Buraaskhande in Dhanaulti - Perfect Getaway

The best encounters and experiences happen when you aren’t expecting the best but take on a journey with frivolous thoughts. I was always fascinated towards the sheer spectacle of Himalayan villages, found my wild amidst the Rhododendron tree and for once wanted to get lost in a trail that only welcomed with more green. I got a chance to walk on the road less travelled while hiking the little Buraaskhande hillock in Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand.

It was a beautiful day with sunshine beaming through the towering pine trees and the delight of Himalayan road trips usually takes anyone into euphoric zone. I lost the battle of resisting to fall in love with the picturesque view and with every stretch, the road grew provocatively beautiful. The plan was to visit “Queen of Hills” – Mussoorie but tired of my childhood weekend getaways to the place, I planned to go beyond and take a sneak peak at Dhanaulti.

Reaching Buraaskhande in Dhanaulti

Dhanaulti is a hidden bliss in the Himalayan foothills and charms with the magic of pine trees aligned across the whole terrain. The cliff on one side of the road gives you the view of the beautiful villages with far scattered houses and the other side covers the bare hills with completeness of pine trees. Dhanaulti is located approximately 60 kms from Mussoorie and you can reach there by car within 2 hours at the max. The afternoon was all about Buraaskhande in Dhanaulti, a place surrounded by the charismatic and colourful Rhododendrons. Unfortunately I could witness the Rhododendrons as I visited the place offseason in starting of July. Buraaskhande is a small but extremely beautiful place that lies 10 km before reaching the town of Dhanaulti while driving from Mussoorie.

Landmark – Buraaskhande and the small hillock I explored is right opposite to small resort named Buraas Breeze. The resort is on right side of the road while coming from Mussoorie while the small hike on the hillock is opposite on left side.

Accommodation

I preferred staying in Mussoorie because it is more convenient and the Buraaskhande is only 50kms from the hill station. But if you want to stay away from rest of the world at complete solace, you can stay at Buraas Breeze resort and enjoy the sheer glimpse of Himalayan terrain. The place is a fairy tale if you visit during winters although I did not experience the same on my own.

What I loved about Buraaskhande?

• The charm and solace of the place is something I cannot trade anything for. It is not exactly a tourist spot but for someone like I find my wild exploring such terrains. I started my hike and sat for a while adjacent to the small hillock on the edge of one side of the trail to enjoy the breath taking view of many villages from above.

• The trail continued and so did my passion to know what lies beyond every step. I continued my climb and with every stretch it only became more beautiful with abundance of pine tree. The trail led me to few abundant cottages built beautifully with wooden base.

• Sunshine beamed through the pine trees and scattered into rays and it was a scene straight from fairy tale lands. With the pine trees and sun rays shining through the whole area, I continued my hike till I saw a lone house on top of the hill.

• I was smitten by the whim of such unconventional existence and a lady born in foothills of Himalayas was working in her cabbage field. We both looked at each other for a while until she greeted me with a warm smile and then we talked for about an hour. I salute her courage to stay alone all by herself.

• The trail continued and ended after reaching the top of Hillock stuck by prolific abundance and beauty; I lay down in silence and stared the clear blue skies. I could not resist staring at the clear sky and took a while laying down and admiring the nature before getting up and climbing down.

It was near about 5 hours in the beautiful place but the memories of the place still pull me strongly. The composure of the Himalayan lady, the majestic view of Himalayan foothills, the shade of pine trees, the glory of the road and everything else is ever beautiful. If you happen to visit Mussoorie, do take out time to take a look at what this beautiful place has to offer. I am sure you too will be left as awestruck as I was.