Difference between revisions of "Almora"

Revision as of 10:32, 15 July 2008

Almora is a hill station in Uttarakhand State.

Understand

Almora, a town of about 30,000, is situated in the Kumaon mountains of the Himalayas in eastern Uttarakhand. Most of the town is situated on a crescent shaped mountain about 5 km long, and most of it is above 6000 feet. Unlike Shimla, Ranikhet and Nainital which were developed by the English, Almora is a hill station totally developed by the Indians.

The town itself is your usual crowded hilltown in northern India, but the natural beauty around is astounding. Almora is also called a town of temples. Situated in the centre of the town is the temple of Goddess Nanda Devi. The mountain is visible from the nearby areas as well.

Almora is an agricultural base and also a trade centre.

Get in

• Almora can be reached by three different routes. The most common of it is via Nainital. Almora lies 110 km north of the nearest railway station at Kathgodam.

By train The town is served by the Kathgodam station, which is located 35 km away from the town. Taxis charge Rs 600 to Almora. You can also share a cab at Rs 125 per person. Most hotels will arrange for a pick up on prior request, Rs 700-1000. The station handles 46 express trains per week.

BAGH EXP (daily) - Dep. Howrah 2145 Arr. 0935 - 2 nights SAMPARK KRANTI EXP (daily) - Dep. Delhi Jn 1600 Arr. 2245 - 7 hours RANIKHET EXP (daily) - Dep. Delhi Jn 2245 Arr. 0500 - 1 night DEHRADUN KATHGODAM EXP (Wed, Sun) - Dep. 2230 Arr. 0725 - 1 night

By road

There are daily bus services from Delhi. The buses leave from ISBT Anand Vihar and are run by Uttarakhand Roadways. Driving to Almora takes 10 to 12 hours. From Delhi, it's highway driving throughout. NH 24 connects Delhi to Rampur via Hapur. At Rampur, turn and head north on NH 87 all the way upto Almora. En-route halts include the Wonderland, Rwy crossing, Moradabad and The Kaichi temple, Kaichi.

By plane

Contrary to popular belief, flying into Almora is the fastest way to reach the hill station. Almora is served by PantNagar Airport, located about 4 hours away. It is served only by Jagson airlines. It is one of the least busy airports in the country, handling only 6 scheduled flights a week.

JA 101 - Dep. Delhi 1315 Arr. PantNagar 1415 (Mon, Wed, Fri) JA 102 - Dep. Delhi 1445 Arr. PantNagar 1545 (Mon, Wed, Fri) FARE - Rs 2250/$ 90 for adults, Rs 1400/$ 55 for children. Taxi fare is around Rs 1200-1500.

Get around

Chitai Temple just 8 km from city, Kasar Devi to have a great look of city.

See

• Binsar temple The Bineshwar temple is a large temple complex situated 8 kms from Almora. In addition, there is a good view from the nearby Binsar Top. Hotels include the upscale Club Mahindra and the relatively down-to-earth KMVN (which has no electricity)

View of Nanda Devi Massif and Nanda Devi East

Do

Walk the famous bazaar - still with glimpses of the old Kumaouni culture

Buy

Woolen garments.

Eat

Bal Mithai, a famous sweet of Almora.

Drink

Lots of tea - the popular local drink - to welcome guests & also to keep warm

Sleep

Budget

• Hotel Shikhar, ☎ 91-5962-230253. Centrally located with good views of the Himalayas.
• Savoy Hotel, ☎ +91-9412906833. .

Mid range

Splurge

• Kalmatia Sangam - just outside of Almora

Get out

• Binsar is a wildlife sanctuary situated 25 km from Almora. Taxis can be taken at the Almora taxi stand. The sanctuary has one resort (Club Mahindra Resort) and a forest guesthouse with a attached restaurant. The Binsar has this beautifully lazy feel around it. There are jungle walkaways and one can see large number of birds everywhere. In the winter Binsar can be very cold and heavy woolens are required.