Come discover India’s very own United Kingdom!

The best holidays are those that take you to a destination you know the least about. Of course, thanks to travel websites that seem to be mushrooming by the bucketful, the chances of not having any information about your holiday destination are frankly remote to netizens like us. As a matter of fact, I have no qualms about researching on the place I am about to visit. In fact, I thoroughly practice and endorse the same diligently to uncover all geographical factors that could affect the holiday- distance from home, the climate, the local terrain, sight seeing spots, food habits, culture...these are all browsed through before making a detailed itinerary so as to not waste time once I reach the place. This habit has helped me plan really rocking holidays from the nearest to the remotest places in India- Pune, Goa, Kannur, Mahabalipuram, my honeymoon in Sikkim and my recent weekend excursion to Lansdowne.

 Believe you me when I say, there is no better place than India that can win top spot as an ideal tourist wonderland. Where else can you find such sheer abundance of rivers, lakes, waterfalls, sea, mountains, beaches, lagoons, backwaters, hills, plains, hinterland, greenery, snow, desert, forest, religion, culture, language, literature...I can go on and on. Little wonder then that my list of places to see before I die has so many destinations left! Not even cricket, Republic or Independence Day or Bollywood can get me as close to being a patriot as the inherent need to indulge and extol on the virtues of exploring the natural bounties of the country we live in.  Each and every place I have ever visited has only refurbished my idea of India being a traveller’s delight, barring the few encumbrances of crowds, traffic, dirt and the tropical climate you may encounter during your sojourn. And if these are the very things you wish to escape, I have recently hit on the perfect place to unwind, breathe and just do away with your earthly worries.  Travel light, make sure you drive a sturdy car and are an exceptional driver to boot and book a weekend at the Fairydale Resort at Lansdowne.

An early browse through the best resorts at this picturesque hillstation in the Pauri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand revealed other viable options for accommodation like Kasang Regency, Blue Pine Resort and Ananda Retreat to name a few. However, I was glad my husband chose this resort over all others, simply because this is the closest you can get to feeling like you are living in a home away from home. With your own privacy and space being on top priority when it comes to Fairydale’s hospitality, the resort that clocks a hundred years this year, offers peace, tranquillity and fresh air, alien to the urban dweller caught in the daily humdrum of a hectic life. Providing the right amount of seclusion even as you get a glimpse of rudimentary life in the nearby hamlets, with a breath taking view of the gorgeous valley amidst the sky touching peaks, having our cottage right in the heart of all this was deeply invigorating. The sudden rains on our way uphill caused a dip in temperature rendering the climate chilled and windy for the better part of our stay but almost as if the Sun God understood we needed to soak up some shine too, it came out in all its glory giving us enough time to explore the nearby scenery and tourist spots like Bhulla Lake and the Santoshi Mata Temple.

Lansdowne was originally called Kaloo Danda which almost made me mentally thank British immigrant Lord Lansdowne after whom this place was renamed during the Raj. Till date, Lansdowne houses a War Museum that preserves relics of an almost ancient past in the form of guns, ammunition, medals of honour, musical accompaniments, uniforms, army garb and overalls, mappings of the war routes from the World Wars fought by the Garhwal Rifles, whose Regimental Centre established in Lansdowne is responsible for the town’s development and maintenance.  Of particular interest were fossils found by soldiers, the native costume and culture of tribals inhabitant in these regions and Pakistani currency bearing the forbidding face of Jinnah seized from enemy soldiers off the battleground. We also visited St.John’s and St.Mary’s churches, two pretty little Victorian structures on hill tops, giving further proof of the English influence on the local history. 

Situated at an altitude of 1706 mtrs, you may want to thank the Cantonment for the beautiful preservation of this unspoilt jewel. Hardly the type of place that can burn a hole in your budget, this Himalayan haven has just the right amount of touristy spots that are trekkable and easily covered in a short span of a day or two, without tiring you out or interrupting the rejuvenation process that sets in once you reach here. Of course, all the walking will further help you build an appetite for the deliciously healthy, hygienic and delicious feast that awaits you at the Resort- for example, a simple course of aloo gobi, paranthas, dal makhani,  chicken curry, rice and rotis in generous portions proved to please the palate and go easy on the digestion throughout our stay. By the way, make sure you pick up playing cards or good old board games like ludo or snakes n ladders if you are planning to live in rather than venture out during your stay with family or friends.

If you are driving up from Delhi, follow the route towards Hardwar and take a detour towards Meerut, crossing Mawana, Bijnor, Najibabad and finally Kotdwar. Make sure you carry motion sickness pills if you are the types who gets dizzy on circuitous routes and hair pin bends. My trick is to eat light, snack on fruits and not drink too much water. Also, great company and good music through the road trip can work wonders on a long winding journey that takes approximately 6-7 hours max.

Btw, don’t be amused if you see vehicles with UK written on their number plates. The tiny town of Lansdowne does fall in Uttarakhand, in the newly formed state of Uttaranchal.  The climate here is not very different from United Kingdom actually, with heavy snowfall in the winters and the maximum summer temperature touching 25 degrees Celsius max for the most part. Of course, the only difference is the monies you will be spilling out to afford a trip to this UK!!