A Backpackers Trip @5000 INR - Kausani

How about a backpackers trip ? Inquired my two travel partners. And we started to think about which region should we be travelling to and coming to a conclusion we planned to visit something unexplored in Uttarakhand, North India.

I am a 21 year old solo traveler based out of Mumbai.
I have completed my studies in Travel Professional and I work to manage my travel expenses.

The search begun in every travel magazine, the internet, and everywhere. And we got to know about Kausani, also known as the Switzerland of India. So we began to plan our trip. After alot of research we decided about our itinerary thinking about a planned budget of Rs. 12,ooo INR, per head which includes our travel cost, accommodation, food, trek, etc.

I always had love for solo trips but sooner i realised traveling with people of same interests who are down to any challenges makes sense and turns out to be cheaper.

We fixed the date 3rd December, 2016 to begin the journey. We quickly got our tickets booked in sleeper coaches of Paschim Express, however there was a waiting list of 45 passengers ahead of us. But being street smart and a few good contacts made sure that i had confirmed tickets ( Just boasting out ). I also went ahead and booked a return flight from Delhi to Mumbai 2 months before the departure date. Booking advance tickets is always cheaper.

We checked out the best deals on online websites but only came to a conclusion wherein everyone exceeded our budget. We planned not to do the same but look for some other option. Thankfully I had a local in the same location who could do that for me. You wouldn't believe it got so cheap that the hotel offered us a deal of Rs. 700 for a day divide it by 3, much cheaper then a burger with fries.

We arrived at New Delhi Railway Station. Since we didn't have anything else to do till 5.00 pm we explored The Dilli Haat.

An amazing concept by the Tourism Board of India and thanks to DTDC. It is more of a permanent market place where you find footwears, silk and wool fabrics, beads, shawls and food. You find cuisines​ from all over India trust me every state has something to offer here.

We decided to have lunch at the Wazwan by Kashmir.
The food here had a lot to offer exceeded our expectations for sure and the quantity was sufficient enough, value for money.

We made a move towards the Old Delhi Railway Station for our next train to Kathgodam. Only to realise the train was an hour and a half late. Nothing to complain about we packed our bags with a lot of snacks because we knew we wouldn't get much to eat on our way and at the mountains. I suggest you do the same.

The train arrived and the journey begun. The train was already late then the usual time so we arrived pretty late at Kathgodam station The day had already ended by then. 

The day didn't end yet since we arrived at the station at 02.00 am. Our so faithful driver was awaiting us to arrive. And accordingly we started our journey towards Kausani. It was a 6 hours journey within the mountains and the driver was amazing who helped us reach our destination.

When we arrived it was actually 05.30 am and we didn't worry about not getting sleep. Because we had an amazing breath taking view to be explored early morning. I have shared the early morning mist view.

A backpackers happy place and a writer's Dreamland, Kausani is one such village which is also enjoying it's stature as a quaint hill station. Cradled under the sheath of the crimson sun and the dark green hills, Kausani is known for offering a panoramic view of the massive Himalayan peaks such as Trishul, Nandadevi and the mighty Panchchuli peaks. The glory of the snow crowned Himalayan range reaches its pinnacle when the sun rays turn them into gold at morning and orange during the sunset.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing it had been a very long journey. We had our Snack and Dinner outside where we could really make it much cheaper. There is a small time Canteen located 50 metres from the hotel where the locals cook the food and it tastes amazing.

We woke up early morning only to capture and live the morning moments and the sunrise you could check the same in the uploaded photos. We had breakfast and we packed for important things and left for the city tour.

It was once that the Father Of Nation " Mahatma Gandhi" visited Kausani back in 1929 and stayed here for 2 weeks. Gandhi was so overwhelmed with the natural beauty of this location that he fell in love with the pristine beauty that he termed this location as the " Switzerland of India ".

Theres not much to see here but yes, you can find a few pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and also a small prayer room. The real picture is outside the Ashram which gives you a view of the Nandadevi. And yes the locals believe it if you are lucky enough you can also get a glance of Kailash Parbat.

After the Ashram visit we walked down the mountains for some 4-5 Kms towards the Kausani Tea Estate. This is the place where you find the tea plantations. However it's not really been given alot of importance but that's what draws a lot of attention for tea lovers here. The plantations here is not that great as compared to Darjeeling and other destinations.

Factory as the name suggests I wondered if we were heading to a factory, I expected a huge building with smoke chimneys, though of course how a chimney fits a shawl no thoughts. Probably the stereotype mentality. The factory wasn't a factory but a shop it's exactly opposite to the Kausani Tea Estate. The shopkeeper upon request takes you to a guided tour of the factory, which is ideally like 6 looks connected together.

The Kausani Shawl Factory has been going on for a lot of years. It's the hardworking​ people doing it for a living no wonders it's a bit expensive but we don't really think like that while buying a brand like Calvin Klein or Gucci, do we ? Consider this also a brand of long running tradition and don't hesitate to buy one.

We headed back around our hotel locality and enjoyed some really good Veg Momos and some hot and spicy soup. One thing I love about the mountains is the Maggi and the other is some spicy soup which the locals cook deliciously amazing.

In the mountains days are really short and it was just 6.00 Pm and it was dark we consulted the locals and headed towards an amazing small time restaurant the food was delicious and you gotta finish your food quick.

We returned to our hotel and relaxed outside in the open no wonder it was freezing cold but you would never miss stargazing or would you ? It was 8 pm absolutely quite and you could see a whole galaxy of stars outside. The view was something to die for you could see shooting stars, constellations and what not.
Imagine a glass of scotch in your hand and your best friend's by your side talking about how long the journey has been together, isn't that something you crave ? I am sure you would definitely want that to happen and don't let this become a dream. Pack your bags and just leave.

It was the last day for us at Kausani and we had to start for New Delhi Airport soon we hired the same cab driver  for our return towards Kathgodam Railway Station and accordingly we left Kausani. One of the memorable trips we ever had.

Please do drop in your messages in comments section below, I will definitely get back to you. Your comments are most welcome.

Keep travelling and spread the love and do promote tourism.

Thanks and Regards.