Mountains Are Calling
You are longing to make your much awaited trip to the northern hill stations, read on to find all you need to know before that.
They say that the best view comes after the hardest climb. Maybe this is why we gain a whole new perspective of our lives amidst the hills. The world looks smaller, the winds feel swifter and spirits feel higher. Another great thing about escaping to mountains is how effortless one can be in manoeuvring such trips. Sturdy backpacks, warm clothes and will to brave the roads is all we needed to escape to the mountains. The year 2020 is not about spontaneity at all especially when it comes to travel. After making up our minds about the travel, there are numerous steps we need to take before we step outside our homes. Does that mean we give up travelling? Of course not. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Desired destinations
Summers have been the best time to plan trips to northern India and especially the popular destinations of the state Uttrakhand. You still have the last summer month, October in your hands to plan your annual trip to the mountains. Usually the mode of travel to the state of Uttrakhand is via roadways and with state government’s recent decision to lift inter-state travel restrictions, you can easily opt for either public or private mode of transport. Destinations such as Nainital, Mussoorie and the neighbouring regions can all be explored. However, considering the current situation, picking a quieter place with lesser crowd attraction will be a smart decision to make. To name a few, Ramgarh, Auli, Chakrata and Landsdowne fit perfectly in the quiet and smaller crowd category.
The charm of these quiet places in is its untapped beauty. One can chuck away the maps and discard all bookmarked travel blogs to create their own first hand experiences. Every step of the way, you can spot sceneries that have hardly ever been turned into wallpapers. Since we are already stepping in the philosophy of the matter, we might as well tell you how relieving it is to keep away from clichés. If you want to save yourself from the horrors of unchartered territories, you can explore places near the popular destinations. For instance, Bhimtal, a small town situated right next to Nainital can be a good place to start. You would be surprised to discover what lies in the lap of mountains.
We also recommend exploring myths and stories by travelling to these places. Our absolute favourite is Tagore Top in Ramgarh, a place rumoured to be the spot where Rabindranath Tagore wrote Geetanjali, one his most famous works. People who know about this pilgrimage there to see feel what the writer had felt (is he ever went there at all). To compensate the non-bibliophiles, the Tagore Top offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. What else can you ask for?
Steps to take
Now, if you have decided on your choice of destination, make sure you have made the hotel bookings. Make sure to ask for rescheduling options because you never know more can 2020 offer in its humungous basket of shocking surprises. The state government requires travelling passengers to register on its official Dehradun Smart City website by uploading necessary documents. All this will be followed by screening after reaching the Haldwani border. In case you plan to travel in your vehicle, you will have to make a stop to Indira Gandhi International cricket stadium in Haldwani for the screening procedure. And yes, remember that downloading Aarogya Setu app is mandatory.
From the October 2020 issue of FHM India.
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