I Spent a Refreshing Month in Uttarakhand Right After the Lockdown!

Let’s be honest - gone are those days of impromptu holidays and quick vacations. Let’s rather accept that the way we think of travel will undergo a massive transformation in the days to come. The last few months have made us all adapt to a lot of changes. The 'new normal', as they say, has made its way into our lives, and for travelers with itchy-feet, wearing a mask at the airport isn’t the only change!

However, unlock 4.0 eased a lot of travel restrictions, encouraging people to ditch their city lives for staycations and workations. With ‘work-from-home’ becoming a norm, it’s an obvious choice to live longer elsewhere, and an internet connection is all that one needs!

Being quite active on Instagram, I saw that a lot of travel influencers were escaping to Goa (one of the first few states that opened up for tourism) for a month or more, and it did give me some hope to hit the roads again. Although I had been dreaming of waking up to see the snow clad Himalayas, I wasn't very sure about the scenario in Himachal or Uttarakhand, until two of my friends (who have recently opened a homestay in Uttarakhand) gave me a clearer picture of how things are in these states.

Embarking the Journey from Delhi to Nathuakhan, Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand lifted all travel restrictions in the last week of September, pertaining to special permits and COVID-19 negative certificates. Now, all that needs to be done is to register and get an ePass from the Dehradun Smart City website before traveling. Previously, one had to book a minimum stay of seven days in Uttarakhand, which has now been removed.

After much contemplation and planning for about a week, I finally decided to travel and spend a month at The Doi Homestay in Nathuakhan, run by Disha Kapkoti & Sambit Dattachaudhuri.

A couple of my friends were also keen to take a break from the monotonous life at home, and we got the RT PCR Test done before traveling (although it wasn't mandatory). This part of the state has zero COVID cases, and since we were coming from Delhi, it was our responsibility to ensure that we don't carry the virus along with us! Thankfully, we all tested 'negative' and with happy hearts, we booked a cab and embarked on our journey for a month-long staycation in the blissful Himalayas.

The distance from Delhi to Nathuakhan is about 340 KM (approx) which we covered in 10 hours. We made sure not to stop anywhere on the way, except for a 5-minute tea break at Moradabad, UP. At the Uttarakhand border, there was a check post where they asked for the ePass number and let us in. The journey was hassle-free and quite smooth in the cab. However, bus services haven't resumed in all parts of Uttarakhand and it's advisable to avoid traveling in local transport. First, travelling in public transport is not safe at the moment, as it might increase the chances of getting infected. Second, any other state-transport bus isn’t allowed to enter Uttarakhand.

In case you’re coming from some place in Uttar Pradesh and have caught the UP State Transport bus, it will drop you off at the border of Uttar Pradesh. You walk a few meters, enter into Uttarakhand, and catch another bus for travelling within Uttarakhand.

The mountain air greeted us as we drove along the roads uphill. We crossed a number of postcard perfect villages one after another, and there were certain bends from where we could see the peeping snow peaks of the Himalayas! As we crossed Nainital, we were surprised to see that the cafes and restaurants were all open and the hill station was as bustling as always.

Finally, we reached Nathuakhan - our destination and home for the next 30 days!

Life at The Doi Homestay

Located in the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand, The Doi Homestay can be your perfect ‘home away from home’ too.

Imagine what it would be like, if you were to wake up one day and feel as if nothing like COVID had ever happened to the world. This is exactly how I felt on my very first day here. Stepping out of the room, my lungs were filled with the fresh air, and I could see vast stretches of the lush green valley with the Nanda Ghunti and Chaukhamba peaks gleaming in the sun. I was here in this house with my friends, with the freedom to hug them as I wished, having all our meals together and talking to everyone without wearing a mask—these felt like the best things ever.

The accommodation is situated amidst orchards where the hosts are cultivating pulses, fruits and vegetables. We once spent an entire morning plucking and peeling Rajma beans! A friend indulged in yoga sessions every morning, overlooking the Himalayas, while I sat with my laptop, working and admiring the beauty surrounding me.

We would go for random hikes, play badminton in the evenings, watch movies together or play board games, occasionally. Sambit has excellent culinary skills, and he spoilt us with freshly baked pizzas, banana Nutella crepes, Banoffee pies and pancakes. Stargazing became a part of our daily routine, as we spent hours spotting the Andromeda Galaxy and Milky Way, while feeling the chill in the air.

There were times when I questioned myself, “is this even real?” The last seven months at home, without meeting anyone and living in the virtual world had literally made this life unimaginable for me. All of a sudden, I was no longer playing ‘Psych’ on my phone, but sitting around a table with a Scrabble board and smiling faces. Time would pass by in a wink of an eye as there was so much to do; I would often wish the days were a little longer.

The lockdown made me realize that traveling freely shouldn't be taken for granted, and now it's a rather thoughtful act than an impulsive desire. Needless to say, it really felt like bliss to be able to travel in the post-pandemic world and accept that this is how things are going to be now onwards, while we move around with extra precautions.

If you’re also feeling stuck at home and wish to travel, make sure you read all the protocols (as every state has a different set of rules) before planning the trip. After all, it’s the people from big cities who are carrying this virus to remote places and we need to be responsible for our own actions.