Visiting Rishikesh in 2020

I visited the scenic city of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand state from 14th to 16th November 2020 with my office colleague. My trip started from Delhi where I boarded the bus to Rishikesh from Duala Kaun bus stop. I boarded the bus at 11 PM and reached Jawahar point bus stop at around 5 AM.

From there I trekked 6km to the Laxman Jhula at Rishikesh. I stopped for a warm cup of black coffee to rejuvenate my energy and again started trekking to Neer Jharna fall which is 6.8 km away from the Ram Jhula. The Neer fall was a sight to behold and we were the only visitors there. We fully enjoyed the falls by taking a fresh bath.

After bathing in the much required fresh waterfall coming straight from the Himalayan hills, we trekked down to treat ourselves with a warm vegetable Maggi and black tea. Then we headed to the Rishikesh commercial area and to check ourselves in the Rishikesh Stay hotel. It cost us Rs 517 combined for the room per night. We rested for 2 hours to regain our energies and then headed to the Rishikesh market.

After crossing the Ram bridge we binged on some street food of potato fry with chutneys. Then we went to the Ghat near Ram bridge and ate authentic local Chole Kulche. After resting for some time in the Ghat we proceeded to have our evening meal at Buddha Cafe.

Buddha cafe

Buddha Cafe is one of the most happening places in Rishikesh. It is situated on the riverside and its ambiance gives a full view of the Ganga River. Tourists from all over the world can be seen enjoying at this cafe. We ordered ginger tea, tofu stir fry and mushroom fried rice. The food was delicious and it came at a very reasonable price.

After enjoying our meals we decided to have dessert and headed to the German bakery. We again crossed the Ram bridge to reach the bakery. There we ordered scrumptious cinnamon rolls. Then we proceeded to head back to our hotel and attain our much-needed sleep.

Day 2

The next day after waking up, we went to a German bakery and ordered black coffee, cinnamon rolls and a grilled vegetable sandwich. The appetizing breakfast aided in building the much-needed motivation for trekking to Patna waterfall. We started our trek to Patna waterfall, at around 3 PM, while trekking through the road we encountered a wine shop from where we purchased 3 beeyoung beer cans. Then after trekking for about 2 hours on road and a 15 min trail uphill we reached Patna waterfall.

German Bakery

The view of the waterfall was good although the water level was a bit less than one can expect. There were two Maggi stalls at the waterfall. We sat on one of the stalls and settled in with our beer.

We ordered two plates of Maggi noodles and some packaged snacks. After relaxing at that place for about 2 hours, we proceeded to trek back.

On the road, we came across a Dhaba, where we were served Indian hot food with freshly baked chapatis (Indian flatbread). The meal was a surprise treat as we weren't expecting any food on our trek back. Moreover, we got the opportunity to indulge in authentic local cuisine.

Then we decided to have our dinner again at Buddha Cafe and treated ourselves to vegetable fried rice. The succulent meal filled our stomachs for a good night's sleep.

Day 3

You tend to enjoy your sleep when it comes to winters. After a toilsome yet adventurous day, we had a placid sleep. We woke up at 9 AM and I decided to go rafting. As my friend had a bad experience with river rafting, he chose to stay in the hotel. I had consulted with a local river rafting tour advisor and took his number. I called on the given number and they sent a jeep to pick me up from my hotel. I was joined by seven other youngsters to form the 8 member rafting boat excluding our main guide. We were given our rafting gears on the starting point. The 9-kilometer raft took us about 2 hours to complete.

The river current was moderate and we easily rafted our way through while stopping for some light lunch break. We had a breakfast of vegetable Maggi and tea. There are small stalls situated on the riverside which serves freshly cooked noodles and tea. The point also had a 20 feet cliff nearby from where you can jump on the river with your life jacket. It took nearly 2 and a half hours to reach the endpoint which was in the ghat.

After the fun and adventurous rafting session, I headed back to my hotel. There I regrouped with my friend and we proceeded to head towards our lunch destination. The cafe was nearby our hotel Rishikesh Stay, named Tate Cafe. It offered a very magnificent view of the Ganga ghat and temples. The cafe has a spacious ambiance with comfortable beanbags, ground cushions and sofas for the seating arrangements.

We ordered for a ginger tea, vegetable burger and tofu platter.

The food was scrumptious and had quite a reasonable price as well. We spent some time in the cafe mesmerizing the view and enjoying our meal were after we decided to go shopping.

We wanted to buy local sweets for our friends and family. The shop near the Ram Jhula is one of the most famous and oldest sweetshops in Rishikesh. We went and first bought some sweets to try with puri and chole. All the sweets were good but we choose Bond Ka Ladoo as our delicacy companion.

We reached Rishikesh market which is situated near Laxman Jhula. We found jute and khadi shops there. A specific shop that had hemp products caught my attention. The artistically handmade bags were the perfect material to gift your family and friends. We then bought some harems and then spent some time on the tranquil ghat.

For evening snacks we went to Cafe Tuk Tuk, which gave a delightful night view of the Ganga River. Rishikesh is filled with restaurants and cafes with stunning views. I suggest that you keep on exploring.

We had our dinner again at Buddha Cafe and then called it a day. The next day we boarded our bus to Delhi from Natraj Chowk. Throughout the entire trip we maintained social distancing and covid precautionary methods.

Laxman Jhula Rishikesh Ghat TempleRishikesh MarketNear Panna FallLocal Cuisine of Chapati and Vegetable Curry.Sweet Delicacies of Boondb Ka Ladoo, Barfi, Bondi ka Ladoo, Puri and Chole. Vegetables Noodles and Beeyoung beer.