Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret

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Because the hills are calling

Photo of Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret by Yamini Gupta

When it comes to famous North Indian hill stations, i guess Landour wouldn't make the cut. Precisely which is why one must leave everything right now and head straight to this out of the world destination!

The birthplace of Ruskin Bond, Landour is a small, quaint cantonment town 35 kms from Mussoorie. Despite situated close to the hustle bustle, it is surprising peaceful and untouched. There are hardly any commercial shops or hotels. Just a handful of guesthouses, all of which were built in the British era. Infact the name Landour itself is based on Llanddowror, a village in southwest Wales.

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1: We landed in Dehradun at about 12 PM and hired a cab from the airport to Landour. We checked into our guesthouse at around 3 PM. For stay we had booked a room in Rokeby Manor. It was a pretty hotel, all prepped up for Christmas already!

With all its colonial furniture and warmth, this place still belongs to 19th century

Photo of Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta
Photo of Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

The in-house library. It was called Wilson Chambers :)

Photo of Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

The gift store in the hotel

Photo of Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

After freshening up, we went up to the restaurant to enjoy our hot cup of tea and the sunset. :)

Photo of Rokeby Manor, Mussoorie, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

Having loitered around the hotel premises for a while, we left to explore the town. Landour is a place best explored on foot or on bicycle. However one can also rent bikes or scooters. We chose to go around on foot. It was a quiet walk. We went up to Sister's bazaar and found a very cute bakery called Landour Bakehouse. The bakery served us one of the best crepes and apple pie i have ever had till date. Also, Landour is famous for its peanut butter. When the Britishers left, an Indian called Anil Prakash bought all the equipments and the butter factory and decided to continue the business. Since then, peanut butter has become an all time favourite for the locals and the tourists alike. :)

Photo of Landour Bakehouse, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

Apart from the peanut butter, looks like Landour excels in sarcasm too :D

Photo of Landour Bakehouse, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

It was a nice walk, one that one would take without worrying about having to reach anywhere. Occasionally we came across a few tourists on cycle, most of whom we identified as people staying in the same hotel as ours. But for the rest of the time, there was nobody to be seen. The air was cool and the views were sweet.

Photo of Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret by Yamini Gupta

This was another guest house, with a nice bonfire, a full moon and girl with a wine glass in view :)

Photo of Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret by Yamini Gupta

That's Mussoorie

Photo of Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret by Yamini Gupta

A cafe that we came across

Photo of Landour- Mussoorie's best kept secret by Yamini Gupta

Day 2:

Day 2

Next morning, we headed towards Lal Tibba to catch the sunrise. It's one of the highest points of Landour.

Photo of Lal Tibba Scenic Point, Naya Mohalla, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

This is how the roads generally look like in Landour. Clean and relaxing <3

Photo of Lal Tibba Scenic Point, Naya Mohalla, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

After having a honey ginger lemon tea at the famous char dukaan shops and a brief lazying around session on the park benches, we decided to leave for Mussoorie. We chose to walk to Mussoorie and have lunch at the famous Tibetan restaurant Kalsang. Honestly, the restaurant was worth it.

Kalsang: Tibetan butter tea

Photo of Kalsang Restaurant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

Kalsang: Veg thupka

Photo of Kalsang Restaurant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

Kalsang: Honey ginger lemon tea

Photo of Kalsang Restaurant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India by Yamini Gupta

The food was great and totally worth the price. A perfect ending to our weekend escapade. :)

Note:

Mussoorie and Landour being the home to many writers, hold a special love for books. There are books all around, be it in hotel or in cafes. It's a perfect place to relax and soak-in with your favourite books.

How to reach Landour?

You can reach Dehradun either by train or air or road, whichever suits you the best. From Dehradun, there are cabs and buses available. From Dehra to Landour, it's an approx 2 hour drive by a cab. A one way cab from Dehradun to Landour costs approx 1600 Rs

Stay: approx INR 8000

Food: Breakfast was included. Dinner costed approx 1000 per person

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