They say, well begun is half done.

We were recently touring unexplored destinations in Uttarakhand and our expedition started from Chakrata, the cantonment town in the district of Dehradun. Our first two days in Chakrata were very eventful and full of adventure, thanks to Uttarakhand Tourism who organised this offbeat one-of-a-kind experience to this beautiful state for us.

It took us 9-10 hours to reach Chakrata from Delhi, long lunch and chai pakora breaks thrown in (we’re laid-back travelers). We spent our first night at Koruwa at Deodar Dreams Resort in beautiful wooden cabins erected in the middle of vast green farmland. But the magic of this place set in once we woke up in the morning and stepped out of our cabins. We were surrounded by mountains in varied hues of blue and green. Thanks, guys for the coffee, bonfire, and sumptuous dinner out in the open under the starry sky.  Because of you – our trip had started on a promising note.

The next stop was water rappelling at Kimona Falls. That was a new for us. Everybody in our team was out of their wits trying to evaluate how dangerous was this activity. Sucker for all things adventure I volunteered to go first, and man, what an experience! The activity was done under the supervision of trained professional Mr. Sandeep Singh, a degree holder from NIM. I followed his instructions to the T. After the initial – oh God will I make it feel – it was orgasmic. The cool water splashing on the face head-on made me forget that I was virtually hanging in the stream! Under Mr. Singh’s instruction, I also let go of my hand to pose a wave to my teammates but no picture or video could capture the adrenaline rush that I was experiencing. The activity also involved a little bit of trekking down and up the hill. Water rappelling was breathtaking – literally so. Try it only if you are an adventure person.

Next up was drive to Tiger Falls – the most sought-after picnic spot in Chakrata. Like a true blue Piscean, I just couldn’t resist water the second time today. Standing below this waterfall under the massive pressure of water falling over you, one just marvels at the gifts of nature that have been bestowed upon this beautiful state.  The feeling was most cathartic here. We spent a good couple of hours at Tiger Falls.

A stroll through Chakrata market followed by a few hours’ drive and we were at our next stay in Chakrata – Ramtal Resort. The good got better here. These luxury tents were located in a pristine location in Chakrata and the view from here was totally worth the drive and fatigue. The stay at Ramtal Resort and the sunset from Chilmiri Peak can be the sole reason to come to Chakrata.  The food here was a simple home-cooked variety and we prefer that when we travel.

We loved this part of our trip and believe this can also be a standalone activity, like for people who are looking for just a relaxed staycation.

There is a lot more to share about our Uttarakhand journeys so do stay tuned.

P.S. – Special thanks to Mr. Prakash Khatri for some of the beautiful shots.

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Harsil-Uttarakhand: Everything You Need to Know