Day 3: Dhanaulti

The story “Story of 3 Moms n 3 Kids (Part 1)” continuous with Day 3 at Dhanaulti. Post breakfast, we were a little confused regarding staying for 1 more night in Kanatal (remember we already had the booking for 3 nights) or going to Haridwar and finding a hotel there and staying for a night to break our 12-hour road journey to 5 hours. After a lot of discussion and debate, we decided to check out from Kanatal Resort. And book a hotel for one night in Haridwar or Rishikesh (depending upon the timings).

We first went to Surkanda Devi Temple. The temple is one of the Shakti Peeth and is very popular among the tourist. It is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Sati, the place where her head fell when Lord Shiva was carrying her body to Mount Kailash. The temple is located above 2500 m in height and provides a panoramic view of the entire city and surrounding hills. We went to this temple to enjoy the view but got to know about the importance of this temple upon reaching the top. It is almost 2.5 Km of steep walking, which takes approx 2 hours one way.

After walking a few steps, we saw two to three horses standing, so we hired them, which reduced our walk to only half an hour. Without horses, we would not have gone up, as it would have been difficult for kids to walk the steep paths. We were extremely lucky that we got horses. The view from the top is really beautiful.

By the time we came down from the temple it was afternoon, so we decided to have lunch. Our next stopover was Dhanaulti Eco Park. The park is amazing for kids, there are many swings, slides, etc for kids to have a good time. All our kids also had their first adventure – zipping.

The view from the top is simply mind blowing. The park is definitely worth visiting. You can spend 2-3 hours easily enjoying this place.

It started drizzling, so we rushed to our car as we had to reach to Haridwar or Rishikesh as early as possible. After such an amazing day we all were relaxed and enjoying the outside view from the car, while kids slept, as they were tired. We wanted to cross the construction part as soon as possible during daylight. But then, it started lightening and raining heavily, and it started becoming dark.

Due to heavy rainfall and construction work going on, the small stones started falling down. We were moving ahead, and stones were falling from behind. We all got a little scared if a landslide or something like that happened, we would get stuck in the middle, but we kept our calm and reaffirmed that we would reach either of the places in time.

We did cross most of the construction part, but then suddenly, the entire traffic came to a standstill. There was a possibility of one big stone falling down, so the vehicle movement stopped. Nobody was sure when this jam would get clear or how much time we would have to wait there like that. For a fraction of a second, a thought of whether we made the right decision to leave today or not came to our mind. But, later, we dismissed that thought and looked for a solution. And then we met a local person who suggested that we could take another route for Haridwar, but that is a longer route. So, with the help of that person, our driver turned the car and made the way to go back to take that longer route.

Though the rain stopped, it got very dark, with no street lights and no boards, but luckily, GPRS signals were excellent. After some time, we could see Rishikesh town from above the hill, so we got confident that we were on the right track. After a couple of hours, we touched Rishikesh, and we all relaxed. In an hour’s time, we reached Haridwar and booked a room for our night stay. Post dinner everyone slept after an exhausting yet super adventurous day.

The next day, early in the morning, we went to Har ki Paudi to see morning Aarti, as we were in Haridwar. Later, after breakfast, we all safely reached our homes. I really wished the trip could have lasted for a couple of more days. 

It was definitely one of the most exciting, refreshing, and memorable trips.

Tips and Suggestions

• There are two routes to reach this place. Route 1 – Delhi-Meerut-Muzzafarnagar-Roorkee-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Narendranagar-Chamba-Kanatal Route 2 – Delhi-Meerut-Muzzafarnagar-Roorkee-Chutmalpur-Mohand-Dehradoon-Mussorie-Dhanaulti-Kanatal. Route 1 is less crowded, but road construction is going on, and it will take at least a year to complete it. Also, the chances of small stones falling (landslides) during monsoons are higher because of construction. While, route 2 gets crowded during peak seasons. The traffic gets stuck for hours. Choose wisely before deciding your route. We choose Route 1 for our journey.

• During summer (May-Jun), days are sunny and comfortable, but the night gets cold. You will need blankets.

• It is advisable to break the journey for a night at Haridwar or Rishikesh if going by road, at least while returning home. This way you will not feel tired after a holiday and will feel fresh. A 12-hour journey is way too long with kids. Though in a group, you enjoy the journey.

• The Kodia Jungle is overrated. You can trek anywhere in Kanatal.