Road Trip in Kumaon: The land of Gods (Nainital, Bhimtal, Muktestwar, Binsar, Choukori & Munsiyari)

Five of us boarded a late night flight to Delhi after a monotonous day at work. At 2 am, we were waiting for our self drive car at the T2 terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport. The executive was over an hour late and we were half asleep by the time he reached. The journey to our first destination (Bhimtal) was long and we took turns driving on the deserted Delhi- Kathgodam Highway. We stopped to pay highway taxes for our car as the vehicle was Delhi registered and we were venturing into Uttarakhand via Uttar Pradesh. Ideally tourist vehicles have all India permit but it doesn't hurt to get this clarified with the operator before you book you ride as the penalty for not paying the highway taxes is pretty severe once caught. A significant stretch of the highway was accompanied by crop fields running parallel on both the sides of the road. Sugarcane and wheat seemed to be the major grown crops in Uttar Pradesh coupled with a occasional brick making factory. After Kathgodam, the plains started receding passing the baton to the mighty Himalayan mountains. The entire stretch till bhimtal is an uphill ascent which requires a high torque vehicle, thankfully we booked a SUV for our entire journey (Renault Duster). We reached our Airbnb stay in Bhimtal by early afternoon. The property was a secluded farmhouse far from the maddening crowd of a nearby famous hill station, Nainital. The house belonged to a government official residing in Haldiwani who has leased it out to aggregator. The caretaker greeted us with warmth as we got settled into our respective rooms. After a quick nap we decided to spend the rest of the remaining day and evening visiting Nainital which was hardly a 30 minutes ride from our stay. Even during the early afternoon the air was chilly enough to make our teeth stammer with cold. Nainital is a pleasant hill station carrying old British vibes as is the case with the other famous hill stations across the country. The mall road was surprisingly deserted unlike in the months of summer when the place is swarming with people. After a brief walk along the Naini Lake, we had some delicious pastries and puffs at a KMVN operated bakery at the fag end of the mall road. KMVN stands for kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, a government operated tourism agency on lines of MTDC in Maharashtra just a more sophisticated and professional version. The agency has resorts and lodges across the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand at prime locations with best in the class service at affordable prices. After a while lurking around the place, we loaded the medicines to fight cold in our car trunk :P and in no time were on the way to our night stay. Our caretaker was busy preparing the dinner as we sat in a open lawn wrapped inside our blankets around a bonfire listening to the music of our choice. It turned out to be one of the most memorable night of our entire trip as we resorted to our beds late after midnight to rest our aching bodies.

We had a good night sleep and a late morning nap to rise completely refreshed for the day's proceedings. We took a brief halt at the lake before hitting the road towards Naukuchiatal. The lake is known for bird watching and water sports. Every year thousands of migratory birds visit this lake to escape the harsh winter in the northern hemisphere. We could spot a couple of rare bird species on the banks of the lake. Kayaking and water zorbing experience was worth every penny spend. The entire lake was at our helm as the five of us steered our kayaks up and down through the dark green waters of the lake. We had our lunch on the way to Mukteshwar, which was supposed to be our halt for the night. The sun was setting fast as we drove on those winding mountain roads. I have always been chasing sunsets and this day wasn't any different as the sunset from Chauli ki Jali in Mukteshwar is not to be missed. No sooner we reached the KMVN resort than we rushed for about an km hike to the famous point. We literally ran to the top catching our breath and pacing our heartbeats in between. This was unlike any other sunset i have ever witnessed. A panoramic view of the mountain layers folding above one another like a wave created a hypnotizing effect. The sun was setting symmetrically right at the center of those hills scattering the last few golden rays on that gifted landmass. A few minutes upward from this point is the ancient Mukteshwar Mahadev temple. We paid our respects to the place started descending towards our resort. Mukteshwar is famous for the Man-Eaters of Kumaon. Jim Corbett the famous hunter is said to have visited this town to kill a vicious beast who wrecked havoc in the nearby villages. A part of the KMVN resort houses the Corbett's Bungalow in which the hunter stayed during his visit to track and kill the man eating Tiger. It is now renovated as a vintage cottage available for booking by interested tourists. We spend the rest of the evening admiring the views from the Corbett's bungalow waiting for our dinner to be served. The night was too cold and the heaters were insufficient to provide the necessary heat. Late night we resorted to our evergreen supplies for some warmth and the day on a happy note.

This was mostly a transit day to Binsar with a planned halt at Almora, a contentment town nestled in the higher ranges of the Himalayas. We started late and planned to halt early for lunch in between but as the saying goes "plan are made to be altered", Google maps ditched us a couple of times on the way after Shitlakhet as we kept on circling around to find the right direction. Maps is highly unreliable in such terrain and its always better to take some local help for a quick resolution of your queries. Highlight of the day was in fact an impromptu detour to Dhokane waterfall on the way to Almora. A hidden place to spend an afternoon at ease besides the clear waters of a green lagoon tucked into a steep gorge. There wasn't much to explore in Almora and we hit the road back towards our destination after a lunch break. Binsar KMVN is located inside the wildlife sanctuary which is 10 km detour from the main road. Little did we know there was a detour and drove considerably ahead of the Sanctuary gate. After roaming around for half an hour we came back and confirmed about the resort with the guard at the ticket counter. It took us another hour to reach the resort which was at the end of the motor able road situated at some distant cliff inside the sanctuary. It was getting dark and we were informed that there was no electricity supply after 6 pm to the resort. A back up generator would be used only at the time of serving dinner in the dining hall. To make things more interesting, we were the only guests for the day in that 2 acre resort. The food was deliciously prepared and we devoured every last morsel of it. Candles were our only source of light and the heavy knitted quilts the only source of warmth for the night . The eerily deserted resort at midnight without any man made light bathing under the moonlight seemed like a perfect setting for a classic horror flick. The dense vegetation surrounding the resort premises made thing even more spooky. Well, neither of us had the willingness nor the courage to explore this chapter any further as we retreated to our rooms to call it a day.

The morning brought in a new enthusiasm and the sunrise from the watchtower was an apt reward for getting up early. The Himalayan peaks turned golden as the first rays of light touched them. After a scrumptious breakfast we were already on our way towards Munsiyari, the destination which inspired our entire itinerary. After Thal, we drove along the river Ramganga gaining significant altitude. Birthi falls looked majestic on the way but as informed by the locals, the falls are a completely different phenomenon during the rains. The roads became more step and treacherous and we could spot melting snow on the sides of the road as we covered further distance. Surprisingly, it was the first encounter with snow for everyone in our group which meant equal excitement for all of us. We stopped for a considerable time at point from which the Thamri kund trek starts before resuming our drive towards Munsiyari. After an hour of driving KMVN munsiyari welocomed us with arms wide open. We decided to cover Nandadevi temple in the evening before sunset. Munsiyari is a sleepy hamlet located at the fag end of the human settlement in the Kumaon hills. The town carries a distinct charm of its own and has something to offer for every kind of traveler. Munsiyari sky carried a very heavy overcast condition from the past few days which limited the possibility to capture clear views of the Panchachuli peaks. KMVN staff were warm and friendly and had their own stories to narrate.

As per today's itinerary, we were to ascend and descend Khaliya Top, the highest point in Munsiyari. The one way distance was supposedly 5 km till the top and another km further for zero point (if accessible). The trek in the beginning was a jungle trail traversing through a dense vegetation followed by a route consisting of melting snow patches in between, finally ending with a 2 km of a thick snow trail. four of us started the ascend around 9 am (one of our friend decided to stay back and explore Munsiyari town on his own) which was a little steeper than expected. The trail became increasingly difficult for some of us due to the lower oxygen levels and a slippery path. It was truly a test of stamina as well as balance at the same time as none of us were equipped with accessories needed for a snow trek. It was an amazing experience as we helped each other out forming chains on the slippery patches till we reached the resort which marked the end of the second stretch. The final and the most difficult part of trek awaited us as we had some refreshments at the resort before continuing. The conditions were turning overcast as the Panchachuli peaks hid behind the dark clouds. The resort manager casually asked us to either continue ahead without waiting or return back from there as he expected the weather to turn severely bad. After a brief discussion, we made an unanimous decision to go for the top as we didn't wanted to return back after coming so far. For the next 60 mins, i lost the count of number of times i slipped but do recollect the sheer thrill of making it to the top. The views from khaliya top were unparalleled and nothing that i had witnessed before. Vast stretches of land covered under a thick blanket of undisturbed snow. We tried attempting going ahead to zero point but turned back immediately after my friend dropped till his waist under the snow going ahead just few steps. We admired the mighty snow capped mountains and the elusive Himalayan Eagle hovering above us.

Something i wrote in that moment has still stayed with me:

" I chased the last light on a lonely mountain top,

With the whirling wind that let out mighty roars.

I looked up in awe to greet the gods,

Felt like i was knocking on heaven's doors"

It was already past 2 pm when we started our descent as the weather continued to deteriorate. We came down sliding for a good of the trail which was the most fun way covering the distance quickly. The descent took half the time and we reached the base before dark. After a lousy half hearted dinner, we went straight to our bed as we were too tired to do anything further. Moreover, we planned to leave early the next morning to Kausani hence it made sense to give our wrecked bodies a much needed break.

I could feel my breath getting heavy and the shivering getting worse as woke up in the middle of the night to find the heater being switched off. The room seemed unusually dark is when i realized that the electricity was cut off. I dragged towards the window noticing a strange thudding sound. It was snowing cats and dogs out there which seemed like a snow blizzard. I ran towards the adjacent room maneuvering my way in the dark to wake up everyone in the middle of night. Everyone was in frenzy as it was a moment of witnessing something for the very first time. It snowed heavily till the morning for straight 5 hrs. We inquired at the reception about leaving for Kausani while it was still snowing like crazy. we were told that all the higher roads are cut off due to the blizzard and it is impossible to go anywhere till the weather conditions improves. Well, we were certainly disappointed as we would have to change our itinerary and stay an extra day trapped in Munsiyari but as it was out of our control there was n reason pondering over it. There was no electricity the entire day and we spent hours and hours sitting besides ours windows wondering if would be able to leave this place any time sooner. Well, none of us had any answer expect for the gods themselves who mocked us from the heavens.

Luckily it stopped snowing later that night and the snow plow trucks started to clear the roads starting early morning. We took a alternate path going towards Madkoti to leave Munsiyari as the way from which we came was still inaccessible. The roads were really bad and dangerously slippery all along till Madkoti. It took us good 3 hrs to cover 30 km driving carefully on those roads where a single mistake would mean the end of it all. There wasn't any destination in our minds and we decided to keep driving till it gets dark (so much for the planning). We took a night halt at Gangolihat after traversing through Jauljibi, a town situated on India-Nepal border. Alas! we heaved a sigh of relief being out of the harms way curled up under our warms quilts.

The day was brighter as compared to a couple of earlier ones. As suggested by the guy at the reception, we decided to visit Patal Bhunaneshwar on the way to Nainital. We literally drove above the clouds on the way which was a sight to behold. The sun was shining bright and the weather was conducive for sightseeing. Patal Bhunaneshwar is famous for its mysterious limestone cave temple. Legend and folklore have it that this cave enshrines Lord Shiva and thirty three koti demigods [33 crores]. The cave is 160 m long and 90 feet deep from the point of entrance. Limestone rock formations have created various spectacular stalactite and stalagmite figures of various hues and forms. This cave has a narrow tunnel-like opening which leads to a number of caves. The cave is fully electrically illuminated. Built by the flow of water, Patal Bhuvaneshwar is not just one cave, rather a series of caves within caves. We blessed our Gongolihat guide for recommending us this place as it exceeded our expectations. The rest of the day was spent on the roads as we reached KMVN Naintal late in the evening. We went for a walk around the Naini lake for one last time before calling it a day.

We neglected multiple alarms to enjoy our beauty sleep and in turn missed the opportunity to view sunrise from zero point at an hour's hike from the resort. Nevertheless the view from the watch tower at the point was good enough to justify the tiring walk done so early in the morning. We left KMVN Binsar towards Choukori, our next stop in the itinerary. It was a long day with a ride of about 5 hours including the stops at Kasar Devi and Jageshwar Dham. The valley views from Kasar Devi were exemplary and the spot had historical significance too as many reformers and philosophers are believed to be visited this place for meditation including Swami Vivekanand in late 1900s. Kasardevi was a rather quick affair and we were on our way towards Jageshwar Dham. This is a cluster of over 100 temples built between 7th to 12th century. After a satiating lunch near the temple premises, we hit the road in a very quick succession. The light was getting dim and we were still at a considerable distance from our KMVN resort in Choukori. It was a full moon night and even though the darkness was creeping in, we stopped for a while to admire the nature's marvel. These are the moments which inspires one to travel, to leave aside the worries of the future and live in the moment. Moreover it strengthens your belief in the argument that goals which compromise your present are not worth pursuing. Anyways, so much for the philosophical lesson as it did very late by the time we reached Choukori. This resort was best of the lot providing only cottage stay and had a large open area at the heart of its construction. There was also a dedicated watch tower to witness sunrise and get a panoramic view of the distant Himalayan peaks.

This entire day was spent on the road reaching Delhi to catch an onward flight to Mumbai. The traffic did scared the shit out of us as we reached just in time to catch our flight. All in all the journey was an amalgamation of both planned as well as unplanned excursions, the best of both the worlds if may say. We returned back with heaps of memories to cherish and tons of stories to share.

Suggestions & Experiences:

1) Ask for local help once in the mountains rather than relying on Internet for information. It would eliminate confusion and save a lot of time

2) I would anytime recommended KMVN for all your stays hands down. Comfortable stays, delicious food and helpful staff were some of the highlights for me.

3) Nainital to Delhi is a long ride. leave ample time cushion if you have got a flight to catch

4) Mukteshwar, Choukori, Patal Bhuvaneshvar and Munsiyari are must visit places on this circuit

5) Keep extra days for cushion while visiting Munsiyari in winterd, the weather there is highly unpredictable and treacherous with limited public utilities.

6) Hire a SUV with good ground clearance for the commute as it's most suitable for the terrain.

7) Total cost Per Person ~ 33000

Flight 6000, stay 9000, self drive 6000, food & drinks 10000, Miscellaneous 2000