Munsyari Road Trip

Tour Highlights

A marvelous road trip to the last frontier - Munsyari. Bordering Tibet and Nepal. The Greater Himalayan range is a 15 Kms. aerial distance from Munsyari with the Panchachuli peak towering over this small Kumaoni village. The views of the snow capped mountains is breath taking. Land of the Pink Rhododendrons, Munsyari is the starting point for several High Altitude treks including the Nanda Devi trek. The best part of this itinerary is that the moment you start the climb from Kathgodam upward the scenic splendour, lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls, Kumaoni villages, pine, oak, deodar forests stay with you all the way until you reach Munsyari. As it's a 280 Kms / 10 Hrs hill drive from Kathgodam we take a one night break at Binsar on the way up and Kausani on our way back.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Stay at Binsar – Meal included – Dinner

Day Plan: Binsar takes about 10 Hrs from Delhi by road and is a great one night stopover before heading out for Munsyari on the following day. The dense green deodar and oak forests of the Binsar Sanctuary are the perfect surroundings for a rejuvenating break in the lap of nature. Enjoy a short nature walk, scenic views of deep wooded valleys and the sunset / sunrise and Himalayan vistas. Use the later part of the evening to just relax by a bon-fire.

Day 2-   Stay at Munsyari – Meal included – Breakfast and Dinner

Day Plan: Today you drive 190 Kms / 6.5 hrs to reach Munsyari. This is a very scenic drive with beautiful valleys, hill streams, rivers, you also cross Chaukori village from where you get great Himalayan views on a clear day. Just before you reach Munsyari you also come across the mighty Birthi Falls for which you have to trek up a few 100 mtrs after parking your car but it's well worth it.

Day 3- Stay at Munsyari- Meals Included Breakfast and dinner

Day Plan: Today should be spent exploring the Munsyari village. You could move around by your car and even walk around some bits like the Munsyari market. Visit the Munsyari Museum, drive up further to the Darkot Village which is a weaver’s village and you could buy some local weaves made of Pashmina wool. You could also drive to the Goriganga which is a river which originates from the Milam glacier but is also fed by other glaciers. A picnic on the banks of the Goriganga is a great experience.

Day 4- Stay at Munsyari – Meal included – Breakfast and Dinner

Day Plan: Today the plan should be to head out for the Khaliya peak trek. Once you reach the top, you're at about 11500 feet ASL. It's some view from the peak - alpine meadows surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan Mountains. You can see - Panchachulli, Rajrambha, Hardeol, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi. During early summer you also get to experience the snow line. The perfect introduction to the Himalayan scapes for amateuras or first time trekkers. It's a very doable and enjoyable trek.

Day 5-Stay at Kausani - Meals included breakfast and dinner.

Day Plan: Post breakfast departure for Kausani (6Hrs / 170Kms.) We take a different route via Sama, Kapkot, Bageshwar and Baijnath. This makes the return a lot more interesting. Kausani is at a height of 1890m and has a wider view of the Himalayas dominated by Trishul , Nanda Devi and also Panchachuli. This quaint little village is quite historical as Mahatma Gandhi stayed here for two weeks at the Anasakti Ashram where he wrote Anasakti Yoga. You could also visit the observatory to watch some constellation at night and visit the tea estates.

Day 6-Stay at Jim Corbett National Park. Meals included - Breakfast and dinner.

Day Plan: Post breakfast we leave for Jim Corbett National Park (160Kms / 5 Hrs) where you'll be staying for one night and enjoying a wildlife jeep safari into one of India's largest, oldest and most popular Tiger reserve.

Day 7-Departure - Meal Included - Breakfast

Day Plan: Enjoy an early morning jeep safari which will take you inside the Jim Corbett National Park for about 3 hrs. It will be an early morning wake up followed by a wonderful wilderness experience driving through dirt tracks of a beautiful, bio-diverse, dense forest home to Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, Wild Boar, Sambhar Deer, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer and over 500 species of resident and migrant birds. With Ramganga and Kosi rivers flowing through, this park has a great riverine ecosystem. We return to resort, freshen up, enjoy breakfast and get ready to checkout.

About Destinations:


Binsar

Binsar is known for it's views of the snowcapped Himalayan mountain ranges, so tourists can sit back and enjoy the panoramic views while. One can also go for trekking with abundant nature trails available at Binsar like a comfortable trek up to the Zero point from where the Himalayan views are spectacular with Kedarnath, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli and more standing tall. Binsar also houses a sanctuary covering 45 Sq. Kms with a rich diversity of flora and fauna with forests of oak and rhododendron with a large species of flowers and 200 + birds along with some wild animals like Leopards, Himalayan Black Bears, Wild Boar, Sambhar Deer, Barking Deer and more. The famous temple of Binsar Mahadev is also nearby along with the Kasar Devi Temple and Jageshwar Dham (temples) in the neighbourhood.

State: Uttarakhand

Weather: The winters (November-March) is very cold and it snows Minimum temperature can go to as low as - 6 DegC. Summers (April to Mid-June) are very pleasant, offering majestic views. The temperatures during this period are comfortable with maximums settling around 28°C and minimum’s around 12°C, on an average. Monsoon season is from July to September. The place receives good amounts of rain during the period. Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (90 Kms / 3 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (390 Kms / 9 Hrs) Railway Station: Kathgodam railway station, Haldwani railway station and Lal Kuan railway station. (in order of preference). (4-5 Hrs / 120-150Kms) Best time to visit: April – June end and October until mid-November. Beyond mid November until March it becomes very cold. Generally spoken language: Hindi and Kumaoni. Altitude: 2400 Mtrs ASL approx.

Munsyari

Serene and scenic Munsyari village, in the Pithoragarh district, bordering Tibet and Nepal, is situated at the easternmost end of the state of Uttarakhand with the Greater Himalayan range just 15 Kms. aerial distance and the Panchachuli peak towering over the hamlet. The views of the snowcapped mountains from Munsiyari is breath taking. Land of the Pink Rhododendrons, Munsyari is the starting point for several high altitude treks including the Nanda Devi trek making it a paradise for nature lovers. Almost every village surrounding Munsiyari town is rich with traditional handicrafts – hand woven carpets, pashmina shawls, sheep wool blankets, wooden artifacts. It’s also home to traditional folk dances like the Jhora, Cholia, and Chhapelli. It’s another little paradise which cannot be missed.

State: Uttarakhand

Weather: The winters (November-March) is very cold and Minimum temperature can go to as low as (-) 4 DegC and the hill station is covered with snow most part of winters. Summers (April to Mid-June) has pleasant days and cold mornings and evenings. The temperatures during this period are a maximum 26°C and minimum’s around 14°C, on an average. Monsoon season is from July to September with the region receiving heavy rainfall and the weather becomes much colder compared to summers. Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (320 Kms / 11 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (560 Kms / 16 Hrs) Railway Station: Kathgodam railway station, Haldwani railway station and Lal Kuan railway station (in order of preference). (10-11 Hrs / 290Kms. approx.) Best time to visit: April – June end and October – Mid November. Generally spoken language: Hindi and Kumaoni. Altitude: 2300 Mtrs. ASL approx.

Kausani

Perched high on a ridge overlooking a deep valley, Kausani is a sleepy little hill village in the Kumaon hills. It has panoramic views of the Himalayas, crisp mountain air and a relaxed atmosphere. Mahatma Gandhi, on his visit in 1929, became very fond of Kausani. The peace and scenic splendor inspired him to write his treatise on Bhagavad Gita called Anasakti Yoga. There is a Mahatma Gandhi ashram at kausani dedicated to the great man. Just 20 Kms from Kausani you have the Baijnath Temples, built by the Katyuri kings, which dates back to the 12th century and is situated on the banks of the river Gomti.

State: Uttarakhand

Weather: The winters (November-March) is very cold and it snows Minimum temperature can go to as low as - 4 DegC. Summers (April to Mid-June) are very pleasant, offering majestic views. The temperatures during this period are comfortable with maximums settling around 30°C and minimum’s around 14°C, on an average. Monsoon season is from July to September. The place receives good amounts of rain during the period. Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (180 Kms / 5.5 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (418 Kms / 10 Hrs) Railway Station: Kathgodam railway station, Haldwani railway station and Lal Kuan railway station. (in order of preference). (5 - 5.5 Hrs / 135-160Kms) Best time to visit: April – June end and October until mid-November. Beyond mid November until March it becomes very cold. Generally spoken language: Hindi and Kumaoni. Altitude: 1890 Mtrs ASL approx.

Jim Corbett National Park

One of India's largest, oldest and the most popular Tiger reserves - The Jim Corbett National Park. Sprawled over 1300+ sq Kms of dense bio-diverse forest with the Ramganga and Kosi rivers flowing through it this is actually several different forests in one, ever changing with the changing seasons. Only designated areas in the 520 sq.Kms., out of the total area, are open to tourists. Thera are five zones named Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, Domunda and Sonanandi. This tiger reserve is a haven for wild life enthusiasts. 600+ species of birds, apart from the elephants, tigers, leopards, jackals, sambhar deer, spotted deer, hog deer and more. Travelers visiting the park can enjoy jeep safaris with guides / naturalists. Enjoy your stay at a jungle resort bordering the fenced boundary of the reserve.

State: Uttarakhand

Weather: The weather in the park is temperate compared to most other protected areas of India. The temperature may vary from 5 °C (41 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) during the winter and some mornings are foggy. Summer temperatures normally do not rise above 42 °C (104 °F). The park receives heavy rainfall during monsoons (July – September end) and remains closed around this period. Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (90 Kms / 3 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (270 Kms / 6 Hrs) Railway Station: Ramnagar railway station Best time to visit: October – March Generally spoken language: Hindi, Basic English and Kumaoni. Altitude: 300 Mtrs ASL approx