Different places to travel » Horse Riding

Pangot – A bird watcher’s paradise in North India

Traveller — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:55:06 +0000

Pangot is 15 kms away from the more popular Nainital (hill station) in Uttaranchal. Pangot is located within the Kumaon Hills, and one of the prime attractions is of forests echoing with the calls of birds. Thus, Pangot is also known as a Birdwatcher’s paradise. The drive to Pangot is through the bird habitats of Cheena peak range forests via Snow View Point and Kilbury.
There are 150 species of birds that are believed to be there in the area around Pangot, among which some of the commonly encountered birds are the Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Blue-Winged Minla, Spotted & Slaty-backed Forktail, Rufous-Bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-Bellied Niltava, Khalij Pheasant, variety of thrushes etc. The more commonly done things in Pangot are Bird watching, trekking, rappelling, fishing, horse riding, kayaking, sailing and boating, camping, dirt biking, and wildlife safaris into Corbett National Park.
Pangot is famous for bird watching and it has been popular with naturelovers, photographers and birders.You can see different kinds of migratory birds at Pangot. Birds from the upper Himalayan region fly down to the lower Himalayas to escape the harsh winter season. The numerous perennial & seasonal creeks are home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna including the leopard, yellow-throated Himalayan Martins, Himalayan palm civet, Ghoral, barking deer, Sambhar etc.

Once you are in Pangot and are done with enjoying nature, some of the places to see near Pangot

• Corbett National Park: The park has 150 species of birds found in India, more than 50 mammal species including Tiger, Leopard, Bears and Elephants and more than 40 species of reptiles including the rare Gharial. It is one of the finest Wildlife reserves in India, Corbett has a distinction of been the country’s first National park. Formerly called as “Hailey national Park” it was established in 1936 in consultation with the legendary Hunter / Naturalist Jim Corbet, it was aptly renamed “Jim Corbett National Park” in 1972.

• Bhimtal: Bhimtal is a town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is a nagar panchayat in Nainital district. The town is named after Bhima, one of the Pandavas in Mahabharata. Bhimtal Lake is one of the major attractions of this town as it has an island in its centre at a distance of 91 metres from the shore.

• Jeolikot: Jeolikot is a hill station in the state of Uttarakhand on the Nainital-Haldwani Highway. It is at a distance of 17 km from Nainital. It is well known as a spot for nature lovers who are interested in butterfly watching and floriculture. The surrounding natural beauty on the backdrop of Kumaon hills is ideal for visitors. The places to see are Gateway to Kumaon’s Lake District, Binsar, Kausani, Ranikhet.

• Mukteswar: Mukteshwar is another town, famous for its Mukteswar dham.

• Bhowali: It is another beautiful town in Nainital.

• Nainital: It is a beautiful hill station.

• Sattal: Sattal is located in Kumaon lake region and as the name, are an interconnected group of seven freshwater lakes. These lakes are 22 kms from Nainital. These lakes are at an altitude of 4,000 feet and are situated in Lower Himalyan Range near Bhimtal. These lakes are surrounded by oak andpine forests. This area is rich in birdlife and butterflies. Hence it is a spot for nature walks and butterfly watching. Below are the lush orchanrds in the Meheragaon valley.

• Rishikesh: Rishikesh is one of the most famous pilgrim sites. Laxman Jhula is the popular attraction of the place. Other notable places are the Swarg Ashram and Tattvaa Yogashala which are the only full-time, dedicated Ashtanga Yoga school in Rishikesh (For those of you who would like to deepen your practice, reach new levels safely, and explore the path of YOGA).

There are not too many places to eat at Pangot, except the hotels which serve homely food. There are some hotels which serve the local food – Garhwali and Kumauni cuisine. Try the amazing piping hot pahari tea along with a plate of ‘pakoras’ or ‘samosas’. To tantalize your taste buds further, you can head to Nainital, just 15 km from Pangot.

Best time to visit / climate

The best time to visit Pangot is from Mar – June and Sep – Oct
The days are nice and crisp, but the nights get cold. Great season for bird watching and mountain views. The summers are from April to June and the days are cool with pleasant nights. Good birding season to watch. The monsoons start from July to September with Cold days and nights. Good for resident birds, but not so good for tourists.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Or click or paste the URL below on your browser:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=pangot&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pangot,+Nainital,+Uttarakhand,+India&ll=29.423974,79.427483&spn=0.00856,0.013797&z=16&iwloc=A

How to get to Pangot

From Delhi
• By Road: Drive from Delhi via Kathgodam and Nainital: 8½ hours. A marked road map is handy or research the path from some online maps site. Drive from Delhi via Ramnagar (Corbett National Park) and Kaladhungi: 7½ hours
• By Train: Overnight air-conditioned train from Old Delhi railway station (departing at 2245 hr.) to Kathgodam (arriving at 0615 hr.) and then 2 hr. drive to Pangot via Nainital. Pick-up/ drop at Kathgodam RS can be arranged through taxi with prior notice.
Overnight non air-conditioned train from Old Delhi railway station (departing at 2245 hr.) to Ramnagar, Corbett National Park (arriving at 0500 hr.) and then 2½ hr. drive to Pangot via Kaladungi.
• Pangot by Air: The nearest airport is Pantnagar. However, fights are not operational at present. Hence flying to Delhi and then coming from delhi via road or train is recommended.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• http://www.travelmasti.com/Pangot_Resorts_Hotels.asp
• http://www.nivalink.com/junglelore/index.html
• http://www.pangot.com and http://www.pangot.com/accomdation.htm#accom
• http://www.oktatabyebye.com/hotels/hotels-in-Pangot.html
• http://www.travelmasti.com/Pangot_Resorts_Hotels.asp
• http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g580106-d615541-Reviews-Woodside_Retreat_Pangot-Rishikesh_Uttarakhand.html
• http://www.nivalink.com/junglelore/index.html

Blogs / Sites about Pangot

• http://www.pangot.com
• http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.milestones.net/pangot.html
• http://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/pangot.php
• http://natureindiatour.blogspot.com/2009/11/corbett-pangot-wildlifers-dream.html
• http://www.pangot.com/index.htm#pangot
• www.junglelore.com – For birding tours
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/North/Uttarakhand/Pangot/

Images and photos of Pangot

• Images in Google Search
• http://www.pangot.com/gallery.htm
• http://www.oktatabyebye.com/picture-gallery/Pangot-pictures.html
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/North/Uttarakhand/Pangot/

Shogi in Himachal Pradesh, India – Beautiful hill station

Traveller — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:21:16 +0000

Latitude: 31.0500
Longitude: 77.1167
Altitude (meters): 1597
Location: 73 kms from Kalka, 105 kms from Chandigarh and 135 kms from Ambala.
Best Time to visit: April To June & Sep To October. Avoid July and August because of the monsoon (rainy season).

Shogi is located in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Shogi is a good place for a family trip, especially if you believe in going to places that are not so crowded, and where there is more nature and less commercialization. A lot of the tourist camps over there offer tents or cottages (the tents are Swiss type tents with bathrooms having running hot and cold water) having some incredible views of the majestic Himalayas. The Tara Devi Temple is nearby, located on a hilltop. You get untouched countryside with some incredible views of the mountains. In addition, you get the chance to do numerous village treks, and wander among pine, oak and rhododendron forests, in the lap of nature.
The invigorating weather of the town and is proximity to Delhi make it a popular weekend gateway for the people of Delhi and North regions. Dotted with numerous temples, Shoghi is renowned for its fruit products, with the brand name Minchy’s Fruit Products and for locally made pickles, juices, syrups and jellies.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Things to do:
Many of the Adventure sports offered by the different resorts located in Shogi are: Para-gliding, River rafting, Snow boarding, Snow skiing, Snow scooter, Rock climbing, Rapelling, River crossing.
If you are an avid bird-watcher, then you can see many beautiful birds such as the White Eared Bulbul, Black Drongo, Spot Winged Tit, Blue Magpie, Kalij Pheasant, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Brown Fronted Woodpecker, Black Headed Jay and Trumpeter Finch. The resorts will be able find the proper trails inside the forest (refer to this link for more information for bird-watching)

Places nearby to see:
Chail
Kufri
Solang Valley
Manali

Places to stay (not many):
Park Woods (link)
Toshali Royal View
Sunrise Villa (link)

How to get there:

By road: 6.5 hours from Delhi via Sonepat, Karnal, Panchkula, Kalka, Solan, and Kandaghat.

By rail: Morning and overnight trains to Kalka which is 73 kms from Shoghi. Thereafter Shoghi is 2 hours by road. Cabs are easily available at Kalka Railway Station.

By Air: Go to Shimla or Chandigarh, and then you need to go by road.

Link to external article:
1. Beautiful sunset photo (link)
2. Photos of Shogi on oktatabyebye.com (link)
3. Trip to Shogi at Ghumakkar.com (link)
4. Enjoying Park Woods at Shogi (link)
5. Camping and trekking at Shogi (link)
6. Visit to stream with photo (link)
7. Brief description with photo of sunset (link)

Kufri in Himachal Pradesh

Traveller — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:54:14 +0000

Altitude: 2,510 m above sea level amongst the foothills of the Himalayas
Distance from nearest location: 13 km from Shimla
Weather: Alpine. Summers (April-June) are mild and pleasant, while winters (November-February) are cold.
Rains: Monsoon rains in July-September and heavy snowfall in December-January.
Best Time To Visit: April to June & November to February

Kufri is a tiny hill station located 13-kms from Shimla on the National Highway No.22. The region around Shimla including Kufri was once a part of the Kingdom of Nepal and the region remained obscure from the rest of the world until the British `discovered` it in 1819. Now it is a very popular spot, with the pine scented air and the beautiful views around, attracting travelers to this serene hill resort. The main attraction of the town definitely is the pond called as ‘Kufer’, and the reason behind the name of the town.
You can do a lot of things in this town: Some great Hiking, some skiing, some beautiful scenes and a cool environment best explains what Kufri is all about. It is famous for its trekking and hiking trails. You may have heard about winter adventure sports in Kufri: Adventure-seeking travelers throng Kufri in winters to enjoy skiing and tobogganing along its snow-covered slopes. Many skiing enthusiasts tour Kufri in winter, when the hill resort dons the white sheet of snow. The Skiing season spans between November to February and leads to a large number of tourists thronging Kufri in the winter months.
Kufri hosts an Annual Winter Festival in the month of February. During this festival skiing enthusiasts and adventure seekers from all over the world, come in large numbers. This festival aims at the promotion of skiing and other winter sports in Himachal Pradesh.
In addition, there are more things that you can do. Kufri is popular for its trekking trails and hiking. If you are not into skiing and other adventurous pursuits, you can visit the hill station during the months of April to June. The weather is pleasant and cool and just perfect for enjoying your much-awaited vacation!

Places to see:
Kufri has a Himalayan Nature park and close by is the Indira Tourist Park with HPTDC`s Cafe Lalit. Indira Park provides some great views of the nearby places. Here one can enjoy a Pony or a Yak Ride.
Mashru Peak: One can hike through thick forest around Kufri to the Mahasu Peak- the highest peak in Kufri.
Indira Tourist Park: The Indira Tourist Park is near the Himalayan Nature Park and provides panoramic view of the locations around.
Another adventure option in Kufri that you cannot do without enjoying is Yak and Horse Safari. This is one of the best way enjoy the landscape but you need to be patient and have immense stamina as the Yak covers steep mountains. You get to see the great scenery and landscape of the region.
Himalayan Nature Park: The Himalayan Nature Park, which has a collection of animals and birds native to Himachal Pradesh.

Places to stay
Hotel Snow View Shelter,
Kufri Hill Resorts,
Koti Resorts,
Kufri Holiday Resort,
HTPDC Winter Sports Club,
PWD Rest House,
Chini Bungalow or the Indira Holiday Home.
Holiday Inn Hotel,
Shelter Hotel
Hotel Woodpark (link)
Kufri Pacific
Shilon Resorts, Kufri
Toshali Royal View,Kufri
The Chalets, Kufri
Park Woods, Kufri
Hotel Peach Blossom
Galleu Hill Resort

How to Reach Kufri
Special conducted bus tours can be hired from Kufri to Shimla. Regular buses and taxis are also available from Shimla. But to fully savour the scenic views between Shimla and Kufri nothing could be better than trekking the 16 kms way.