I could easily be a morning person if I get to wake up to a sun rising from behind snow capped mountains. To wake up to many a colorful birds chirping in harmony, as if to welcome the sun with a melodious song remains the urban fantasy I cannot have. Though I have accepted my fate to be abruptly woken up by an alarm everyday, it is the quiet mornings in remote Himalayan villages that the heart longs for. Crisp mornings when the sky is a canvas with a thousand shades of sunrise, birds starting their day with a cheerful song, pine trees swaying to the music of the mountain wind, temple bells ringing in distance and not another soul awake – there is an untold charm in watching the mountains come alive.
Last week was spent slow travelling, enjoying life at the sleepy village of Ranichauri, around 80 km (3 hours) from the hustle bustle of Rishikesh. I was invited by Pahadi House Ranichauri, to explore this unknown little hamlet, and I have brought back many a moments to cherish along. Having experienced their hospitality before at Kanatal, I already had high expectations in terms of location, food as well as service, which were met at Ranichauri as well. Quiet mornings of this village stole my heart, and the days spent here warmed me to the Himalayan way of life.
For those who enjoy offbeat travel, Pahadi House Ranichauri is a perfect weekend getaway from Delhi. Almost at the end of the village, a few hundred meters away from civilization, this property is almost at the edge of a Himalayan Pine forest. Surrounded by mighty pine trees, and mightier mountains, the location is just picture perfect. Although it takes a short hike to reach, the effort is well worth the destination.
Once there, one can decide on either dwelling in a cottage or a Swiss Tent, depending on your taste. Tents were my personal favorite, for the sheer romanticism that they brought along. Spacious, neat and comfortable, these Swiss tents are equipped with all generic facilities that one can expect at a remote location like this one. With an attached bath that seems like a luxury here, the tents are well designed to make for a comfortable stay. Mine had wildflowers growing along the way, with queues of pine trees as a backdrop; It was picture-perfect, in every sense of the word.
On a clear day, snow clad Himalayan Peaks are visible right from the tents.
We had a view like this for breakfast one day, dropped all plans and decided to stay in and enjoy the perks of nature. Interesting conversations brewed over a hot cup of adrak-chai and brought so many stories of the distant mountains, right into our backyard.
They have a perfect setting for an outdoor meal, under the sun or the stars. Sunshine for warmth during the day and a bonfire of dried pine cones during the night, every meal brought along with it local flavors as well as stories from far beyond the mountains that were visible.
This one was not my usual weekend getaways. Fortunately enough, this time I had enough days to laze around as well as go on a couple of hiking trails nearby. While spending lazy days basking in the sun seems perfect to begin with, the mountain lover in me wished for some activity as well. Walking around the village, talking to the locals, getting right into the middle of terrace fields was all good fun. I brought along a strand of wheat from one of those fields as well as a bunch of rhododendron flowers. Our guide somehow knew I wished for these red beauties and brought them along for me. It is always special to get flowers, and even more so when you’re not expecting them. These postcards from the hike and the walk around the village are already making me crave for the mountains again!
A hike to Danda Chuli or to the famous Surkhanda Devi Temple (at Kaddukhal), a visit to the Tehri Dam & Lake are the possibilities around Ranichauri, if you wish to do something else other than eat, sleep and enjoy the Himalayan views at Ranichauri.
Pahadi House Ranichauri was a perfect getaway, away from madness of city life to enjoy a laid back holiday in nature’s lap. A Yoga Retreat is going to come up here soon. Far away from the madness of Rishikesh, this seems to be a much better setup for losing yourself to nature and gaining fitness in the process.
