Lansdowne

Lansdowne is a small city in Pauri Garhwal of Uttarakhand state of India. It is situated at a height of 1800 mtr above sea level. Its is about 45 km from kotdwar. Originally it was called as Kaludanda and it was named after hills of Kalu and Danda in Garwal District. It was renamed as Lansdowne 1887 after the name of Lord Lansdowne, the viceroy of India at that time. It has always been a cantonment area since then. After Britishers went it became a HUB for Garhwal Rifles.

It is one of those hill stations where you will find peace in harmony. It is very peaceful here and is considered as a offbeat destination only.

• Location and climate

What best you can ask when the hill station is directly connected to a highway. It is directly connected to national highway 534 so reaching there at any point is not that difficult almost 276 km from Delhi NCR Via Meerut Pauri Highway. Nearest railway station is Kotdwar which is around 50 km from Lansdowne.

Below is the average temp round the year:

• How to reach

There are various ways to reach Lansdowne from all parts of India:

Air ways: Dehradoon which is about 148 km from this place has connecting flights with major cities In India. It’s about 4 hours’ drive from there.

Moment you come out from Airport you will fund various taxis options which you can take and reach Lansdowne.

Railways: Since kotdwar is near by only. There is direct train from Old Delhi railway station Mussoorie express which leaves Delhi about 10:30 in night and reached kotdwar at 6 in morning (do check timing beforehand)

Roadways: My way is always highway…take a car from Delhi or bike and its just 7-8 hours drive from Delhi and you will reach Lansdowne. For us if you are going to a hill station and you don’t enjoy natural beauty than you have not done justice…Fun is travelling in your own car/bike is this only. You can take below route from Delhi:

Delhi-Ghazibad-Meerut-Khatauli-Miranpur-Bijnor-Kiratpur-Najibabad-Kotdwar-Landsdowne

As far as busses are concerned you can check below URL. There are buses directly from Delhi to kotdwar. After that you have to take local transport there.

1. 1. 3. UTC Online Services Ver 3.0 (uk.gov.in)

• Best time to visit:

Whenever you decide to go to hills its can be Summer season that’s is April to June or in winters it can be Oct to Say Feb.

Rainy season should be avoided when going to hills for obvious reason as you don’t get chance to explore but sit at one place only.

• Road condition for road trip

Since it is directly connected to National highway roads will be a problem in this trip. You may find small patches after Kotdwar but normally roads are in great condition round the year.

• Where to stay

Home stays: We are just mentioning some of the homestays for which we got very good feedback:

Ullaar Homestay , Village Jaihari, PO Jaiharikhal 246139 Lansdowne, Distt, Jaiharikhal, Uttarakhand 246139 Phone: 070885 25569

Jai Hari Jungle Resort : 90129 50503

Ashirwad Homestay : 9560600745

Moon light homestay: 9410954494/9411121988

Samskara & Samsara: Kotdwar – Lansdowne Rd, Marg, Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 246155 (094129 55700

Good hotel: I will be mentioning some of the good hotels in Lansdowne purely on the basis of guest reviews

Seclude Lansdowne:
        Lansdowne, Umari Khal, Uttarakhand 246162
        Phone: 098107 43242
        Pricing around 3500 per night

7 Hills Hotel and Resort
        Address: 189 ,fatehpur, Jogi Bhilangi, Uttarakhand
Phone: 099111 25253
        Pricing around 3500 per night

Hotel Ravine Palace
        Address: Palkot, Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 246155
Phone: 093681 37415
        Pricing around 4500 per night

• • • What to eat/Where to eat:

In this section we will share our tips as what to eat and more importantly where to eat in Lansdowne:

Cafe Ullasa, Lansdowne
      Location is awesome
      In food you will love both quantity and quality of food.
      Smoothies are very good

Oak Town’s Flavor Tadka Restaurant
      It is in main market.
      Best is chicken fried momos.
      Fried Rice and Manchurian was very good

Tipsy Cafe & Restaurant
      Known for good tea and Maggi
      It is economical too
      They don’t specialize in any food but yes service is        very quick

• What to buy/where to buy:

Over all Lansdowne is not a shopper stop for tourist but still there are some places we can suggest where you go and check local made products:

Lansdowne farmers market: This is very famous market which is being managed by locals and you get items like fresh fruits, cereals, pulses all locally grown. You can also find homemade pickles here. Do try this once and you can also bring them home with you.

Javed Leather boot Store: There are many shops selling leather products in this area but this is special one. They make everything here in Lansdowne only. Craftsmen Woking here are in this business for few generations. They have belt, wallets, Bags and shoes. Their design is very different and prices are reasonable

Lansdowne Travel Café: Whenever you got to any place you are always looking for souvenirs. This is the place for those souvenirs. It’s a book shop where you can read books have some coffee and buy these souvenirs also.

• Activities

What to see nearby places

Camping: Bring your own tent or you can stay in tents only.

Bhulla Tal Boat Ride:  Its one of the main tourist attractions here. Its manmade  lake. It was made my Indian army in memory of jawans of Garhwal Rifles. It’s just 1 km from main city. When you are with family it’s a perfect place to spend some time and enjoy sitting there. Entry is free here. In case you want to do boating here it is chargeable and you have to pay INR 50 per adult. It opens at 10 AM and closes at 6PM.

Snow Viewpoint Trek: See technically Snow Viewpoint Lansdowne is a place that offers a bird’s eye view of the Shivalik range, Garhwal Himalayas, verdant green forests, and a bird’s eye view of the valley. This is a well-known viewpoint with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. It’s a must for adventure lovers. When you reach there, you realize it’s worth all the pain. Just sit and relax and feel the nature that’s what you are supposed to do there. Appreciate the nature and its beauty. It’s just 3 km from Lansdowne. There is no entry fees and this places is open till 6 PM.

Tip N Top:Just like Snow Viewpoint Tip n top is also a similar place it sis 1.5 KM from City. It is also popular as this is the highest t point in Lansdowne.

Nature Walk: When you are at a place like Lansdowne which is known for serenity and natural beauty this is one thing which should be there in your do list. Before breakfast or after dinner or just like that go out and just enjoy nature while walking. Talk to your self your partner and just enjoy the sound of silence. Trust me its the best music for ears.

Visit Religious places: One thing I am still not sure why are there so many temples on every hills. But having said it gives immense satisfaction and inner peace. There are 2 temples and 2 churches in Lansdowne. If you plan well it can be done in a day. Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple is 40 Km from Lansdowne and than we have Santoshi Maa temple which is very close to Tip N Top. Apart from 2 temples we have St John’s and St.Mary’s Church also. St John is on Mall road and St Mary’s is turned into Museum. But the vibes are totally different when you any of the four palaces here.

Darwan Singh Sangrahalaya :With Lansdowne famous for its history for It has been a cantonment town for last 150 years. This museum is dedicated to unsung heroes of Garhwal Regiment. You will find guns and cannons which are very old are kept here. It has a entry fees of INR 50 and it will take approx. 2 hours to cover this place. It mostly opens at 9 and close at 6 p.m. you love to see thigs related to Indian army  and have interest in history this place is a must to visit.

Kalagarh Tiger Reserve: Kalagardh Tiger Reserve is part of Jim Corbett National Park only which is situated in Lansdowne. In 1974 when Corbett Park was made northern part of this park was called as Kalagarh Tiger reserve. It is spread in 300 sq km. There are Sal and Big Sheesahm tree in this reserve. If you are lucky you can spot tiger here else you will spot Elephant,Deer,Leopards,Chital and many other animals too. Kalagar has mainly three gates:
Vatan Vasa Gate
         Kalingo Gate
         Maidavan Gate
         Durgadevi Gate.

There are three Forest Rest Houses situated inside Kalagarh Tiger Reserve. This place is closed in summers and Monsoon as that is breeding season and best time to see Kalagarh Reserve is between Oct-March. Its is approx. 25 Km from Lansdowne. Below I have mentioned the  details:

• • • • Website: https://kalagarhtigerreserve.in/
        Email: [email protected]
        Krishna: +91 -9837448954, +91-9410150641 
        Sanjay: 82793 16969
• 

ATMS’s: Although its always advisable to carry enough cash to mountains as you never know when you might get an emergency .Still there are a few SBI and ICICI  and PNB atm in Lansdowne .We dont rely much on SBI and PNB as they hardly work when you need it.So before going do check on options of Paytma nd Gpay also.