Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Travelogues (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/)

-   -   Empty forest house, dark night, candle, guitar & 3Musketeers: driving Binsar/Nainital (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/88861-empty-forest-house-dark-night-candle-guitar-3musketeers-driving-binsar-nainital.html)

It has been a good day so far with lovely roads, clear sky and beautiful vistas

Yeh Wadia



On these roads the fun of drive multiplies



We were stopped at the entry of the Binsar Forest Reserve get our gate pass, the mile post was showing 11kms to Binsar. After paying entry fees, we entered the forest road leading to the Binsar Forest Rest House.



Our car climbed the steep road, which suddenly become narrower, literally one way. Now we can just pray not to get encountered by upcoming traffic. Our pray got accepted and we reached the KMVN guest house without any hurdle. The guest house is located in the middle of forest with no human habitation nearby. There is no electricity, solar power gives 2 hours back-up till 9pm; for the rest of the night we have to manage with candles. There is no guest today apart from us, all guest house is ours and looks like a complete thrilling night ahead.



Here came the evening, mists and clouds came down from nowhere, everything started getting darker and darker. We had our dinner before lights went off and entered our room number 103. Shantanu took out his guitar and old hostel days’ renovated in candle light. The forest was resting in complete darkness, chilling breeze passing by and the night got started!


Torn page only... whole story to be continued...

Cheers
Hriday

Pictures are really nice. When can we expect the part2 of the story. Seem to be interesting.

Monsoon all over northern India. Saw the change from sand storming piles of sands to lash green landscapes during 35days long stay in the deserts of Barmer, Rajasthan.

It’s been long since my car got cranked and got a drive, so a drive to hill was invariably due. A few plans were on the cards, it’s just a question of getting companies. A few calls and Shantanu and Ashwini were on for it and we all zeroed for a trip to Nainital and Binsar

GPS trace from Moradbad to Binsar



We started our journey at 3:15am, on Sunday from BRT corridor.

Nightmare BRT corridor @ night


I wanted to avoid the traffic of Gaziabad and no time is better than very early morning.

Long exposure on the drive...



Soon we crossed Hapur and by 5am we are at Bihuni where we decided for our morning tea.

We were yet to decide our route to Nainital, there are two ways from Moradbad that leads to our destination.

Route 1: Continue NH24 to Rampur, take the left on NH87 which goes all upto Nainital.

Route 2: Take MDR65W from Moradbad, this route goes via Tanda and Kaladhungi and shorted than Route1. The plus point of this route is it goes through buffer zone of Corbatt National Park.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Majority vote went for Route2 and we resumed our journey.


At around 7am we arrived at Moradbad, the city was just waking up. Little misguidance from GPS delayed us by 30mins inside the city. Road conditions start getting bad as we left the city, we really got slow down. But, beautiful lash green view kept us away from the feeling of the mistake made by choosing this road.





Saw a lots of eagles (I don’t know its species) sitting on the trees



Blessing in disguise! Bad road though slowed us down; it gave a lot of opportunity to look in the trees for birds. This hornbill shot was a result of that!



You can always spot monkeys on indian roads...


Life starts early here.



Saw numerous wood market and woods were carried in bullocks, horse carts, trucks making our progress sluggish





After crossing NH74, the road become better and soon we entered the buffer of Corbatt.




By 10am we arrived at Kaladhungi, from where hilly roads for Nainital starts, but we were so lost in beauty, we missed it and hit the road to Haldwani…
To be continued...

Looks like you all had great fun. Late now, will see this one, second thing in the morning after (Images from Above). Regards,

Moradabad reminded of my days in UP. Those were really some days taking Sangam express through Aligarh/Rajghat/Chandausi/Moradabad/Haridwar on a cold winter with chai in Kulhad!

Man you reminded of my days! But Nainital/Binsar and the nearby areas still allude me. Will plan all these area some time.

Keep the snaps coming!

Excellent pics, hridayjyoti. Please continue asap.

:OT By the way are you from Assam or NE?

thank you all. Of late I have been little busy with tight travelling schedules and lots of photos to pick. I will try to move forward as fast as possible.

Thanks Jay. Yeah, I am from Jorhat, Assam. but currently I am in Gurgaon/Rajasthan.

Great pics. The travelogues are pouring with some beautiful pics. It looks like Puraani Jeans aur Gitar in room 103.

Did you book the forest house before hand?

Any contacts to book? If you share procedure to book & price, it would be nice.

A well documented travelogue, nice pics and fun with the guitar man. The last two exposures are very good at low light conditions. Will come back again, please update. Regards,

Really well written TL Hriday,

The first couple of pics are just awesome man. Waiting for more.

You have laid the bait and iam trapped in your log-please post as early as possible -can't wait to read the rest. Excellent pics loved the one in room No 103-guitar?? The roads look hellish?

Stunning pics. These pics do justice to the environment you guys went to explore.

Thank you all for those overwhemling response...

Our hearts enlightened as we saw Nainital is just 38 kms ahead of us.




Road through Corbatt Buffer zone


We drove 30kms so far, what the heck! Where is the hilly road? We should be negotiating curves by now. GPS is also showing it 40kms more to Nainital. Something is wrong, immediately I took out maps and zoom out GPS. Oh no, we missed the direct road from Kaladhungi and now we were on the road via Haldwani!

Just before Kaladhungi, I guess we missed the turn here



The road from Kaladhungi to Haldwani is quite good and it also started raining. By 10:30am we were at Haldwani. I took the steering from Aswhini, I would be driving in hills. I feel on those roads the understanding of power and dimension of the vehicle is very important
Soon cloud cladded hills come to sight.



Now the curves begin. Road condition is excellent despite of heavy rains. Except for occasional landslide spots and large toppled boulders lying along the roads. We took the direct road to Nainital via Jeolikote. I planned to take the Bhawali-Bhimtal road on our return journey. It has stopped raining now. It’s always fun to drive on hills when roads passed by fast moving clouds. Needless to say, car AC went off as we hit the hills and now the water droplets hitting our skins. We were making good speed so far. By 11:30am we at Nainital







Wish I could have one bhutta like them!







Driving throguh mist is real fun



First glimpse of Nainital.



Just a random click



We took right for Mall road, entry fees for mall road Rs 50 per vehicle per entry. Now, it is our turn to find a hotel. Criteria: on the mall road; better if room is lake facing; has car parking place; more importantly should fit to our budget.

We checked in a hotel “Channi Raja” with our all criteria fulfilled; right on the mall road. September is off season in Nainital, so we got a good 50% discount and took a suite for Rs 1890/- Big room, lake view, all wooden finish, one king sized bed, 3 big sofas, TV was there but we were not bothered to switch it on, so don’t know about channels.



Our room



We freshened up, went out to mall road for lunch. We had our lunch at Shan-E-Punjabi restaurant, which was quite a delicious feast.

Our lunch



Nanital from lunch table



The mall road

Thank you all. I will try to move ahead as much as possible this weekend.

yeah it was purani jeans aur guitar!
No, I didn't book the room before. It was offseason, also a weekday.
Online booking can be done through "www.kmvn.org" website for all Kumaon hill stations.
Sure, I will be putting up all details of the travel soon.

Cheers!

Very nice pics and write up. The random shot is very good coupled with the bird pics and the last 2 pics in the first post. Waiting for the next part now!