Whenever the summer heat gets unbearable all I dream of is escaping to the beautiful hills. We, North Indians are in so much love with nearby hill stations that many of us refer these as our summer home. We are soon going to enter the hottest months of this season. And all I can hear is the buzz around for planning a perfect weekend getaway from Delhi.

In fact, we are also in the vacation planning mode for the next month. It’s been 3 months since our last holiday. And, now we badly need a quick escape from all the city chaos and stress to recharge our mind & body. The other day I was discussing the options for a weekend trip with my husband. And, we were shortlisting the places we could consider for our little getaway.

But this time we ended up in an argument on where to go. And, this has happened for the first time that we were having clashing ideas for shortlisting a destination. I want to explore some new place in Himachal Pradesh this time whereas hubby dearest has his heart in Uttarakhand.

I reminded him of our last couple of hill vacations in Uttarakhand. To which he refreshed my memory of visiting Manali on last New Year’s Eve. Ok, but I don’t think that counts. It was too cold and we could not explore Manali at that time.

Where to go on a Weekend Family Trip? Himachal or Uttarakhand?

It’s not that I don’t like Uttarakhand, it is as dearest to me as Himachal. But Himachal is more lively and is full of adventures. I mean if I think of it now, I feel the choice of place depends on what kind of vacation you are looking for. As you know, I am a die-hard adventure lover and that’s my biggest calling while deciding a place to visit.

Pic from our Trip to Kausani

Sumit is also an adventure enthusiast but this time he’s looking for a leisure trip. And, he successfully convinced me for another weekend getaway from Delhi to Uttarakhand. I agreed only on one condition that we will stay at an Airbnb like our last family trip to Mukteshwar. I will be revealing the place in my Instagram stories next week so catch me there for all the fun.

Our weekend getaway is almost sorted. But if you are still confused about whether to go to Himachal or visit the unexplored Uttarakhand, check out the below points.

Pic from our Manali Trip in Himachal

• Why choose Himachal Pradesh as a perfect weekend getaway?

1- Himachal is undoubtedly a more developed state as compared to Uttarakhand with better infrastructure.

2- It is also the preferred choice of tourists due to the many facilities it offers to them.

3- The roads are much better from Delhi to Himachal as compared to roads leading to Uttarakhand.

4- Huge adventure opportunities for tourists of all ages.

5- There’s a wide variety of stay options in Himachal as compared to Uttarakhand.

Pic from our Mukteshwar Trip in Uttarakhand

• Why choose Uttarakhand as a perfect weekend getaway?

1- Uttarakhand is more serene and peaceful. It is an explorers delight as not many tourists are seen in this part.

2- People of Uttarakhand are extremely helpful & friendly.

3- Their hospitability is beyond comparison. They can go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.

4- Many hill stations are not yet commercialized & offers an unspoiled beauty to its visitors.

5- Garhwal and Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand are known to be the safest places in India. Hence, a perfect getaway option for solo travelers and families.

You may also read – Weekend Getaway to Kausani in Uttarakhand!

I hope I cleared up some confusion about where to go this summer holidays. So, what are your plans for a weekend getaway with the family? Do share with me in the comments below.

That’s all for now, see you guys tomorrow with another travel related post.

Today is Day 23 of #BlogchatterA2Z and the letter of the day is ‘W’. My theme for the challenge is ‘Traveling with kids’ & I have chosen W for Weekend Getaway. 

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Reference – https://www.quora.com/Which-is-a-better-state-Himachal-Pradesh-or-Uttarakhand

The post Weekend Getaway from Delhi? Where to go, Himachal or Uttarakhand? appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

We, Delhites, are famous for taking impromptu weekend trips to nearby hills whenever we feel strangled by the city stress or the ever-increasing workload. Even on the weekends, I find myself finishing off my previous week’s pending tasks. I try to complete my work on the weekend so that I can have relaxing weekdays. However, that’s a vicious cycle and there’s no rest in our lives, we all know that. The only time I feel rejuvenated is when I am somewhere far away from the city life with my family. Those few days, make me feel alive. And that’s the rule of our family, we work hard and rather than partying, we travel to new places to rewind ourselves. Long trips or short trips, don’t matter but we try to take at least 2-3 trips in a year.

We had a great weekend trip last month to Kausani and here’s the Part -2 of our Trip. So, by now, you know how we planned a weekend getaway road trip to Kausani. If you still haven’t read the previous post, do check it out, here!

Things to do in Kausani

In today’s post, I am going to share about some exciting things you can do in Kausani. But before anything else, I want to mention that please don’t confuse Kausani with Kasauli. Kasauli is another beautiful hill station but is located in Himachal Pradesh whereas Kausani is located in Uttarakhand.

When you have come so far to a beautiful destination which is surrounded by Himalayan peaks, sightseeing is a must. There’s one best thing about Kausani and that is you can have a picturesque view of the beautiful snow-clad mountain ranges from anywhere in Kausani. Although, we were on a leisure trip for a day and wanted to relax in our hotel. But when the weather changed in the evening and it started raining we wanted to go out and enjoy it.

1) Anasakti Ashram

In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi visited Kausani and stayed at this place for 2 weeks. During his stay, he practiced Anasakti yoga, due to which this place is named as Anasakti Ashram, also known as Gandhi Ashram.

Anasakti Ashram

Gandhi Ji was so mesmerized by the beauty of this hill station that he named it the ‘Switzerland of India’ due to the resemblance in landscape and beauty.

Anasakti Ashram viewpoint

The ashram has a small museum and a prayer hall and also offers an accommodation facility to its guests. The place is very peaceful and attracts many tourists due to its historical attachment to Gandhiji.

Entry to the Ashram is free.

2) Trek to Pinnath

If you are an adventure junkie and trekking is your game, then you must check out this trek to Pinnath. It’s a small, beautiful village about 5 Km from Kausani and is reachable only by trekking. The trek is not too difficult hence even first-timers or amateur trekkers can do it too. This trek may take up to 5 hrs to and fro, hence keep a full day in hand to enjoy its beauty to the fullest. We skipped the trek as we were traveling with a toddler, but this is still on our list for the next time.

Trek to Pinnath
Image Source – daaju.com

You may also want to read Top 5 travel essentials when traveling with kids!

3) Baijnath Temple

Just like any other hill station, Kausani is also famous for its old temples. One of them is, Baijnath temple located in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, some 16 Km from Kausani. This temple is dedicated towards Lord Shiva and is a delight for religious people as well as for admirers of great architecture.

Baijnath Temple
Image Source – doonmozaic.com

4) Rudradhari Falls and Caves

In case you do not want to opt for the 5 hrs trek to Pinnath, but still want to experience the fun of trekking, consider visiting Rudradhari falls. This is situated at a distance of 12 Km from Kausani. First, you have to reach Kantali village and from there start the 2 Km trek inside the village to reach Rudradhari falls.

Rudradhari Falls
Image Source – trawell.in

The best time to enjoy the falls is during monsoon when the water flows with full might over a vertical drop. There is also a small temple of Lord Shiva situated near the falls. The overall experience of trekking and the sight of falls along with the natural caves will leave you mesmerized.

5) Visit the Shawl Factory

Kausani is also famous for its handmade woolen shawls. You can see many small shawl factories in Kausani. The shawl factory is an initiative taken by local people to help create employment and growth opportunities for the people of Kausani. Since we started exploring the marketplace in the evening, the shawl factory was already closed when we reached there.

Shawl Factory Kausani

However, the factory owner was so humble and opened the door for us so that we could have a look at the machines and how they make shawls and other small woolen garments. The person who accompanied us to the factory also showed us how the shawl is made. We couldn’t resist ourselves from buying shawls from there.

These shawls have beautiful embroidery work done on them and their price depends upon the type of wool used and the fineness of the embroidery.

6) Space Museum at Stargate Observatory

If you like science as much as you adore nature, and if have always been curious to know about space and celestial objects, then you should definitely visit Stargate Observatory. It is just a walking distance from Anasakti Ashram. Yes, an observatory with a space museum on a hill station.

Stargate Observatory

They charge a fee of INR 100/- if you want to observe celestial objects using professional equipment.

Unbelievable, isn’t it? Check out the below pics from the museum which left me awe-struck.

Stargate Observatory – Museum

7) Kausani Planetarium

Just opposite the Stargate observatory, across the road, there is a small cafe with a small board which says Kausani Planetarium since 2001.

Kausani Planetarium

So, basically, this one is the old planetarium and is operated by one man who is an amateur astronomer and his name is Mr. Kiran Khulbe. And he’s also from Delhi, coincidence.

I consider myself lucky that I got to speak to such an amazing person who knows so much about the objects in our universe. And he’s doing his part by sharing his knowledge with the people who visit his planetarium. And he charges only INR 50/- for an evening and morning live planet show. Unbelievable!

Night Planet Show

Check out the pictures and you will know how much we enjoyed watching planets so close to us. We saw the moon, Venus, Jupiter with its moons, and Saturn with its ring. It was an extraordinary experience and I highly recommend visiting this place to everyone if you are in Kausani.

Morning at Kausani Planetarium

That’s all, for now, guys, hope you liked reading this post. Do share it with your friends and family. In my upcoming post on Kausani, I will share about our next day of the trip and how we found the amazing caves in Nainital. So, stay tuned and keep watching this space.

The post 7 Exciting Things to do in Kausani – Weekend Trip appeared first on Growing With Nemit.