Aside from Himalaica being an ideal base to explore the region, you can find a number of things to do at and around Himalaica itself. Forest walks and treks, bird-watching in the garden, exploring the garden which is replete with a wide variety of plants and flowers, a wide selection of movies, meditation at the temple under the old Oak tree, music in the Conservatory, reading a book from the library, pampering yourself with a relaxing massage – or do just nothing! There are plenty of places around the property to just be!
Short Treks and Nature Walks:
Himalaica to Gagar View Point:Wake up early and walk along the road to Ramgarh to catch your first view of the Himalayas. The slightly ardous walk is worth it (easier option is of course to drive!) as you see the rising sun light up the forested and snow-capped mountains; a great way to start your day is sipping ‘chai‘ and dunking biscuits from Sanju’s teashop, while the enthusiastic shop owner points out the peaks – Nandadevi to Panchachuli and more.
Kulethi - Jhandidhar: Drive 5 km on the Bhowali Ramgarh Road (or to Gagar) and then walk up through thick forests to Jhandidhar peak, with its temple and eccentric priest! ~8500ft AMSL
Mahesh Khan Forest and Forest Rest House: Walk or drive 4km on the Bhowali – Ramgarh Road and then enter the Mahesh Khan Reserve Forest, walking along a forested road for 4kms which is a birder’s paradise still quite untouched. You can spot several species of birds and wildlife.
Gagar to Tagore Top: Walk from Gagar to Tagore Top (2km), where Rabindranath Tagore lived and wrote some of his works
Flora, Fauna & Birds: The forests around Bhowali are home to numerous species, which can be sighted either by trekking into permitted forest areas, or sometimes luckily just off the road. The forests have significant populations of leopard, bear, wild boar, barking deer, sambhardeer, ghoral or mountain goat, jungle cat, porcupine, langur monkey and snakes. Over 150 varieties of birds are present in the forests of the greater area. There are numerous opportunities for trekking, jungle walks, and birdwatching, amongst other outdoor activities. View the list of birds.
Villages of Kumaon: Take excursions off the beaten track to the more remote interior areas of Kumaon to see traditional homes, replete with elaborately-carved door and windows of the likhai craft. The homes were made of mud and stone, with slate roofs, in a two-storey style, with livestock below and people on the first level, and a small stone patio in front.
Evening Bonfire: Experice the favorite evening pastime of the local people. We will light up a lovely bonfire in the gardens and you can have a memorable evening with your friends or family. Play music, games or just chat around anything and everything, be it winter or summer. We work round the year to source fallen branches, pinecones & twigs from our sustainable forests and charge INR 800 for the bonfire, which can last up to 2 hours.
Barbeque: The perfect combination with an evening Bonfire in which we we serve fine choice of meats and veg delicacies with the added taste of the wood, air and the water of the local area!
Bike rides: Nothing better to explore the winding roads towards Nainital, Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiatal on a bike. Bikes are available on request in the estate.
Places to visit near Himalaica:
Bhowali Sanatorium: Bhowali-Nainital Road. Established 1912, and at one time the second-largest sanatorium in Asia, it is famous as Kamala Nehru was a patient here and
was visited often by Jawaharlal Nehru while he was incarcerated in Almora Jail.
Ghorakhal Temple: Home of Golu Devta, (God of Justice) a demi-God revered by the Kumaon is 3km, famous for its bells and animal sacrifice during Dussehra
Other Ashrams:
- Ashram of Nantin Baba, Shyamkhet
- Ashram of Somvari Baba, Padampuri
- Ashram of Neem Karoli Baba, Kainchi
Shyamkhet Tea Estate: Ramgarh Road, Shyamkhet. An organic tea garden
Himjoli: On Bhimtal road and at Gagar – an NGO supporting and promoting the local crafts, organic foods and Aepan – various types of paintings
Bhimtal: Attraction type: water body, walks
Sattal: Sattal – seven lakes including Nal, Damyanti, Garuda, Bharat, Ram, Sita, Lakhshman, Hanuman, Panna. Attraction type: water bodies, boating, picnics.
Naukuchiatal: Attraction type: Bodies of Water, Boating
Nainital: Numerous local attractions such as the famous lake, Church of St. John’s in the Wilderness (1846) at Mallital, Secretariat (1899), the Mall and lake promenade, high-altitude zoo, ropeway to Snow View (2270m) at the Sher-ka-Danda Ridge, Naina Peak (2611m), Raj Bhawan or Government House, Hanuman Garhi temple, State Observatory, Land’s End view point (2881m), Tiffin Top or Ayarpatta Hill, Kilbury, Dorothy’s Seat view point, cave garden, horse-riding, boat club and boating, interesting wooded walks amongst colonial buildings, schools and homes, Bhutia market, Barra Bazaar, Durga Shah Library, Aurobindo Ashram, Gurney House (Corbett’s home at one time) at Ayarpatta Hill, golf, Guano Hills at Pangot for walks and bird watching, Churches – St. Francis, St. Nicholas, shopping for woollens and warm gear
- Tibetan Market: Attraction type: Flea/ Street Markets
- Goddess Naina Devi: Attraction type: Religious Sites.
- Naini Lake: Nainital, Attraction type: Bodies of Water, Boating.
- Pangot and Kilbury Bird Sanctuary: Attraction type: Nature/ Wildlife Areas
- High Altitude Zoo: Nainital: Attraction type: Zoo.
Ramgarh: Hill station at an altitude of 1789m, with views of the Himalayan peaks, including Nanda Devi, Trishul, Panchchuli range. Ramgarh is especially known as a fruit bowl for its fruit orchards. Several famous personalities such as Rabindranath Tagore, Narain Swami and Mahadevi Verma had established their ashrams here. Today it is a popular destination for vacation homes.
Dhanachuli: 40km from Bhowali, the drive is attractive, with some of the best views of the Himalayan ranges
Mukteshwar:
- With deodar and pine forests, Mukteshwar is a popular getaway to see the Himalayan peaks. Mukteshwar is mostly known for the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). Visitors are no longer allowed. Mukteshwar Temple can also be visited on the way
Almora District: It is situated approximately 55km from Bhowali. From here one can have an easy access to the Chithai Temple, Kasar Devi temple, Deer Park, Nanda Devi Temple and Ramakrishna Mission Ashram. One can get the Kumaon art and culture at the Gobind Vallabh Pant Public Museum near the bus stand. It also boasts of many shopping centers including the 200 year old Lal Bazaar. The Famous Nanda Devi Mela is held here at the 100 year old Nanda Devi Temple
- Dwarahat Village: Almora District, Attraction type: Historic Sites, complex of ancient temples
- Gobind Vallabh Pant Museum: Almora:. Attraction type: Museums
- Chitai Temple: Almora. Attraction type: Religious Sites
- Sadar Bazar: Almora. Attraction type: Flea/ Street market
Ranikhet:
- Chaubatia: Ranikhet. Attraction type: Lookouts, Orchard Ranikhet, India
- Kumaon Regimental Centre Museum: Ranikhet. Attraction type: History Museums.
- Haidakhan Babaji Temple, Ranikhet. Attraction: Religious site.
Jageshwar: Jageshwar Temple (Jageshwar Dham) Jageshwar Temple is about 35kms far from Almora. Jageshwar assumes importance and considered as sacred as the rivers Surabhi and Nandini flows down and joins at this place. Dedicated to Lord Shiva it is considered as one of the most sacred ‘tirthas’ in the Kumaon region. The linga considered to represent one of the 12 Jothirlingams in India. The temple holds much significance for the devout and it is a must-see destination in Binsar. The temple complex comprises 124 temples. The Mrityunjaya temple seems to be the oldest dating back to the 8th century. The main temple in the temple complex at ‘Jageshwar Mahadev’ is dedicated to ‘Bal Jageshwar’, or the Child Shiva. There is also a temple dedicated to Vridh Jageshwar, or Old Shiva, situated on the higher slopes. In Jageshwar, fairs are held during Shivaratri and in the month of July – August. The place is frequented by both religious as well as nature lover tourists.
Bageshwar: Bageshwar is a city and a municipal board in the state of Uttarakhand, India It is also the administrative headquarters of Bageshwar district. There are many places of touristic and historic importance in Bageshwar. This town is situated on the confluence of river Saryu and Gomti. There are many old temples dating back to 10th century AD. Among them are the Baijnath temple and Bagnath temples are the most important. the Bagnath temple is situated in the middle of the town just across the confluence of Saryu and Gomati.
Kausani: Awesome views on the great Himalayan ranges.105 kms
Binsar: 30km from Almora: Binsar is a beautiful, quiet and wild Himalayan destination with rich natural surroundings among dense forest. This region is very famous among tourists and travellers because of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. The hill station named after Bineshwar, an ancient Shiva Temple built by the King Kalyan. Binsar is an ancient town. It was the summer capital of the Chand Rajas. Also a designated wildlife sanctuary, no visit to Binsar is complete without considerable time spent at the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. The hill station has about 166 identified bird species.
Chaukori: Awesome views on the great Himalayan ranges.175 kms
Jeolikot: 30km, Honey production centre of the region
Jim Corbett National Park: 70km, Attraction type: National Parks; Nature/ Wildlife Areas .Activities: Viewing wildlife