Binsar Experience: This place is truly cutoff from civilization. It doesn't have electricity and so the resort relies on solar power. There are no phones in the rooms and neither is there a TV or do they get any newspaper in the resort to catch up on the happenings in the world.
Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Food is a treat as it is prepared in right earnest. You can also try out the local cuisines which are a rare experience. There isn't much sight seeing to do apart from visiting Almora city. If you are lucky to see the Himalayas you can try your hand at taking some nice pictures with a good camera. There is a shop at the entrance of the sanctuary selling locally made soaps, sweaters, shawls, hand creams and a few other bathing accessories which are made by local women in the village. The soaps are pretty good. We bought a dozen of them each one of a different kind.
Activities & things to do: There isn't much to do here apart from catching up on your reading and relaxing. If the weather is good, you might trek up to the machan near Binsar Retreat to get a glimpse of the sunrise and try out photography. You can do some trekking by taking help of local guides who are trained by the Binsar Sanctuary.
Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: It is about 30 kms from Almora and 50 kms from Bageshwar. The road from both sides are pretty good but if you are starting from Nainital side and coming to Binsar the roads upto Almora is pretty bad. The rains have torn it apart last year (2010) and will not be fixed this year also. Looks like it will be a couple of years before things are okay. This sector is much better than the Nainital surrounding areas (too many curvy roads).
