Binsar, the Mighty Himalayas & Life

[lordofgondor]

What do you do when you keep hearing the mountains calling you but just can’t go to them?

What do you do when that call becomes ever ringing in your ears?

The answer is very simple, and it is to answer that call.

And that’s what wifey and I did, and made the absolutely amazing choice of heading to Binsar. We stayed at KMVN TRH 2N/3D, and I felt ready to settle in there for the rest of my life, away from noise, congestion and population. It was just us, lotta Baboons (not the human variety) and the charming beauty of nature. The TRH is one of the best places to stay I’ve been to up till now. It had a courteous staff, great food (if you’re not really addicted to meat/poultry), rustic rooms & a terrace with the view to die for.

How & why we made this choice was soon immaterial and now I am ready to debate with anyone who says that the journey itself is a destination. And these are some of the reasons why:






















This was a trip that made me re-realize (been sometime since I’d realized last) that I just am just not made for the maddening rush, noise, hustle, in fact lot of things that our metropolitans have to offer. I know I am not alone, and here we all sit caught in the web of life. The good news is that we’re also caught in the Virtuous Circle of peace & tranquility that our journeys to places like these offer.

[pranava999]

really wonderful can you expand trh and kmvn? Nice place wish i get to see the Himalayas next year.

I can understand your sentiments and yearnings.

[snaronikar]

Wow..nice pics. I long to see the Himalayas and snow covered mountains. I will do this some day. Pls do post some more pics if you have.

[lordofgondor]

@pranava999:
KMVN = Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam - The govt. body looking after tourism in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand.

TRH = Tourist Rest House - That's what KMVN calls it's accomodations.

And I hope your wishes comes true.

@snaronikar: Hope your day comes soon buddy. Will post more pics from home as office PC has no useful image editing software. :(

[lohithrao]

lord, Himalaya has a charm which cant be explained in words... looking at the pics one can get lost wonder what will happen when you are really there

Great pics, esp first once...

This week has been good got to read and view(images) some good travelogues!

[Saurabh M]

Very nice pics. I had been to the TRH once, during evening, before sunset, from Almora. The sunset hues on the snow capped peaks are something to die for.

I know exactly what you meant when you mentioned about the terrace. What a beautiful place!! You can spend the entire day sitting there, taking in the views and never get bored. Though we did not spend the night there, we always wished that we did. There was no electricity that time (yr 2000). How are things now?

There is also a "designated" sunset view point beyond the TRH, through the forests. Did you go there?

[Nitin]

No wonder they call that part of India 'heaven on earth'! Beautiful pics,Sir!
More to come?

[godog]

What a delight, that set of photographs. I'd have easily mistaken them for a Promotional/Advertisement, if not for the 6th picture

[WanderNomad]

Very few pics, need more

[gd1418]

These indeed are the promotional pictures. The 6th one is that of the model that KMVN engaged...

Originally Posted by godog

What a delight, that set of photographs. I'd have easily mistaken them for a Promotional/Advertisement, if not for the 6th picture

[Sam Kapasi]

Lovely! Please tell us how one gets there from New Delhi (for example)

[deky]

Thanks for posting the pics, reminds me of the trip I had 5 years back with my wife in my Santro

Binsar is one of the most beautifull places ive been to in Uttrakhand, also a great bird sanctuary and a great place for trekking and hiking.

And since not many tourists venture there, it still holds its calmness and serenity.

@ Sam:- When we visited that area our base was in Ranikhet and took a day trip to Binsar (3hrs drive/ 80kms), So I guess if you want to visit Binsar the best route would be Delhi-hapur-Moradabad-Ramnagar-Ranikhet-Binsar.

If there is any other alternat route, Others might throw some light on that.

[Astleviz]

Sam, from Delhi you can take this route
Delhi > Hapur Road > Moradabad > Rampur > Haldwani > Nainital > Almora > Binsar.

While there, you may also want to visit Kausani and Mukhteshwar, these places too are worth a visit and not very far from each other.

Usually the best places to stay are the KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam) guest houses. You can check for accomodation availability and rates on their website WELCOME TO ONLINE RESERVATION : KUMAON HIMALAYAS :::: Simply Heaven !

[meghan]

Awesome place!

Have been there two years back. It's still a place not so much affected by tourism. Hope it stays that way since its mainly a sanctuary and had been there for bird watching.

There are various places around that region near Nainital which are quite untouched. Seeing the state Nainital is right now really saddened me. Tourism can really ruin any good place in a few years.

All pics are taken at Binsar.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Lovely! Please tell us how one gets there from New Delhi (for example)

Its two hours from Nainital by road.
But don't be sure that you will see mountains, more often than not the sky is dirty gray and mountains are invisible, all due to the haze.
Winters ofcourse mean good rewards
In this gallery the first 11 pics are of Binsar.
Not even a single snow clad mountain was visible due to the haze
Tanveer Singh (tanveer) : photos : Nainital - Binsar March 2008- powered by SmugMug