The Journey so far-
It was an extremely cold and spine chilling last night but I was awake before the first light of the sun to capture the vistas. In order to beat the cold we opted for single tent and squeeze between each other but it was too tight and my friend Neeraj was not able to sleep properly. Finally when I went out, the other three were able to sleep properly as they were least bothered of the views. I packed myself with lots of clothes and went out of the tent. Wow, the cold breeze was still freezing my nose but the views of Chaukhamba range from Deoria Tal made it very pleasant 🙂 …
Reflections to die for…
The idea of sacrificing the sleep was very simple… just click as many pictures as I can with different intensity of light… No one was awake and I was roaming alone around the woods of Deoria Tal complex just to find the right spot. Finally, I managed to get one and setup my tripod. The tripod had given a pain while trekking upto Deoria Tal from Sari Village but now it was time for it to pay me back… It indeed paid me heavily 😀 as you will witness in some of the pictures below… It was a bit scary as lemurs were creating all sought of havoc in the trees behind me and I was worried if few of them jump at me from behind 😆 … However, I kept my nerve and captured one of the most beautiful sunrise ever in my life…
As the sun starts to rise at Deoria Tal…
Reflections to die for… Chaukhamba Range visible in Deoria Tal…
Framing the peak naturally…
Chaukhamba Range… A Closer Look…
After wrapping up from that end I started to explore the complex more and more. There are quite a number of benches in the complex of Deoria Tal from where one can ogle the views eternally. Soon I went on to the other side of the Deoria Tal and captured few clicks. The place was so calm and serene that I sat there for about half an hour to enjoy that moment of peace. It made me felt as if I was in some other world… After one of the best 30 minutes of my life, I went back to Dhabha where Hira Chand ji was awake. He prepared a cup of tea for me and asked about the breakfast. I asked him to prepare some aloo paranthas and Maggie… Meanwhile I enjoyed the Yoga including the Surya Namaskar being carried out by a young foreigner couple. They looked very sweet together. It was about 9 AM by then and everyone was awake to enjoy the views…
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Path leads to the other side…
Tents are far away from here…
A small temple on the other side…
The other side…
The tent of the foreign couple…
Closer look at our tents …
Reflections to die for… Again…Chaukhamba Range visible in Deoria Tal…
The sky was clear and sun was shining brightly but unfortunately the battery of my camera had exhausted. Thanked god, as we had a spare P&S camera which would be used to capture the pictures on trekking down towards Sari Village though I was disappointed a bit… Breakfast was ready for us and it had a decent taste too… We had it in a relaxing manner and enjoyed every bite of it. In between, there came a direction crew of some south Indian film to explore the Deoria Tal complex for a scene in their next film. They worked under some director named Shankar who produced a south Indian fil called Robot… We wondered how come the heroine will trek to Deoria Tal and they told us that they will hire porters to carry her on a bed :lol:… They usually do it in the same fashion whenever there is a need… They wanted a flat meadow but Deario Tal had hilly patches, so most probably they won’t go for it… Nevertheless, it was also time for us to roll back towards Sari Village. We finally paid Hira Chand ji Rs 2000 (Rs 500 per person) which included meals for two times, some water bottles, tea, one night stay and his help :)… We know it was too much and he was refraining to take that much as well but since we really enjoyed up there, we forced him to take what we considered as worthy… I guess, about 500 bucks extra would mean a lot to the old fellow… Also, keep in mind that you need to pay a entry fees to FRH for visiting Deoria Tal complex but you can give the caretaker a tip as well if you don’t like to take the FRH bill with you :D… Finally, it was time to bid adieus to Hira Chand ji and Deoria Tal complex…
All of us together…
That’s Mr. Hira Chand Negi…
A Partial view of the complex as we leave…
The last view of the lake…
The Journey ahead-
14 Comments
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Hello Dheeraj,
Last year I travelled to Leh – drove from Srinagar to Leh, then from there to Nubra and from Nubra to Pangong through Shyok. That was one of the best road trips I had. I had planned the entire trip based on info available in DoW and communicated with you couple of times. Thanks for all your help.
This year, I am planning to trek to Deoria Tal from Sari village with my wife and son (13 years) in 2nd week of April. I have the following questions:
1. The trek is short, it is 2 Km, right? Is the trek too strenous for city dwellers like us who do not do too much exercise?:-)
2. Deoria Tal is located at 2430 m. We had spent a night in Pangong in last May and that was bitterly cold. I am hoping there would not be any altitude issue there. But do you expect the night to be tool cold in April – something that we will be able to tolerate or is it something too cold to bear?
3. You mentioned a foreigner couple camping there? I guess there should not be any issue camping there with family.
4. Which is the best place to spend the night before we spend in Deoria Tal. I am looking for a place that would be scenic.
5. Next day morning, we are planning to come down to Saari and head to Haridwar. Do you think there is some other place in Chopta that we should not miss? I felt Tunganath may be tough for us.
6. Will it be too cold and plenty of snow on the way to Deoria Tal?
Please let me know your thoughts.
Best regards,
partha
Hello Partha,
Sorry for delayed reply
1. You will be able to do it easily. Not much of a pain, do it at ease
2. No expected altitude sickness issue at Deoria Tal. There will be mild cold.
3. No there is no issue camping with family.
4. You can reach Deoria Tal on day 1 itself from Rishikesh.
5. Tunganath is also all paved most of the way, but yeah, if you can’t trek for about 3-4 Hrs give it a miss.
6. It snowed there in recent times only, there wasnt much snow in winters. I do not think there will be too much of snow, it will be all gone at Deoria Tal
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It only inspire us.I am visiting Syalsaur next month. I will plan to do Deori tal trek.
Thanks Varun, all the best brother for your trip to Deoria Tal 🙂
the pics with reflections are awesome 🙂 Never imagined India had such amazing places, and afterall, as they say, its up to us to explore the unexplored to find the hidden beauty !!
Kudos to you, and wish you have many more trips to the Himalayas. Probably Sikkim & NorthEast ?
Thank You so much Vinod!! Glad that you love the pictures. Yes, they are very much on my Travel List including Bhutan and Nepal but since I generally do self drive type trips, so cannot afford so many holidays from office. May be in couple of years would surely try to visit Sikkim and entire North East too.
This is on my agenda too. I have seen some pictures and I am smitten.
Hi Mridula,
It is one of the serene places with some breathtaking views I have ever been to 🙂 … If you need any details do check the comprehensive guide for Deoria Tal at the link here. Let me know incase you need any other details 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Wow! Thanks for taking out the time for such a detailed reply 🙂
Am going to consider the suggestions, and will revert back in case there are more queries…
As of now, the GMVN at Ukhimath is booked on the October dates, so am considering to look for lodging at Chopta or Sari..
Once again, many thanks as ever!!!
You are most welcome Ankita anytime. Also, you can check Mayadeep Guest House at Chopta which is nice. Talk to Dinesh the guy over there and ask for some discounts too. Ask him if he can arrange the cab for you for a drop to Sari Village or may be they can drop you at Sari Village themselves. It will save you cost of taxi for a day or two as you can directly get off from the bus at Chopta. I guess Sari do not have much options may be one or two and that too very basic.
Feel free to ask any queries you have.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
Hi Dheeraj!
Thank you for your reply. I was hoping it would be pleasant and hence chose October for the trip. Thank you for confirming the same. I have gone through the entire Delhi to Tunganath Temple and Chandrashilla, Uttarakhand | Travel Guide and I must say, it has been very beautifully written and most beautifully photographed. I actually do have a lot more questions regarding this October trip that I am planning. Before asking the questions I guess I should be giving you a rough itinerary that I have in mind:
Day 1: Fly from Bangalore to Delhi; take a bus to Dehradun
Day 2: Early Morning – travel to Landour, see nearby places and halt the night there
Day 3: Early morning travel from Landour back to Dehradun and from there to Ukhimath (hopefully reach Ukhimath by evening? We are travelling by bus)
Day 4: Tunganath and Chandrashila and back to Ukhimath
Day 5: Early morning – Ukhimath to Deoria Tal and by 9 AM start for Chakrata as soon as Deoria is over (no turning back to Ukhimath this time)
Day 6: Early morning – reach Chakrata and halt for a couple of nights there before pushing off to Delhi airport.
So, well, that's the plan. The further questions that I have are:
1. Are Delhi Dehradun buses frequent? Can I get a bus from the airport? If not, then from where? How much would hiring a taxi cost for the same distance?
2. Dehradun Landour buses or taxis – which would be a better option if we are to start fro Landour very early in the morning?
3. How long will a bus take to reach Ukhimath from Dehradun? (I really hope the bus can make it in less than 12 hours; and also if there are AC Coaches/Volvos that ply these distances)
4. For travelling from Ukhimath to chopta and then to Sari village will we be able to get a taxi in Ukhimath or shall we have to take one from Dehradun (in case taxis are not abundantly available in Ukhimath)? The same taxi will have to take us from Deoria Tal to Chakrata on Day 5 also. Do also let me know if you are aware of any bus routes for this bit of the journey and the hours it will take for the same.
5. Just to confirm: Taxi services are available from Chakrata to Delhi, aren't they? Also a rough estimate of hours for the journey.
Your blog has been very helpful to me for planning the itinerary. In fact, I have jotted down the numbers of Hira Chand Negi Ji and the other GMVN places as well. I will shortly start calling them as well for the bookings.
Above, are these few additional questions which I have regarding the trip (mostly revolving around commuting). I am sorry, I don't even know if you have been to Chakrata and Landour, but seeing how avid a traveller you are (both, in the blog and the facebook page) I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope that you will be able to provide the answers I am looking for.. 🙂
Many, many thanks in advance!
Ankita
Hello Ankita,
Thanks a lot and such warm & appreciating words :)!! First and foremost I will like to you that Day 5 is not feasible for you. The trek/hike to Deoria Tal from Sari Village will take about 1.5 – 2 hrs depending upon the physical fitness. And on the descend as well you will save about 15-20 minutes than your ascent. Now, this constitutes for about 3.5 – 4 Hrs and further 1 – 2 Hrs of stay at Deoria Tal I am sure. So, over all you are looking about 6 Hrs and then by at max by 1 PM or so you will start your return towards Chakrata which might not be feasible unless you plan night driving.
Also, Chakrata and Landour shall be covered in one leg of your trip as they both are alongside Dehradun + near by to each other and Tunganath – Chandrashilla – Deoria Tal in the other leg. I assume you have 8 days over all for the trip so I will suggest something below
Day 1 – Fly to Delhi and then to Dehradun/Landour. Landour is just 35-40 odd KMs from Dehradun, so try to reach Landour only on the first day because Dehardun itself has nothing to offer except crowd and commercialization. There are Volvo buses between Delhi – Haridwar as well which I will certainly prefer any day but it depends upon when they are available. Once, you reach Haridwar hire taxi for next few days.
Day 2 – Explore Landour and its near by place. Overnight at Landour.
Day 3 – Landour to Chakrata. Spend a day or night there at Chakrata.
Day 4 – Chakrata – Rishikesh – Haridwar. Explore the Rishikesh and Ram – Laxman Jhoolas and go back to Haridwar. Overnight stay at Haridwar. You can skip this day to spend another day at Chakrata but then you will have to leave very early in the next morning to reach Syal Saur or Ukhimath in late evening the very next day.
Day 5 – Rishikesh – Ukhimath – Chopta. Stay overnight at Chopta.
Day 6 – Chopta – Tunganath – Chandrashilla – Chopta. Stay overnight at Chopta which will be better and beautiful than Ukhimath.
Day 7 – Chopta – Sari Village – Deoria Tal. Stay overnight at Deoria Tal because I am sure sunrise and sunset are two best things to witness at Deoria Tal.
Day 8 – Deoria Tal to Ukhimath and then to Ukhimath to Haridwar and then Haridwar to Delhi
Best way to travel/commute will be hiring a taxi from Delhi or Dehradun for all these places, so that you are not running for buses every now and then. Otherwise, I will suggest below commute options for you
Delhi – Haridwar (Day 1) and Haridwar – Delhi (Day 8) — Do it by Daily Volvo Bus
Haridwar – Landour – Chakrata – Rishikesh – Haridwar (Day 1 to Day 4) — Hire Private Taxi for complete tour, if budget not much concern
Haridwar – Ukhimath/Chopta (Day 5) and Ukhimath/Chopta – Haridwar (Day 8) — Do it by Air Conditioned Bus
Sari Village – Ukhimath — Private Taxi
Now coming back to your questions –
1. I guess Delhi – Dehradun buses run every hour from ISBT, Kashmere Gate New Delhi. However, I am not sure if Volvo buses have that good frequency or not. There is also an overnight deluxe A/C service run by Uttarakhand Tourism. At Dehradun you need to reach at Mussoorie Bus Stand at the Dehradun Railway Stadium which offers bus services to Mussoorie/Landour and other destinations in the Himalayan region. You can board the Metro from Airport to reach ISBT Kashmere Gate if there is not too much luggage.
2. There are buses or shared taxis available from Dehardun at Mussoorie Bus Stand at the Dehradun Railway Stadium. You can surely get some commute to Chakrata from Mussoorie I believe.
3. You will get buses to the Chopta from Dehradun, Rishikesh, Hardiwar and both air conditioned and non air conditioned buses will be available
And Dehradun – Chopta will be about 9-10 Hrs is a bus and 7-8 Hrs is a taxi.
4. Yes, once you reach Ukhimath you will be able to hire taxis for local sighseeing including Tunganath – Chandrashilla and Sari Village. As per suggested plan, you will not need any bus for Chakrata now.
5. Again as per updated plan you will not need taxi to Delhi from Chakrata
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any concerns/queries.
Regards,
Dheeraj Sharma
Is October a good time to visit Tunganath? It will be too early for the trail to be so draped in snow I hope..?
Hello Ankita,
You will not find any snow up there at Tunganath or Chandrashilla or Deoria Tal in October. However, weather in October is really pleasant in day time and can get cold to very cold at nights. I hope this helps. Let me know incase you have more queries. Meanwhile you can go through the travel guide for Tunganath and Chandrashilla at the following link:
Delhi to Tunganath Temple and Chandrashilla, Uttarakhand | Travel Guide
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma