Exploring Kanatal Mountains - North India

Exploring Kanatal Mountains

North India

A small break from Delhi

It was already the second week of June and since my return to India in April this was my first leisure trip out of Delhi and what an amazing way to kick start my adventure bug than a trip to the mountains.

Statue of Hindu God Shiva by Ganga River Haridwar

Ganga River, Haridwar.

We did have a couple of pit stops on the way to stretch our legs and take in some of the cultural history of the area.

A small group of us travelled to the not so well known but oh so picturesque mountains of Kanatal, a 7 hour straight drive from Delhi in good traffic. If the traffic is bad it can easily take over 12 hours. If you are not good with windy mountain roads this is not the drive for you as we endured nearly 3 hours of them before reaching our final destination. However on arriving it soon become very much worth it. We had finally reached our destination, Pahadi House, an amazing little hide away set in one of the most breathtaking back drops I have come across so far in my time in India.

View from our cabin, Pahadi House

Compulsory mountain background selfie 

Our cabins, Pahadi House

After a small rest and a mouth watering breakfast which had been made from all fresh local produce to traditional recipes of the area, it was time to go and explore. A short windy road trip later we made our way into the forest for a hike. The weather was just right. Warm with a refreshing breeze.

We only walked for just over an hour but with the steep terrain which took you up then down and then up again gave more than enough of a workout. It definitely got my heart rate pumping. Next was back to Pahadi House for another beautifully home cooked meal but this time there was no time to rest. We were back out for our next adventure.

When you first catch glimpse of the Tehri Dam River as you drive down its like a scene from a film

Tehri Dam Reservoir

I don't know what it is but there's something about bobbing along on the open waters that just puts me at a complete sense of calm. The river is the most captivating aqua colour that glistens so magically as the sun hits it.

As the sun started to set creating yet another perfect view it was time to return to the cabins. It was not about tackling those winding road in the dark.

But of course the night would not have been complete without some pre-dinner dancing.

This however was the end of the night for my tired old butt and had to carry my weary legs off to bed and didn't even make it to dinner.

I woke the next day so fresh and alive, but then who wouldn't waking up to such an exhilarating view.

Time for one last fantastic breakfast and like that it was time to start our journey back to Delhi.

For anyone who just wants to get away from all the hum drum of the towns and cities I would thoroughly recommend coming to somewhere like this. It's the perfect place to just come and switch off and tap back into the pure nature.

If you want to see a little more of what we got up to you can watch my first ever Vlog documenting this whole weekend.

Hope you enjoyed this.

Thank you

B xx

Pahadi House Website

Pahadi House Facebook Fan Page

Pahadi House TripAdvisor Page

The Beauty Inside India Pt1

I really can not believe that I have been here a month already. The time has flown by even though I feel like I've been here forever and not in a bad way. Although I am here for work reasons I had been sure  to make time to visit some of India's amazing sights. For once I have done what I never do back home and allow myself to be a tourist.

My first week here some of my India work colleagues were kind enough to take us to visit India Gate, a war memorial built in memory of the 82000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died during World War 1. It had finally hit me, even after being here for a few days already, I was in India. We went around dusk and with the lights used around this monument it really helped to emphasise it's beauty.

Since being here I have also been fortunate enough to visit Agra the home of the Taj Mahul and it's Red Fort. I now thoroughly know why this is named as one of the 7 wonders of the world. I was completely consumed and in awe of its amazing architecture and the story behind how it became. Standing in the middle of one of the world's greatest pieces of architectural history you can not help but feel some kind of emotion. Add to that sharing the experience with some amazing people, most of which I had not long known, all made for a truly unique and perfect day.

Our group left Delhi for Agra around 1am. Because we were so many we decided to hire a coach for the day which worked out approximately  £12.50 per person between 24 of us. We arrived just outside the Taj around 5:25 am and we're hoping to see the sunrise at 6am. However due to the time it took to buy our tickets, queue and go through security amongst other things we just missed it. Never the less on entering, the view was still well worth the 11pm wake up. 

Every inch of the grounds has been so beautifully crafted all of which by hand. Our guide was quite comprehensive in he's talk of the history of the Taj of which is such a beautiful story of love. The marble it is made of is still in such amazing condition after all these hundreds of years and parts of which embedded with many precious stones.

By 9am our tour of the Taj had already come to an end but as we were leaving the grounds, apart from the vast amount of kids trying to sell us snow globes, we were met by a few other locals.

After some breakfast at a near by restaurant we were off to our second venue of the day the Red Fort. This was equally as breathtaking as the Taj with just as much history behind it.

 I'm here for another 5 months and can not wait to explore so much more of India and to share my adventures with you. This week I'm hoping to finally get to visit the Lotus Temple situated in the south of Delhi so I look forward to sharing that with you soon.