The mountains had been calling and I couldn’t go because coronavirus was being possessive. Eventually, here’s how I spent 14 days in the Kumaon region on vacation and working from the hills. Good vibes, diligent plan-making, and epic views ahead.
Uttrakhand, the state is basically a sum of two divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon with a total of 13 districts between them and a lot of places to see. Himachal Pradesh has more touristy places. So if your trip plan is one more of work, chill and the occasional adventure then this blog post about the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand would help you nicely.
Pre-planning
I work at an IoT company remotely, so all I need to work is my laptop, good coffee, electricity, and stable internet. My hardware is plugged in at home which I am able to access from anywhere in the world. I packed light and considered the monsoon season I was traveling in (Late October – 22nd October to 3rd November), I made sure everything was waterproof or as waterproof as it could be.
Uttrakhand has decent cell coverage. So, one could survive using the usual mobile hotspot. Packed some biscuits, chips, dry bags, and medicines for contingency due to news of landslides in the area. Left without my laptop charger which proved costly as my Oneplus Type-C Charger failed to charge my laptop. I pre-checked the specifications and tested my charger but I sabotaged myself by tweaking some settings which lead to my laptop not accepting any charge no matter what I used. That got fixed by removing the old TLP settings.
So, the plan was …
… to spend 2 weeks away from work on a bonus vacation I received at work right before the company’s annual summit. Trips like this usually deviate from all the planning and the rain gods made sure of that. So while the actual plan was a shadow of what I documented below, it was quite a thrilling 2 weeks for me ahead. I also had a good friend who lives in a town named Bhowali which helped me get my bearings properly.
- Reach Kathgodam railway station taking the early morning Shatabdi express from New Delhi.
- Rendevous with my friend in Bhimtaal and drop the luggage at our place of stay that was along the way. Visit the famous iHeart Cafe for a coffee & muffin. Go to Machan restaurant for dinner.
- Head for Kayaking at the lake with nine corners, Nauchikiataal if we weren’t too tired. Return back to Bhowali and prepare for the trip next day.
- Next day, we headed for Kausani going through Almora where we stay for 4-5 days at this beautiful farmhouse we booked above the clouds. Work from there.
- My plan previously included Binsar as well. It’s a nice little piece of land with not much on it. My friend convinced me for Kausani instead and it was a great decision. Binsar would have been more quieter (eerie quiet if you know what I mean).
- On the weekend, I travelled down from Kausani hitching a cab from town towards Nanital. My colleagues and I booked an Airbnb at the posh Langdale lodge area near the Nanital lake and exploring the lively mall road.
- We walked up and down the mall road, went boating in the rain, and barbequed through the night. All thanks to the prepwork done by our wonderful Airbnb host.
- Next day, we left for Mukteshwar. The town is bustling with tourist having a number of hotels, hostels and resorts. We stayed there for 4-5 days at Zostel Mukteshwar and used that place to visit other locations around the Kumaon region.
- There were cafes to explore, hidden waterfalls to be disappointed at, hikes to be done and lot of delicacies to be eaten around Mukteshwar (We had a cab so travelling was easier – that’s what I would recommend. Get a comfortable cab)
- We went Kayaking in Nauchikiataal and the sunset point at Chauli ki Jaali.
- Mukteshwar could be the right amount of fun & quiet that folks might be looking for.
- We made our way back to New Delhi through cab. What I would recommend is to get back to Kathgodam railway station and board the super comfortable afternoon Shatabdi Express back to New Delhi. That’s the trip.
But, plans and the weather can change at any moment. So this small list is an over-simplification at best for what actually happened. Take a look here at how things changed for us when we went boating in the course of 10 minutes or so. Posted a reel on Instagram too if you want audio.
The perils of travelling in the monsoon season
Hilly areas are prone to landslides in the rain. While this was a risk we had to take, we did witness several landslides before or after they happened through videos or when driving past gaping holes on the snake-like roads through the mountains.
Uttrakhand is popular for its beautiful lakes. Boating in them was an adventure on its own. No one told us, boating in the rain might turn out to be a case as well. As we went Kayaking later in the trip under the cover of thick clouds and icy winds. 30 minutes into our Kayaking session, it started raining slightly which we expected as we slowly turned our boats to shore. 10 seconds later, the rain started cranking up which led us all to panic as 4 kayaks raced back to dry land at an astonishing pace. I learned two things that day.
- Kayaking is super intensive and I got no chances to compete in that sport.
- Never go boating if there are even remote chances of rain.
This might seem awful or trip ruining but it kept the adrenaline up as the rains get the temperature to drop and reduce cloud cover which leads to great views opening up like this …
Were you able to work at all?
I did for the most part when I needed to. I was on a vacation so didn’t need to use the laptop that much. I was constantly uploading pictures to my Instagram and Twitter from the cell reception I was getting. I streamed the F1 race from the farmhouse in Kausani and that worked out as well. So, I say you won’t be missing out on work if that’s what you want.
Kausani probably is the best destination to work from. Serene, quiet and has not much to do or see. If you want to disconnect & focus, look no further. No matter what you do, make sure to visit the cafe: Garden Restaurant in Kausani. Can’t recommend them enough. They make everything fresh, we spent hours there just eating, sleeping, and eating again. Here are some views from the farmhouse we spent our day in:
As usual I made a Twitter thread about it…
First major vacation from work after the onset of Covid with balenistas. So why not document my days on Twitter. This thread is a great recap of my time and thoughts.
And, that’s about it. I haven’t written in quite a while now so let me know how I did.
As always live in the mix.