distance is only a surprise. On way we see some villages, some vendors selling chips and snacks, the trek paths and some small waterfalls. Every turn is proved to be a new frame to save a place in the camera.
And, finally after the 2 hours of wait and zig-zag in the hills, we see the final entry boards and we arrive our destination!
Enjoying the cozy rooms, we have our lunch and post the lunch, to have a break, we need a break. The games room in the resort is perfect to spend an evening before the night sky covers the orange hues.
Morning happens and a day more to the adventure. A trek up through the rocky road leads to a lonely temple standing up and known for a myth that is was meant to be built on the mountain peak. The road allows only a trek on foot and a heart pure to worship.
Following the evening of adventure and sports, comes the night of bonfire and buffet dinner. The resort has a provision for bonfire and bar-b-que with the choice of music keeping the not so enthusiastic group busy in their dinner at the adjacent restaurant.
The night covers the resort and puts and end to the day. As a deserted resort, it lacks on a 24x7 service for food (emergencies are of-course covered), but as the suite itself has it all, the day never ends for a group of night crawlers.
Up in the morning, was the day for the trip to move towards the end for us, so after a quick breakfast, we started our drive back on the zig-zag roads. Up in the hills, we don't find any water bodies, so to get a touch of it, we plan to stop by a Kosi River flowing through the Jim Corbett National Park, which is fortunately on our drive way.
The quick fun with waters and then was the drive again. As the breakfast was heavy and the car was equipped with some munchies, we didn't need to stop soon for the lunch.
Around a after a drive of 3 hours, we stop at a restaurant- "Moga Tourist Dhaba" after crossing the city of Moradabad. The restaurant was referred to us by a friend and we found it to be a good reference. The food was decent with a countable number of options, though majorly the punjabi dishes. The cost too was very reasonably priced keeping it light to the pocket. It proves to be a good stop in the long drive to eat and freshen up.
The quick meal and the again the drive starts. Now was the time keep going and soon say a good bye to the adventures. Soon we touched the Delhi border and the destination was there.
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