Even an hour away from the chaotic New Delhi is a blessing and when you get to enjoy an entire weekend far away from the smelly, crowded and the chaotic Capital, it’s worth doing a twerk, though I would prefer a mamacita twerking rather than me.
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| Numb butt! Totally worth the pain. |
Travelling not just about visiting places with world famous monuments, it’s the opportunity we get to meet people from different cultures and experiencing new lifestyles. Most of the times we missed out the real purpose of travelling as we are too engage in exploring places that are too tourist refined. Thus, my journey to the ‘Land of the Gods’, and my romance with the Himalayas starts from Simli, a small settlement in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
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| Pindar River - How I Envy those people with a house right on the river banks |
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| The icy cold water of Pindar River |
A slice of heaven for everyone looking for serenity, it’s really a wonder that a place as peaceful as Simli is located just 15 hours from the chaotic New Delhi and around 7 hours from Rishikesh. The trip is very tiring, but the first view of the mountains as you leave the plains behind and start your climb up, that’s when you realize, the numbness in my butt is worth.
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| Looks like the hill is smoking up |
Simli is a not even a town, it’s like a small settlement with not more than 75 houses with a population of around 400 to 500. It’s among one of the most secluded places in the country yet with all the amenities of the modern world. Unfortunately for most travelers, Simli is better treated as a day trip as the settlement does not have any sorts of hotels or guesthouse.
The magnificent view of the mountains from the terrace, the gushing sound of the icy cold river in the backyard of the house and the fresh air which I assume might even have healing power because of the purity; Simli just got listed in my top ten destinations in India.
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| View of Simli with the majestic mountains in the background |
The most convenient way to reach Simli is by train from Delhi to Haridwar and from there you can catch a local bus. If you want to head straight from New Delhi, take a bus from Anand Vihar bus station. Since getting an accommodation in Simli is a big NO, try to book a hotel in Karanpryag, located around an hour from Simli. Karanpryag is the main market town for the area and the only place close enough to Simli where you can get a hotel.
Next stop -
the untouched Bainital.
