Almora@ glance

Almora

best way to reach almora

You catch the overnight Ranikhet Express from Delhi and alight at Kathgodam. Then take a bus/ share-taxi from Kathgodam to Almora.

The Ranikhet Express leaves Delhi Jn. at 22=45 and reaches Kathgodam at 06=15 the next morning.getting off the Raniket express in the morning,

there will be a hoard of both share taxis and regular taxis awaiting you. The share taxis are Tata Sumos which charge 80rp per person to Almora; I'm not sure what a 'full taxi' would cost (probably around 1000rp). The trip to Almora is around 3 hours of *very* twisty road and, as I can say from experience, the rear-most facing seats should be avoided at all cost if either of you are at all prone to motion sickness. The Tata's become vomitmobiles and by half way up the hill, both sides of the car will be streaked and between the diesel fumes and puke....well, you get the picture. If you can 'swing' the full taxi, perhaps with others you meet on the train -- GO FOR IT!

place to intrest

Almora - Kasar Devi, Chitai temple , Bright End Corner's sunset, Nanda Devi Temple , Lala Bazar

Bageshwar - Chaukori 2 hr drive, excellent views of himalayas - nandadevi, nandakot, nandakhat mountains (nandadevi is the highest in mainland india at around 7700m, 2nd only to kanchenjunga in the entire india)

Gwaldam - magnificent view of Nandaghunti, Trishul and Nanda Devi peaks

You can go to Kasardevi (6km from Almora) , Bageshwar (90km from Almora) & Gwaldam ... lots of places around almora to see

stay

There are a lot of accommodation options in the area, depending on budget and interests -- there are some high-priced resorts, as well as more modest guest-houses. rather than stay in Almora itself, I'd recommend continuing on up towards Kesar Devi. There are many places to stay along the way. I stayed at Khim's guest house which is on a ridge just past Paparsali and this is highly recommend it Kasar Devi area is pleasant in that you have great views, good walks, and peaceful surroundings. Excursions to some of the nearby attractions such as the Binsar sanctuary and tower and the nearby temple easily arranged. Getting to and from more distant attractions like Kausani and Nainital will cut into your time pretty much but you could stay a couple of nights in Almora area and move on to one of the other places of interest next, and return to Kathgodam for the night train directly.

There are a few accommodation recommendations in the Uttaranchal Hotels section, but you might also try Googling any of the various places others have mentioned above as many of the resorts in those areas have write-ups with pictures etc. and can offer some more ideas, particularly for up-scale resorts which aren't often reviewed here -- most are well out of Alwhich is nicely situated, friendly, and inexpensive. There are many hotels in Kasar Devi area along the Almora-Binsar road but it is nice to know where you are headed in advance for your first night as they are spread out, rather than 'bunched together'.

the Shikar Hotel in the centre. It's a big place with a sunny roof (great in the Winter) where you view the mountains on the horizon. No mountain views from the rooms, but you may get entertained by monkeys in the trees nearby. Be sure to check the room before you settle in, however, as some are better than others. The restaurant in the Shikar is good, and a tiny, hole-in-the-wall eating place nearly opposite the Shikar across the road does excellent Alu Prantha for breakfast each morning. Don't be put off by the appearance (very dark, and they wash the plates in somewhere looking like the toilet), the food is great!

other activity

The main activity in Almora is walking. You can't avoid it, as the old, stone-flagged bazaar, right on the spine of the ridge, is connected to the lower part of town by stairways. Just walk where the mood takes you along the bazaar... head downhill towards the All-India Radio relay station for a pretty little recreation area and some trees, or take the lower road near the Shikar and walk to the "Military Forest Research Centre" (or some similar name, it is surrounded by a wall and looks very military) then divert right at the gate to this place into the forest for tantalising glimpses of the ridges across the valley and a great feeling of calm. You can continue "up" the Almora bazaar lane (no traffic on this lane - another delight of the place) along what is known as Crank's Ridge to a collection of quite splendid houses where a semi-permanent group of foreigners lives. Many stay here for months and come back year after year. You can keep walking from here (Papa Sali) to Kesar Devi, but you can get a share taxi some of the way if you want. Kesar Devi has a little temple on a breezy perch, more long-stayers, and a great view of mountains around the Nepal border region.

I found everyone in the town to be very friendly - most Westerners here stay more than a few days and take time with people, so it isn't like Manali in vibe.

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--although Almora is a fair-sized town (and interesting in itself) the State Bank of India branch *will only change $UD Amex travellers checks* -- not cash or any other checks!. There is no

other place to change money, and some people familiar with the area told me that Nanital is the closest place for more options. Brink lots of rupees with you!

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best time to go Almora

Late October should be a nice time for Kumaon.

From Kathgodam, there are taxis or buses to Almora. A share-taxi is 80rp and is a gut-wrenching 3 hours to Almora, particularly if you are unfortunate enough to take a last-row seat in the Sumo taxis. A 'full taxi' would be more comfortable trip, more expensive but you could go directly to where you plan to stay if it is a few km from town. You will still be pretty 'wiped' for the day, so relaxing is recommended.