Kausani - In the midst of Himalayas

Kausani / Kasauni
Once Gandhiji was residing here in Anashakti Ashram for some time .
And he loved the place so much that he called it mini Switzerland of India .
True to this metaphor, Kausani has maintained its tranquill environment and uncomparable beauty up to the core.

Kausani is a distinct hill station in the Bageshwar district of Uttrakhand and takes long to reach definitely. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam around 142 KM from Kausani. There is a daily train from Delhi to Kathgodam.Once you reach Kathgodam the road from here to Kausani is itself a bliss to travel. A two lane highway between lush green chinar, deodar and chritmas tree, bright hills and zig-zag routes takes you to Kausani in 4-4.5 hours. The weather is cold throughout and max. temperature is around 23 degrees. Kausani itself is situated in the midst of Kumaon Himalayas. The greatest attraction here is the view of snow clad peaks of Himalayas 180 degrees straight. Its an absolutely beautiful part of nature where you can feel the vastness, hugeness and the divinity of the great mountains. The peaks are black rocks and white snow sometimes sneaking above the clouds too. The 180 degrees view is the reason why Gandhiji called Kausani mini Switzerland. There are no tourist spots here, but most of the tourist come here to enjoy the peaceful life and wonderful weather. You can also visit the Anashakti Ashram where Gandhiji stayed.

Another place worth visiting here is the Baijnath Temple. These temples are a gruop of around 14-15 old stone structures which were build in 2nd century. Baijnath or Vaidyanath - the Shiva temples come under the archeological survey of india and are maintained in the finest conditions. Its around 15 km from Kausani.

Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet and Bhimtal are nearby hill stations in this part which are famous.
So if you are looking for a long holiday, you can plan a week long span for Nainital and Kausani. I am sure it will be a memorable trip.

Imp. Points : There is no market in Kausani, therefore no chance of shopping. Spare that for Nainital or Almora.
Most of the hotels here are cottages and resorts emphasizing on stay with nature and tranquility.

Nature call - Amboli

If you think of one of the least explored hill stations in Maharashtra, it has to be Amboli.
Situated about 390 km from pune on the western ghats, Amboli is nearest one can think of going to nature.
I went there in the midst of monsoon, so all that i could see there was green and white !!
But the weather is equally pleasant all the year round. One of the best place to watch out here are the Nagatta falls situated around 3 km from here.
The falls are 700m high and are full of water and greenery even in the summer. You can enjoy a nice bath under the steady and cool stream flowing here. The hills surrounding Amboli are so lush green that you truely feel like a thick green velvet blanket has covered the entire surrounding. To add to your delight, there is not much of a crowd so most of the places are clean and peaceful. The other places to visit here which are equally apealling are
1) Hiranyakeshi - which is an old temple and
2) Sunset point - from where you can experience one of the best sights of the Sun.
The hotels here are decent and cheap. There is no scope for shopping here as this is a really small town.
So just pack a small bag and go out there to Amboli to enjoy a tranquill and peacefull weekend. You will get the best out of Amboli in 2 days.
Route -->Pune - Satara - Karad - Kolhapur - Amboli.
Tip : You can get a quick Mahalaxmi Darshan on the way at Kolhapur.