kms from Mukteshwar.The village is situated in the fruit bowl of Kumaon. We visited during the first week of June.The places still have trees, laden with apricot and plum. The mornings here start with soft sunlight and a great view of the Himalayas. Trishul, Nandadevi, Nandakot and Dharachula peaks are clearly visible from here. The morning walk was through the jungles full of trees that provide apricots and plums, sufficient for breakfast. During the mid-morning, one can see the village kids going to school. Rarely is there any vehicle on the road. There are two buses plying on this road, one in the morning and another in the evening. The sunset is absolutely magnificent through the jungle trees. The orange sun, through the dense forest is absolutely magnificent – which cannot be described in words - can only be realized. After the lazy afternoon, over a cup of tea, one can see the shadows getting darker. One has to search for evening snacks and the only option available in the local restaurant is a plate of vegetable noodles and chole. The night becomes really silent, and city-dwellers can get strange feelings in the eardrums. We are not accustomed to such peaceful silence.

We also went for a one day tour to Jageshwar, through Almora. The drive is picturesque, with lots of bridges. Jageshwar has a temple complex, dotted with a number of ancient temples amidst the forest region and the scenery is breathtaking.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping

The road from Peora to Mukteshwar is a village road, recently paved with asphalt. The road passes through dense forest region, mainly after Shitla. The only sound which we could hear was the chirping of the birds. During the strong wind, it is the strange sound created by the trees, and the sound of cricket is omnipresent. Certain parts of the road were moist, as the sun barely reaches the road through the dense forest. The trekking paths are absolutely great. The only problem is that you might not find anybody in the trekking path. So, it is not advisable for families with kids to trek in the dense forest. Jim Corbett came here to kill a man-eater and he loved this place. From Shitla, one can see the wavy valley, with various hues of green. Only local food is not available in Peora, as this is a small hamlet. However, the “pahari” type of chicken curry is excellent. As this is the fruit bowl of Kumaon region, great choice is available. But nothing can compare with the taste of the ripe plums or apricots, which can be picked from the trees and consumed there. We were a bit early for the pomegranates and they were still very small. However, pears are equally delicious.

Activities & things to do

The mountain wave

There is, as such, no specific activity – apart from trekking. However, that is the major charm of this place. As there is no such specific “point” to be covered, you will not find any vendor solicitation for a snap.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.

We visited this place in the month of June. We drove from Delhi to Kathgodam and then hired a local driver cum guide. The driver was very knowledgeable about local roads as there are not sufficient road-signs on the village roads. This is a very important aspect of this area. As the roads are generally empty, one might not be able to know the exact route, unless they are familiar with this area.

Other inclusions in the Top 10 for June, 2009   Anu Shankar Thiruvananthapuram   Mihir Parmar  Kurumba Village Resort   Ruchi Parekh Ladakh (Leh)    Rajeev Korde Royal Park Resort   Sudarshan Datta   Hampi    Sundeep Mohana Vishakapatnam   Shubham Mankhand Blue Valley Jungle Resort   Sai Krishna King's Cliff   Sandeep Sharma Lansdowne     (Photos from HolidayIQ Archives)