LATEST FROM OUR HOME
Symphony of the Savannah – new coffee table book added to our library
As we seek to increase the number of books in our library at Katie’s Abode, Hartola with some interesting and informative books, Sivashish Thakur’s Symphony of the Savannah caught our attention. Yes, this coffee table book has nothing to do with Uttarakhand in general or Hartola in particular, yet the writer’s passion in wildlife is
Places of interest near Hartola (Part 3) Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham Mandir
It was a Wednesday evening when we realized that staying in Hartola was not complete without a visit to Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham Mandir. A couple friend of ours too were staying with us, so it was decided that the next morning we will be visiting this highly regarded temple of Lord Hanuman. For
Spring has arrived and Hartola is draped in colours of nature!
The absence of snow this year has not thrown nature’s schedule off balance. It’s business as usual—once again, the bare brown branches have suddenly been clothed with pink and white satiny blooms. The dry and dreary landscape has transformed itself dramatically into an undulating sea of pink and white as far as the eye can
New Year, new changes to our homestay near Mukteshwar!
Well, A very Happy New Year to everyone. Since we started our homestay, we have been working on ways to make our guests’ experience in our home better and memorable. Thanks to all the feedback our guests shared, we are happy at our progress. Since our private annex on the ground floor was not ready
Places of interest near Hartola (Part 2) – Dhokaney waterfall
About 40 kilometers from Hartola is a beautiful waterfall tucked away amidst lush green surroundings on the Nathuakhan-Orakhan-Dhokaney road. One has to take a left a few meters after crossing the Orakhan market. The road that leads to the waterfall is pretty good and has hardly any vehicles plying. There are a couple of maggi
We got our first delivery today from Amazon at Hartola
Today was an exciting day for sure! We got our first delivery from Amazon! All this time we were not sure whether the ecommerce sites would deliver at Hartola. But thanks to our caretaker who informed us that Amazon had in fact delivered stuff for a couple who were staying in our homestay for over
MANY MOODS OF HARTOLA
Never fails to excite you 365 days!
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TRAVEL TIPS
Information to make your vacation perfect!
Top tips for planning the perfect road trip
In December 2022 and again in February this year we embarked on long road trips spanning over 1900 kms one way. Yes, we made a road trip from Noida to Guwahati and back. While going, it took us two nights, three days driving a total of 33 hours. While coming we completed the journey, making
Taking a Road Trip – Top Tips while Traveling by Road
[responsivevoice_button] So you have decided to drive down to your weekend destination…good idea, if you have prepared well! A well prepared road can be delightful, fun, educational and more fulfilling; while an ill-prepared road trip can be equally frustrating, dangerous, and tiring. But don’t fret. We are here to help you. In fact based on
Flying With Your Pet In Cabin in India? Here’s all you need to know
By November 12 we had read and heard a whole lot of things – mostly confusing – about carrying pets along in the cabin of a flight within India! So this is an attempt to put an end to all the confusion and give our firsthand experience of flying with our pet in the cabin
Tips on How to Survive a Vacation with Your Spouse without Arguing or Going Crazy
A vacation with your spouse can be a great way for some much-needed time together. But this road to paradise can take you straight to hell if you rub your partner the wrong way! On many occasions couples come back home from a vacation more stressed, beaten down and left with the feeling ‘why the
Brutally Honest Travel Tips to Avoid Embarrassing Yourself When in India
These brutally honest travel tips will keep you from embarrassing yourself when you are on a visit to India. Just remember it is one thing to look like a goofy tourist while traveling to India, but offending the locals here is even worse and is totally frowned upon. 1. Snake charmers, maharajas and elephant cabs
OUR TRAVEL DIARIES
Travelogues as we travel
Places of interest near Hartola (Part 3) Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham Mandir
It was a Wednesday evening when we realized that staying in Hartola was not complete without a visit to Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham Mandir. A couple friend of ours too were staying with us, so it was decided that the next morning we will be visiting this highly regarded temple of Lord Hanuman. For
Places of interest near Hartola (Part 2) – Dhokaney waterfall
About 40 kilometers from Hartola is a beautiful waterfall tucked away amidst lush green surroundings on the Nathuakhan-Orakhan-Dhokaney road. One has to take a left a few meters after crossing the Orakhan market. The road that leads to the waterfall is pretty good and has hardly any vehicles plying. There are a couple of maggi
Places of interest near Hartola (Part 1) – Jageshwar Dham near Almora
I have been to several temples across India, but Jageshwar Dham near Almora is a different experience altogether. A UNESCO protected site, the temples are also referred to as Jageshwar Valley Temples and are a group of 125 ancient Hindu temples dated between 7th and 14th century. In fact, as you approach the temples, suddenly
Diwali at Bhimtal – I
The Diwali weekend of November 2007 saw us taking off to the hills of Bhimtal on NH 24. I was the only one of the lot to have gone there before. But that was on a hurried official trip by train to Kathgodam and thereafter by bus to Country Inn Resort. We’d stayed in pretty
On the Uttarakhand Trail–Someshwar Valley/Ranikhet
July 2014 Days 4 & 5 Route taken: NH 87 E – Kausani – Someshwar – Pokhra – Ranikhet (near Army Golf Course) Roads condition: Good, except for about a 2- 3 km stretch after Pokhra and 6-7 km on the Dwarahat road which is under repair 10.05 a.m.: On the 15th, after a hearty
Day 3 and 4 of Our Goa Holiday – Lazing around at Calangute Beach
We had tea and toast and lazed around in bed till about 9.30. With no fixed agenda for the day, we thought of going a little easy on ourselves…already every inch of our bodies was aching from the swimming and walking. Deepa suddenly remembered that we’d been forgetting something very important – souvenirs. We quickly