As you pull up on to the side of the highway, you can see a winding village path going uphill along the property boundary. Take this little climb and you come in full view of the cottage, nestled amidst fruit trees and vegetable patches and the splendid colors of the seasonal flowers. You are atop a hill and around you are the rolling hills, the lower reaches of the mighty Himalayas. The cottage i
s warm and welcoming, the steamy hot tea much needed after the drive. Sit on the porch or under the shade of the plum tree and totally absorb your surroundings over your cuppa-chai. Breakfast is a hearty affair, complete with eggs, porridge, flakes, bread, jams and spreads, and even poha or idlis or upma. If the weather allows, you can set out for a walk down the village path to explore the forest trails that take you to the other side of the mountain. Alternately, you could just laze around with a book and more tea or coffee or watch a movie in the living room. Be back to the table for lunch, usually an Indian vegetarian spread, maybe Gujrati or Bengali or Punjabi or south Indian. And once at the market crossing, on a clear day, you can see the most breathtaking view ever: the snow-clad Himalayan peaks right from Nepal to Himachal! They are all there, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli
Keanna loves to pamper its guests, so evenings can be turned into soirees if a big group of guests visit, with bonfire and bar-be-que and your drink to go with it. You then end your day with authentic thai or chinese cuisine if you savour if not a scrumptious continental dinner with dessert et al. Retire to a cozy room for the night and rest well to set out and explore more the next day. SIGHTSEEING/ THINGS TO DO-
Popular places to visit around Nathuakhan:
MUKTESHWAR: Only a 45 minute drive from Keanna, Mukteshwar is a popular destination for tourists. BHIMTAL: This lake town falls on the route up to Nathuakhan from Kat is another destination frequented by tourists. You can enjoy a boat-ride in the lake, gorge into the street food, or more aptly the lake-side food there- behl-puri, chaat, ‘shikanji’ etc and also visit the Butterfly Museum. NAINITAL: We all know this place and never tire of visiting again and again. Well it’s less than 2 hours from Keanna and once there, you absolutely must visit the zoo. Off the beaten path:
KOSI: We can help arrange for a picnic for you by the river side in Khwarab. It is a 1 hour 15 minutes drive to the river, then a short walk down-hill on the trail to the river bed. TREKS/ WALKS: One of the best ways to explore the place is by foot. There are various trails going to Hartola, Bhallar, Mukteshwar, Sitla etc
CHIRAG: An NGO adopting novel methods tfor the empowerment of rural communities. HOW TO GET THERE
By Road:
New Delhi to Nathuakhan: 340 kms via Moradabad, Rampur, Rudrapur, Haldwani, Kathgodam, Bhowali, Malla Ramgarh, Talla Ramgarh. The journey takes approximately 8 hours. Other distances from Nathuakhan: Nainital - 40 km, Bhowali - 30 km, Mukteshwar - 14 km. By Train:
Daily: Overnight Ranikhet Express departure Delhi 10:40 PM and arrival Kathgodam 5:20AM. Wednesday, Friday, Sunday: Anvt Kgm Ac Exp departure Delhi 6:00 AM and arrival Kathgodam 11:55 AM. Take a taxi from Kathgodam to Nathuakhan, a hill journey of 60 km.
