One from the Sattal Diaries – Road Trip from Delhi to Sattal-Bhimtal-Mukteshwar(March 2018)

We were a group of 7 people out of which 3 were supposed to join us from Hapur. I was traveling with my husband, my cousin and my husband’s friends.

We started our trip on our car from Delhi at 10 pm and could manage to reach Hapur in almost 2 and half hours as there was Friday rush on the Delhi roads. We met the other travelers (who were on a car as well) at “Shiv Tourist Dhaba” and had tea at 12:30 Am. We crossed Haldwani which is 1,391 ft above sea level at pm. It took 5 hours to reach Haldwani from Delhi. We halted at 5 AM outside a dhabha for tea and Maggi. As the chilly winds were blowing , tea acted well as a great savior for us. As we were approaching hills, I could sense the positive vibes being transferred to me from nature. This is true "Nature has so much to give you; you just need to feel it".

I enjoyed the ride thoroughly and was eagerly waiting for my destination i.e. Sattal which was at height of 4494 ft above sea level. It was somewhat a beautiful feeling to experience sunrise in the hills. We reached our destination Sattal at around 6:30 Am and contacted our cottage caretaker Bhanu(who runs this business along with his brother in law) where we were supposed to stay for next 2 days.

Reaching the Cottage

As Compared to Nainital, Sattal has not commercialized yet and it is less crowded which makes it unique in its own way. If you are a luxury trip person then you should not opt for Sattal as it is full of campsites, kayaking, water activities and trekking spots. Also, you can get a close encounter with nature while visiting there. Unlike Nainital, there are fewer hotels and restaurants in Sattal.

We reached nearby our cottage and parked our cars in the parking area. We carried our bags and belongings and started heading towards the cottage “Sattal Cottage” which was around 1 KM away from the car parking and had to trek to reach there. It was quite adventurous start of the trip so we all were excited from the very beginning. While reaching our cottage we crossed one beautiful small village which was a feast for the eyes. Also, I could listen to the melodious bird chirping which was indeed treating for the ears.

When we reached our cottage, our happiness doubled as the cottage was so beautiful and the view from our cottage was marvelous. It was designed in village theme. Mud flooring was done on the floor and the walls. From our balcony, we had a beautiful lake view. It was a calm place, out of the city and away from any noise.

Day Activity: Adventure Trip of Forest, Rock Climbing, Waterfall and Kayaking

We all got ready one by one as we were supposed to leave for the adventurous trip which was included in our package. We had a very healthy breakfast in the cottage itself before leaving.

First, we went to see the waterfall after crossing one forest which had the bunch of trees. It was my first experience of crossing the forest by climbing rocks and I was too excited for that. And trust me, it was not that easy as the path was consisting of slippery rocks, kaccha lanes, etc. But somehow we all managed to reach our waterfall point. There was a kumaon girl in our group; she was first among us to reach the waterfall point along with Bhanu. Water was chilled and fresh and we were completely lost in the arms of the Mother Nature. While going towards the waterfall, we found some bird photographers who were patiently searching birds and were clicking their pictures. We were not supposed to make noise while crossing that area as guided by Bhanu (our guide/cottage caretaker).

Dinner: Matar paneer, Dal, salads, Curd, rice, chapattis and Chicken Curry. We had gulab jamun as dessert. (Both Veg and Nonveg)

While having dinner, I looked out of the window and caught the attention of moon which was hiding behind a deciduous tree. It was during that time when I wrote the below poem: