Garhwal Travel Guide

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Garhwal Region
The Garhwal Himalayas area is remote and mountainous, filled with oak forests and alpine meadows. The forests are home to a number of endangered animal species and have historically been managed by local community institutions. In recent years, however, overgrazing and overharvesting in government-controlled forestlands has begun to threaten the area's biodiversity. The districts of Garhwal are Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pauri.

Getting There
Air
The Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun is the only airport of Garhwal. Dehradun airport is connected by direct flights to Delhi, which is a major international airport of India. From Dehradun, one can get taxis, bus and luxury coahes to move to districts of Garhwal
Rail
The major railway stations in Garhwal are Haridwar and Dehradun. These two railheads are directly connected to Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Allahabad, Varanasi, Amritsar, Muzaffarnagar and Chennai. Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Express trains run to and from these ralheads.
Road
The districts of Garhwal are well connected to nearby states as well as internally. Dehradun is on the NH 45. The Himachal road transport, Delhi and Haryana road transport, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan state transport buses, ply regularly to Garhwal. Taxis, Cars, coaches are available with private operators. Most of the buses start from the Gandhi Road Interstate Bus Terminus.

Major Attractions

Char Dham Yatra
The state of Uttaranchal is considered the holy land, the 'Devbhoomi'. The Garhwal division of Uttaranchal is famous for the Char Dham Yatra. It includes the four most revered and holy destinations of Garhwal Himalayas, namely, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. It is generally believed by the pilgrims that undertaking pilgrimages to these places not only washes away one's sins but also liberates from the cycle of birth and death. It is also believed that earlier all these dhams were placed together and with the onset of the Kalyuga (the prevailing evil period), the distance between the four grew and they drifted apart. The Char Dham Yatra must be initiated from left to right or west to east, beginning from Yamunotri, Gangotri, moving to Kedarnath finally ending in Badrinath.

Auli
Auli, located in the northern part of Uttaranchal, is a new entrant in the tourist map of India. Located in the cradle of snow-capped mountains, Auli is one of the very few places in India where skiing is a major sport. The bitter cold winds, vast snow-covered landscape, the sylvan mountains, all add up to make Auli a skier's paradise. Representing man's constant endeavor to triumph over nature, Auli proves to be an ideal locale for the daring.

Mussoorie
Mussoorie, with its green hills and varied flora & fauna, is a facinating hill resort. Commanding snow ranges to the north-east, and glittering views of the Doon Valley & Shiwalik ranges in the south, the town presents a fairyland atmosphere. Mussoorie is famous for its scenic beauty.

Valley of Flowers
The Valley of Flowers is a large valley, full of colorful flowers, some of which are rare species. The valley is said to be formed when gods showered there blessings through flowers. The place had dissapeared from the tourists map, due to inaccesability. In 1931, a Brithish mountaineer, Franksmith, accidently reached this place. He described the place as "Valley of Flowers". Today the valley is amongst the most visited places in Uttaranchal.

Adventure Sports
Adventure Sports have emerged as a major attraction in the valley. Hosts of activities, like Trekking, Rafting, Mountaineering, Skiing and Jungle Safari have lured tourists, who love a taste of adventure in their trip. The vast stretch of Himalayas, free flowing rivers, dense forests and tough geographical conditions pose a sturdy challenge to adventure lovers. For the lovers of wildlife, Rajaji National Park and Nandadevi Wildlife Sanctuary offer with some excellent views in nature of lap.

Dehradun
Dehradun is the capital city of Uttaranchal and the gateway to Garhwal district. The only airport of Garhwal is in Dehradun and it is also the major railhead of region. Dehradun has been a favorite place of the Britishers, which is evident by the constructions in the city. Dehradun is one the most visited cities of Uttaranchal. The city has a very peaceful life and offers the best of leisure holidays options to its visitors.

Accommodation
Accommodation in Garhwal is very much convenient. One can get star rated hotels, economy and budget hotels across the major districts of Garhwal. Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh offers the best of stay options here. The ashrams in Haridwar and Rishikesh are another most prefered stay option for visitors. These ashrams have the most modern facilities fr travellers from western countries.