Travel style · Kumaon
Honeymoons in Kumaon
Quiet rooms with the mountains outside
Honeymoons in Kashmir houseboats, Bhutan's valleys, Himachal orchards and Sikkim's hills, from saver homestays to the best lodges. Slow days, good rooms, no rush.
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · CommonsThe best mountain honeymoons are slow: two or three bases, not seven, and rooms worth staying in. We avoid back-to-back long drives and add a day with nothing planned.
Kumaon is the eastern half of Uttarakhand: lake towns near Kathgodam, the old Chand capital of Almora, oak sanctuaries like Binsar, the stone temples of Jageshwar and the Johar valley at Munsiyari. Go March to June or September to November. Five to nine nights by train, shared jeep or private car covers the best of it.
Trips
Honeymoons trips in Kumaon
Photo: Travelling Slacker · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Kasar Devi and Binsar, slow and private
Private car with driver
3 places
Where to go
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Binsar
An oak sanctuary on the Chand kings' summer hill
Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mukteshwar
Orchards, cliffs and a Shiva temple on a 2,171 m ridge
Photo: Skalvanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Nainital
An eye-shaped lake, a Raj summer capital and the gateway to Kumaon
Experiences
Days that fit the style
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Sunrise walk to Zero Point
Walk 2 km through dark oak forest to the watchtower at Zero Point, about 2,400 m, and watch the sun light the snow peak…
Photo: solarshakti · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Birding in Binsar's oak forest
Binsar's old oak forest is one of the best places in Kumaon to see Himalayan forest birds and pheasants. A slow dawn wa…
Photo: Rajborah123 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Village trails on the edge of Binsar
Walk from the sanctuary edge down old paths to the terraced villages below, past naulas, stone houses with slate roofs …
Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mukteshwar Dham and the Chauli ki Jali cliffs
The old Shiva temple that gave Mukteshwar its name sits at the top of the ridge, and the overhanging cliffs of Chauli k…
Photo: Deepak Rohilla · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Rappelling and rock climbing at Mukteshwar
Local operators set fixed ropes on the cliffs near Chauli ki Jali for rappelling, short rock climbs and a zipline. It i…
Photo: Deepak Rohilla · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Ramgarh orchards and the writers' hills
Ramgarh, on the road between Bhowali and Mukteshwar, is Kumaon's fruit belt, with apple, apricot, plum and peach orchar…
Photo: Incorelabs · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
A dawn row to the Naina Devi temple
Start before the town wakes: a hand-rowed boat from Tallital across the still lake, the ridges lit from the east, then …
Photo: 25 Cents FC · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
An early visit to Kainchi Dham
Kainchi Dham is the ashram of Neem Karoli Baba on the Shipra stream, 17 km from Nainital. Its Hanuman temple was consec…
Where to sleep
Stays in these places
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Budget
KMVN Tourist Rest House, Binsar
The government rest house inside Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, run by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, sits high on the rid…
Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Mukteshwar
Zostel's Mukteshwar hostel is a favourite of students, solo travellers and remote workers, with dorm beds and priv…
Photo: Utkarshsingh.1992 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Mid
The Naini Retreat
A heritage hotel on the Ayarpata slopes above Naini lake, once a residence of the Maharaja of Pilibhit, run by Lei…
Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Mid
The Ramgarh Bungalows
Neemrana's set of restored 19th-century cottages at Ramgarh, about 25 km before Mukteshwar, stands among orchards …
Photo: SudiptoDutta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Luxury
Mary Budden Estate
A restored 19th-century estate inside Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, named after its last known resident, Mary Budden.…
Photo: ParthaPratimNath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
Te Aroha by Shervani, Dhanachuli
A boutique hotel at Dhanachuli near Mukteshwar, with suites and cottages facing the snow peaks and a restaurant wi…