My Solo Biking Trip from Delhi to Lansdowne and Jim Corbett National Park during Diwali Long Weekend 2024

This Diwali had a long weekend of around 4 days. As there is a severe noise and air pollution issue arises especially during Diwali time in Delhi, I was looking for a cleaner and calmer place to celebrate Diwali (in my own way). After some searching, I came to know that Lansdowne is one of the cleanest and calmest hill stations in India and is just around 250 km from Delhi. So, I decided to go for a solo biking trip (on my Pulsar 220F to spent my Diwali weekend at Lansdowne and Jim Corbett National Park.

Day 1 (31.10.24):

Started my journey from Delhi at around 5 am and reached Lansdowne (Tip In Top Point) at around 11:30 am. Only one tea break was taken during this ride after driving for around 125 km. There was a resort there with the similar name (Tip N Top Resort GMVN). I really liked the ambience of the resort and checked into "Machan Hut". If you are planning to visit Lansdowne, it is a highly recommended place to visit and stay.

Day 2 (01.11.24):

The checkout time of the resort was 11 am and I wanted to utilize all the time I had at this amazing place. After a good breakfast and check-out, I headed on my bike to explore some must visit places in and around Lansdowne.

1.       St. Mary's Church, Lansdowne (just 500 meter from the resort)

2.       Bhulla Taal, Lansdowne (around 2 km from the resort): You can have 15 minutes boating in the lake as well.

3.       Bheem Pakora, Lansdowne: Bhim Pakora is a big rock piece precariously placed over another big rock and is naturally balanced over it. It moves slightly but noticeably, when pushed but it does not fall down.

4.       Shri Tadkeshwar Dham Mandir, Lansdowne: Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Lansdowne is a serene and spiritually significant place nestled amidst the picturesque beauty of the Garhwal Himalayas. This temple holds immense religious and cultural importance for the locals as well as visitors seeking a peaceful retreat.

The journey to the temple involves a scenic drive through winding roads surrounded by lush green forests, adding to the overall charm of the visit. The temple complex is well-maintained, and the peaceful ambiance creates a perfect environment for devotees and spiritual seekers.

5.       Durga Devi Mandir, Dugadda: Durga Devi temple is situated between Kotdwar and Lansdowne. It is a small temple on the bank of a river. Scenery behind the temple, of water coming down from the rocks, is awesome. You must surely pay a visit to Durga Devi temple while going or coming from Lansdowne.

6.       From Durga Devi Mandir to Jim Corbett National Park: It was almost 4:45 pm. I wanted to reach inside Jim Corbett National Park and stay there at night. I didn't have any pre-booking for my stay inside the park.  In fact, I never do pre-booking for my stay whenever I travel solo. I explore the place and book on the spot as per my liking and budget. I typed Jim Corbett in the Google Map and it was showing 32.5 km away with a travel time of around 1 hour. During winter time (in November) the Sun sets early there (around 5:30 pm). I wanted to reach before the dark.

After riding for 4-5 km, I realized that the route is almost secluded and there were very few vehicle movements. The road was also not very well maintained. The feeling of possible Tiger encounter/attack started to haunt me. And due to the poor condition of the road with many twists and turns (due to hilly area), there was no chance I could outrun a Tiger in case of an attack. I was feeling like a sitting duck!

It started getting dark rapidly. After travelling for around 10-15 km, I spotted some homestay signboard which gave me confidence to reach the destination location (as set in the map). It was completely dark when I reached the destination. But, there was no hotel or resort there, just one small station. I spoke with one guy stationed there and he asked me to travel back to find a night stay. After travelling for an additional 25-30 minutes I was able to find a night stay. In this entire journey, apart from a possible Tiger attack I was also concerned about what if my bike breaks down or the headlight stops working (my bike’s headlight sometimes develops this issue). But somehow my courage prevails over my fear and I reached the destination! Next time, I will plan better for sure!!

Day 3 (02.11.24):

Last night a local guy (Mr. Sushil Kotnala) helped me to find my stay. He runs a hotel there and also provides Jeep Safari inside Jim Corbett National Park. He was very helpful.

I started my journey from my last night stay at around 7:15 am and reached Delhi around 2:00 pm.

Overall, it was a great journey! I will meet you with my next adventure soon!!