KAUSANI
ABOUT KAUSANI –
Kausani is a hill station and village situate in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is famous for its scenic splendour and its spectacular 300 km wide panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like Trishul, Nanda Devi and Panchchuli. Earlier it was situated in the Almora district till September 1997 but on 9th November 2000 , the state of Uttarakhand was created and Bageshwar district was carved out of Almora district and Kausani came in Bageshwar distict.
This beauteous hill queen is perched at an elevation of 1890 meters (6200 feet) above the sea level and is known for the Kausani Tea Estate which grows the best quality tea leaves. The scenic place is also the birth place of the famous Hindi poet, Sumitra Nandan Pant who wrote many poems, praising the beauty of Kausani. The beauty of Kausani has also bewitched some of the eminent personalities of India including Mahatma Gandhi. It is said that when Mahatma Gandhi visited this place he was so much allured by its aesthetic beauty that he called Kausani the Switzerland of India.
HOW TO REACH KAUSANI –
Kausani is well connected with most of the important towns and cities of Uttarakhand. Kausani is located 52 km north of Almora in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. It lies in the kumaon division of Uttarakhand and is situated at a distance of approximately 415 km away from the national capital Delhi.
REACHING KAUSANI BY ROAD –
Kausani is well connected by motorable roads with major cities in northern India. Buses to Kathgodam and Almora can be taken from ISBT Anand Vihar, Bus station in Delhi. Kausani is approximately 415 km away from Delhi and it takes about 11 hours to cover this distance.
Road Route Map – Delhi – Hapur- Moradabad- Ramnagar- Ranikhet- Kausani (433 kms) Other Road Route Map – Delhi-Hapur-Moradabad- Rampur-Haldwani-Kathgodam-Bhimtal-Bhowali- Khairna- Almora- Kausani (405 kms).
HOW TO REACH BY RAIL –
Kathgodam is the nearest railway station to Kausani situated at a distance of 132 kms. Kathgodam is well connected with major cities of India like Lucknow, Delhi, Moradabad and Kolkatta. One can get private taxis or busses from Kathgodam to Kausani easily of 132 kms. Kathgodam is well connected with major cities of India like Lucknow, Delhi, Moradabad and Kolkatta. One can get private taxis or busses from Kathgodam to Kausani easily.
HOW TO REACH BY AIR –
The nearest airport for Kausani is Pantnagar. It is approximately 160 kms, away from Kausani and one can get taxies from here to Kausani.
BEST TIME TO VISIT KAUSANI –
Kausani is a place which is worth visiting anytime of the year. But the peak time and best time to visit Kausani is from March to June. In the months of June Kausani gets crowded due to vacations in the school but still is a very pleasing place to visit.
Monsoon season is not advisable to visit Kausani, as it rains heavily here and one has to be in the resort room for most of the time and can not enjoy the treks and nature walks also. Moreover, there are changes of landslides also in the region in the monsoon season, so not a good time to visit. September to end of October is also a good time to visit Kausani, as it gets a bit cool out here in the mornings and at nights. If you are a snowfall lover and want to enjoy the chilled air, then months from November to February are idle for you to visit this place.
Kausani gets its snowfall from mid-December to mid-January and even sometimes till early February also. From October to March one can clearly enjoy the view of the Panchchuli Peaks as the sky is clear and there is snow on the Himalayan peaks which is a treat to the eyes of all visiting this place.
WHERE TO STAY IN KAUSANI –
Kausani is a very famous hill station of the Uttarakhand state and is visited by thousands of tourists each month ,so there are many options in Kausani to stay both luxury resorts to budget homestays. Some of the top resorts in Kausani are as under – Heritage Resort Kausani.
- Suman Royal Resort.
- Sun N Snow Inn Kausani.
- The Buransh.
- Hotel Hill Top.
Best budget Homestay in Kausani is the only one – Ananda Homestay run by Mathura Das and his wife, excellent host. Very good quality of food and they take care of all small things and at the same time the charges are very reasonable also. Wifi , free parking with a very good view of the Himalayan Peaks and clean property. Highly recommended by me, I personally have stayed here for a long time.
WHAT TO EAT N WHERE TO EAT IN KAUSANI
Well apart from the hotels and resorts where you are staying in, there are many places you can eat in Kausani. Some of the best places to eat is garden restaurant in the Heritage Resort, food quality is excellent and it offers you bonfire in the night with excellent view of the Panchchuli peaks in front of you. Some other places where you can have good quality of food are Yogi Food Point, Himalaya Valley Restaurant etc… You can order food in Ananda Homestay as well, but you have to order in advance, and they will make the best food for you at a very reasonable price.
One can enjoy food in some of the restaurants in the main market of Kausani and also one can enjoy street food in the market like bread omelette, samosas, tea, coffee, bread pakoras etc…
If you want to enjoy local Kumauni food in Kausani, you can order in Ananda Homestay, you will enjoy the food and at reasonable price. One must surely try the Buransh drink, while in Kausani, local welcome drink of Uttarakhand.
WHAT TO CARRY WHILE VISITING KAUSANI –
If you are visiting Kausani in the months of April to June you need to carry light cotton clothes, good pair of shoes for nature walk or trekking, sun glasses, hat or a cap. Travelling in the monsoon season one must carry, umbrella, raincoat, light cotton clothes, 2 pair of good shoes along with extra pair of socks. While trekking, one needs to be very careful as the ground
and road is very slippery at this time of the season. While travelling Kausani in the winters, in months of November to January, one must carry heavy
woollens with him, jacket, sweater, woollen shawl, woollen socks and inner thermal wear as well, as the climate here is very chilled in these months.
One can carry binoculars also while visiting kausani, to view the Himalayan peaks.
THINGS TO DO IN KAUSANI –
Following are the activities one can do in Kausani-
- Nature walks in Kausani,
- Adventure activities like rock climbing, flying fox, zorbing, cycling, repelling, shopping of local herbs,
- Kausani tea, woollens, Himalayan Organic Stuff.
- Viewing the Himalayan peaks, Panchchuli peaks, Nanda Devi.
- Enjoy local Kumauni food.
- Visiting apple orchards.
- Tasting different varieties of tea, near the tea estate.
PLACES TO VISIT IN KAUSANI-
Following are the top ten places to visit in Kausani-
- Visit Anasakti Ashram,
- Visit the famous Hindi poet, Sumitra Nandan Pant Gallery.
- Trek to the Rudradhari Falls,
- Visiting the famous temple Baijnath and offer prayers,
- Visiting famous temple Baghnath and offer prayers,
- Visiting Shawl Factory and shopping woollens.
- Explore Kausani Tea Estate.
- Kausani Planetarium and look up the stars and galaxy.
- Visiting Apple Garden, kiwi and peach plantation,
- Visiting Mahila Mandal Lakshmi Ashram,
- Visit Someshwar for shiva temple,
- See the Sunrise over Nanda Devi.
HOW MANY DAYS REQUIRED TO VISIT KAUSANI –
Well, if you want to explore Kausani and visit all the above stated places in Kausani, 3 nights stay is must in Kausani. You can also plan for Birthi waterfalls from Kausani and also Munsiyari an offbeat destination of Uttarakhand. To get details regarding Munsiyari, read my blog on Munsiyari.
