It was a misty morning. It was cold. Very cold. The mountain road, clouded by the winter mist and fog, was dark and lonely. The car took a quiet curve around the bend like it always did.
There was not a soul on that lonesome road. Just the soft foggy smoke hovering and covering you now and then as it disappeared and fell back before you could even take a breath. Seized by anxiety in the dark, I sat on the edge of my seat, gripping whatever I could hold on to, as we travelled on.
Could the driver see the road ahead. What if he drove off the cliff! The local cab driver, Jo, familiar with the region and ferrying tourists almost every day, perhaps knew his way around and the curves well. Jo was very quiet and did not hurry. he spoke not a word. He drove at a leisurely speed while I couldn’t wait to reach my destination- Dhanaulti. It is also called Dhanolti and lies just about 24 km from Mussoorie in Uttarakhand.
Quietly, we wheeled around for more than an hour. I could figure out the mountain tops now. Finally, I heard a squeaky clean blah….. of a sheep or a goat amid the crispy clean air as we neared Dhanaulti. Yes! Almost there. I released a deep breath.
The white lodge perched atop a mount was a warm, welcoming sight. But time was short. After a quick meal of rice and chicken curry, I left Jo behind and quickly hitch a pony ride on a beautiful winding road that led me far into the deep.
The trees stood tall. And time stood still.
I threw my head back, but not good enough to see the tip of the green tall pines. The soft sunlight streaked softly through the wet mist that drenched the rich forest. Yes, here lives poetry, in nature’s best… a little green elf or a pretty pink fairy might give you the much needed company if one stayed a little longer.
I stopped a moment to listen to the silence of the deep and soaked up the chilled and mystical breathe of the dark and dense forest.
It’s almost dusk. But the apple orchard amidst the wild I must see before I camped here for the night. It is about 25 km away from Mussoorie. The orchard has a neatly kept resort where you can enjoy a clean stay and home-cooked food. It was once a hunting lodge. One could either book a room here or rent a tent and camped under the dark sky. From here, one can enjoy the breathtaking mountain views all around amid the apple and cherry trees.
Surrounded by the Himalayan mountains, the orchards are sprawled out like Aladdin’s garden with apple and cherry trees, filling the air with the sweet fragrance of ripe apples and whispering hopes of life and abundance amid the cold.
While I had a glimpse of the vast expanse of potato farm from where one can see the captivating view of the Doon Valley, there was not enough time to visit the lush green Eco Park, Surkanda Devi temple and other places of interest. However, a day spent at the apple orchards and the experience of a night camp in the stillness of the wild is worth the visit to Dhanaulti.
Facts about Dhanaulti
How to reach Dhanaulti – Catch a train, bus or fly to Dehradun Jolly Grant airport. Catch a cab from Dehradun
Distance from Delhi – 325 km
Distance from Dehradun – 70 km
Distance from Musso0rie – 24 km
Distance from Chamba – 29 km
Distance from Rishikesh – 142 km
Best time to visit – September to June
Months to Avoid:
Travelling in rainy months – July-August
Winter months – by February the place is blanketed in snow