5 Getaways In India To Beat The Heat This Summer
- Jun 8, 2017
- 9 min read
1. Pangot For the Birds
Deep forests of oak, deodar, and pine rustled around us, and the mist swirled into the valley like the robes of whirling dervishes. We were at the Jungle Lore Birding Lodge in the Himalayan hamlet of Pangot, 15 km away from Nainital. After a night of full-stop seclusion, we rose to a
After a night of full-stop seclusion, we rose to a blush pink sky and the sun rising over the serrated edges of the mountains in the distance.
Our first birding excursion, together with a family of three, was amply rewarding. We walked past a sleepy village where a clutch of women filled gleaming pots with water at a well. Terraced fields unfurled like green carpets across the hills even as we plunged into a forest, vibrant with shades of green, rust and gold. We heard the laughing thrush, its teasing whistle was followed by a fugitive glimpse. Our guide pointed out many of the 250 species that can be spotted in the woods around Pangot…a drongo flitted above us and a spotted owl perched on a branch, melancholy and still.
The Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, rufous-bellied woodpecker, blue-winged minla and many more…. Another day was spent birding at Cheena Peak and near the Kilbury Forest where we spotted large hawks, Eurasian cuckoos, and the blue-throated barbet. In that soft dawn, the chorus of calls in the green depths of the forest soon became a symphony without end.
Pangot
Checklist
Birding in Pangot and Sattal, which is 23 km from Nainital. Day treks to Naina Peak and
Day treks to Naina Peak and Kilbury with a picnic lunch.
Longer treks of 5 nights/6 days in the Kumaon Himalaya.
Sightseeing in Nainital and boating on Naini and Sattal lakes.
Rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and fishing in Sattal.
A village tour.
Bracing walks through terraced fields and into the forest.
Cooking classes with a local chef.
Shop in Nainital for local handicrafts.
Navigator
Getting There
By Air: The nearest airport is at Pantnagar (75 km).
By Rail: The nearest railhead is Kathgodam (50 km) or Haldwani (48 km). From either, take a taxi to Pangot.
By Road: Drive from Delhi via Kathgodam and Nainital (304 km); it’s eight-and-a-half hours. Drive from Delhi via Ramnagar (Corbett National Park) and Kaladhungi; it’s a seven-and-a-half hours’ drive.
Stay: The Jungle Lore Birding Lodge, La Perle Monal, and Hidden Valley Camp, to name a few places.
Eat: Savor homely fare in your hotel restaurant or check out the many eateries in Nainital.
Shop: Pick up decorative candles, Himalayan bags, local jewelry from Nainital.
2. Chail Born Of A Royal Snub
The charming hill resort of Chail in Himachal Pradesh’s Shivalik hills was born out of pique…maharaja-size pique. Legend has it that Maharaja Bhupendra Singh of Patiala was banished from Shimla, the then summer capital of the British Raj, because of his dalliance with the commander-in-chief’s daughter. In retaliation, the Maharaja resolved to build a glittering capital that would rival Shimla and be within sight of the colonial capital. It would also be located on a higher hill. And so Chail was born in 1891, 63 km away from Shimla.
At 2,250 m, Chail still has a lonely aggrieved air—perhaps because of its origins in a royal snub. It preens across three hills and at its heart is the hilltop palace on Rajgarh Hill, now a resort owned and run by Himachal Tourism. The Maharaja also created a cricket ground by scalping the top of a hill and today it is the highest pitch in the world, unfurling in the shadow of mighty oaks and deodars. There is also a polo ground.
In Chail, we woke up to the sight of iron-hard peaks, their caps dusted with snow; bulging bellies banded by forests of pine. If one were inclined to believe in fairies anywhere, it would be here!
Checklist
Chail has gentle walking trails and hikes aplenty.
The Chail Wildlife Sanctuary (3 km) has a few species like pheasants, wild boar, red deer and so on.
There’s fishing in the Giri river, 29 km away at Gaura.
Horse riding at Kufri which is a scenic drive away.
Sidh Baba Ka Mandir is the spot where the capital was to be established. A temple stands there instead as per the wishes of a local saint.
There’s a children’s park and lawn tennis at the Palace Hotel.
Play a round of golf at Naldehra (around 46 km away), one of the oldest golf courses in India.
Drive to scenic Chindi Valley and relish a picnic lunch.
Navigator
Getting There
By Air: The closest airport is Chandigarh, about 120 km away. By
By Rail: The closest railheads are Kandaghat (30 km), Shimla (45 km) and Kalka (86 km). By
By Road: Chail can be accessed from Shimla via Kufri, a distance of 45 km, and via Kandaghat (61 km). Regular buses leave for Chail from Shimla, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
Stay: The Palace Hotel is at the top of the heap. There’s also Hotel Chail residency and Maple resort.
Eat: Most hotels have a restaurant. Do chill like a maharaja in the hills.
3. Cherrapunjee Adventure
Like most schoolchildren brought up on images of Cherrapunjee being the wettest place on Earth, we had imagined this remote outpost in Meghalaya to be wet and squelchy. Cherrapunjee or Sohra in the East Khasi hills turned out to be rugged and arid, seeming to balance on a mountain wall on the edge of the Himalaya (1,484 metres). The Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort, our temporary home, was located in the village of Laitkynsew, snuggled in the tight embrace of hills. We reached this idyllic spot just a little after sunset. Post-dinner, local lads strummed guitars and sang romantic Khasi ballads while the young guests in the group sang along, reveling in the companionable warmth of the beautiful evening.
The next day we went on a two-hour trek, a little short of the plains of Bangladesh, to check out a natural phenomenon—the living root bridges. Families with young children raced ahead like nimble mountain goats, while we stopped to inhale the mossy fragrance that hung on the early morning air; listened to the sigh of a cool wind, and the blur of bird song. Finally, we arrived at our destination—a tree root bridge.
The root bridges span burbling streams and are created from the secondary roots of the Indian rubber tree, trained by locals over 20 to 25 years to form bridges over swift rivers and streams. Some of these bioengineering wonders are 53 feet, 70 feet and even 100 feet long and can carry as many as 50 people at a time. They have a life span of 600 years. There is even a double-decker bridge at Umshiang, which involves a longer trek.
We tread gingerly over the gnarled and knotted roots, and crossed over to the other side. There we rested and felt like we were floating in a sea of tranquillity.
Checklist
Swim in the rock pools around the Dainthlen Falls.
Check out the Nohkalikai Falls, said to be the tallest ‘plunge’ waterfalls in India at 1,115 ft.
Slither and crawl past huge stalagmites and stalactites in the 100-metre-long Mawsmai limestone cave.
Meghalaya has some of the deepest and longest caves in South Asia, inhabited only by bats and spiders the size of a human palm!
Beyond the caves rise soaring megaliths, erected in memory of the dead chieftains.
Navigator
Getting There
By Air: The nearest airport is at Guwahati (150 km).
By Rail: Guwahati is the nearest railhead.
By Road: Cherrapunjee is well-connected by road with Guwahati and Shillong.
Stay: Polo Orchid Resort, Pala Resort, Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort and a handful of home stays.
Eat: Try the local pork momos, jadoh which is rice cooked with pork blood, and the vegetarian sohra pullao at stalls in the bazaar area. Wash it down with rice beer.
Shop: Cane and bamboo handicrafts, flower honey, Meghalaya tea and locally cultivated spices.
4. Kurumbadi In The Land Of The Kurumbas
In an enchanted corner of the Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains lies a parcel of wilderness—Kurumbadi or the Land of the Kurumbas, one of the five ancient tribes of the Nilgiris. We arrived there via a snaking mountain road edged by wild yellow flowers that reflected the sun. This was the region that had endeared itself to the British, making Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India in the 19th century, exult in a letter to his wife: “It far surpasses all that its most enthusiastic admirers and devoted lovers have said about it. The afternoon was rainy and the road muddy. But such beautiful English rain, such delicious English mud….”
A holiday there takes on a new meaning—trekking up to Droog Fort, Tipu Sultan’s eyrie on the Pakkasuran mountain which flexes its muscles over this fairy tale landscape; plunging into the forest where silent bison lope, their hunkering shapes seeming to block out the light; admiring a spider’s web or a gorgeously plumed bird. What makes Kurumbadi memorable is that it has just one resort—the Kurumba Village Resort, embedded in a spice plantation and surrounded by sturdy jackfruit, rosewood and jacaranda trees. Its bouquet of offerings: swim in the jungle-encased pool, explore the spice plantation with a naturalist, or go on a night trail on the property, ideal for kids who have a lively sense of curiosity.
Round off the day with a tribal meal in a candle-lit cave where you get an insight into the lifestyle of these people. And start the next day with breakfast in a treehouse, high up in a jackfruit tree!
Checklist
Picnic in a grassy meadow or in a tea plantation.
Swing by tranquilitea in Upper Coonoor to experience a gourmet tea tasting session in the picturesque home of a local tea planter. Gorge on a tea-infused lunch at
Gorge on a tea-infused lunch at Tea Nest, a Coonoor home stay, embedded in a tea plantation.
Swing a club at the Wellington golf course near Coonoor.
Check out Coonoor.
Ride on the Nilgiri Passenger, now a Unesco World Heritage site.
Navigator
Getting There
By Air: The nearest airport is at Coimbatore (65 km).
By Rail: Coonoor is 15 km away by the Nilgiri Passenger toy train which runs from Mettapulayam to Ooty.
By Road: Buses and taxis ply to Kurumbadi from Coimbatore, Mettapulayam, Coonoor and Ooty.
Stay: Kurumba Village resort is the only resort in this virgin swathe.
Eat: Savor the tribal fare rustled up by the chefs at the resort.
Shop: Shop in Coonoor for local handicrafts.
5. Periyar For An Eco-Friendly Holiday
A trip to Periyar as a family can transform the young into gung-ho environmentalists. For this photogenic, 925-sq km tiger reserve in Thekaddy, Kerala, has spawned creative tourism initiatives where ex-poachers have been transformed into guides who lead tourists on exciting forest treks. We embarked on one such foray in the company of a villain-turned protector of the forest and came to admire his stealth and knowledge of the land that he had once pillaged for its sandalwood and wildlife. Soon we were crashing through the woods, located high up in the Western Ghats.
Our trek threw up a bouquet of sights as this protected reserve is home to elephants, tigers, panthers, leopards, deer (sambar, barking deer, mouse deer et al), wild dogs, porcupines, wild boar, monkeys, snakes, over 350 species of birds and an endless variety of insects. For the first time in our lives, we were viewing the forest at ground level, without the safety of a vehicle, stooping to examine fresh elephant dung, the hoof prints of a sambar, a porcupine quill.
We encountered a herd of trumpeting elephants, graceful sambar and ungainly wild boar. The ex poachers even had an eye for the small and beautiful—a giant wood spider; a “strangler” vine; a damson fly with transparent wings. The gun slung on our guide’s shoulder did not seem so menacing, after all, and he oozed courage. The jungle’s law of survival of the fittest and eat or be eaten did not seem to faze him. By the end of the trek, he had become our hero.
Checklist
Bullock cart rides in the farmlands of a valley behind the Periyar tiger reserve give an insight into rural life.
Stay in a jungle inn at Kokkara, about an hour’s walk from the forest check post, and listen to the jungle thrum at night.
Navigator
Getting There
By Air: Kochi International Airport (190 km) and Madurai (140 km) are the closest airports.
By Rail: Kottayam (98 km) is the closest railhead. From there, buses or taxis will take you to Periyar. By
By Road: A scenic drive from Kochi or Madurai gets one to Periyar.
Stay: The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) runs the only three hotels within the limits of the reserve. All other hotels are situated in Kumily village, 3 km outside the reserve.
Eat: Restaurants, cafes, and dhabas serve a variety of cuisines in Kumily.
Shop: Fragrant spices, jute, and bamboo products, rose and sandalwood sculptures.
Eat: Savor the tribal fare rustled up by the chefs at the resort.
Shop: Shop in Coonoor for local handicrafts.check out the many eateries in Nainital.
Shop: Pick up decorative candles, Himalayan bags, local jewelry from Nainital.
Contact: ww.kmvn.gov.in
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