A Serene Escape: Our Journey to Ranikhet

The Journey Begins

We set off around 11AM in the morning from Nainital and reached our Ranikhet hotel around 1:00PM. We booked our taxi from a local taxi stand in Mallital. From prior experience, we were aware that it's best to book the taxi before 11AM from nearby area, by calling any taxi service on google maps or asking hotel to book one for you. The rate we paid was INR 1,800/- but I guess we could have got it for INR 1700/-. Same feeling creeps up every time you close a negotiation - "I could have gotten them down to x amount if I said something some other way xD".

As we ascended into the mountains, we could feel the air getting crisper and the scenery more breathtaking. The anticipation of exploring this beautiful hill station kept our energy high. While gliding through the winding roads leading to Ranikhet, the scenic route filled with vibrant greenery and towering pine trees instantly lifted our spirits.

A Warm Welcome

Upon arriving, we checked into "Himalayan Voyage" that offered panoramic views of the surrounding hills and Himalayan range. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it was super cloudy and we could not see the Himalayas. The warm hospitality of the hosts made us feel at home. After settling in, we were debating on whether to take some rest while sipping tea and enjoying the mesmerizing view or to head out. As soon as we took a big stretch on the bed, we instantly agreed to enjoy the day staying in. We ordered some tea with veg pakora and just sat on the balcony watching birds fly and clouds move in a never ending open sky.

Exploring Ranikhet

Next day, we woke up and went to Kalika temple right next to our stay at 7AM in the morning. Got blessings from Maata ji and Hanuman ji and got back to get some breakfast. The food at our stay was good and we enjoyed a heavy delicious breakfast. Then we had a chat with a few locals around us to identify the places to visit and plan for rest of the day.

We had booked a taxi for 10AM to explore Ranikhet which cost us around INR 1400/-. Coming from a habit of using OLA and Uber where we pay for surge and km, it might seem a lot to pay for a small excursion. Generally, taxi drivers in touristy places of UK and HP don't do more than one trip a day. So there is a minimum base price that they are looking for even if you are traveling a few kms.

Ranikhet is a cantonment area, so we found the place to be super clean with a lot of officers moving around. The number of Royal Enfields parked around was astounding but we did not see even one RE showroom, or we might have missed it. Our route was to first visit places that are the farthest away, then move back into the city and explore.

Ranikhet is a paradise for nature lovers, and for our first stop, we decided to hike to Chaubatia Gardens. Before entering Chaubatia, there is a checkpoint where we had to make an entry and answer some basic questions. Drones and cameras were not allowed in this area so we could not take any long good shots. The gardens, filled with apple, peach, and apricot trees, were a riot of colors. We spent hours wandering through the orchards, enjoying the fragrant blossoms and the breathtaking views. We even indulged in some fresh fruit that our guide picked for us —nothing beats the taste of fresh, juicy apples picked right from the tree!

Our next stop was the famous Jhula Devi Temple, dedicated to Goddess Durga. Surrounded by lush greenery, the temple exuded a peaceful atmosphere that was perfect for quiet reflection. The rhythmic sound of temple bells added to the serenity, making it a memorable experience.

Then we started to move towards the main Ranikhet city and our stop was the Mankameshwar temple. As we approached the temple, the sound of chanting and the aroma of incense filled the air, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The intricate architecture and the vibrant surroundings were captivating, and we took a moment to soak in the spiritual energy of the place.

Moving ahead, we wanted to explore Ranikhet markets. This is a general practice we follow where we always visit the main local market of any place be it village or town. Markets tell us a lot about the place, especially about the kind of things that are produced there. Here we saw the kind of vegetables and fruits that locals prefer, seasons for each and a lot of woolen clothes created locally. We got to taste the pahadi apple and black apple which, as we were told, were from the nearby garden. Also, we were told that during off seasons, we will not find the Pahadi walnuts and apples, instead these are imported from Kashmir much like most of the north India.

While on this road, we tried the Momos from Vicky da momos on locals recommendation. It was not like the general momo that we have in cities just like we expected. We have noticed that local vendors in hilly areas tend to make momo only with salt and pepper, just like it should be, served with a spicy tangy momo chutney or the good old Mayo. In cities, people experiment a lot with it and ruin it, to be honest.

After our little exploration, we decided to call it a day and go back to our stay. We also visited the Rani Jheel but it was a huge letdown. There was a Golf course that people were recommending but honestly we were not interested in it at all. Rather we got back, and to our surprise, the sky was a little more clear and we could see one of the peaks of the Himalaya.

We decided to set an alarm for 5:30 AM tomorrow with the hope to see the Himalayas in full view. Cut to morning, we woke up and 15 mins later, the fog cleared up and we saw the majestic range with our jaws dropped. Honestly, I don't know for how long we were staring at this wonder but once we got our attention back, we started clicking pictures.

As our full studio session came to a close, we had our breakfast on the balcony and left for the next hotel. We had booked a more comfortable hotel for this day near Majhkali named "Alpine Rhapsody" since we had already planned to relax and take a full day rest.

We just had wonderful conversations while enjoying the view from the extended common balcony accompanied by tea, pakodas, cookies, bananas and pizza. We read a lot about the pizza in this place and it was absolutely delicious.

We did some star gazing sessions at night, played ludo and chess in the open and decided to retire for the night. Next day we had to travel to Kausani since the locals told us that we would get the best view of the Himalayas from there.

Stay tuned to read about our little adventure in Kausani......