Namita SawantMussoorie, a quaint hill station in the state of Uttarakhand, has a special place in my heart. At times, you visit a place and feel an instant connection, a certain calmness, a definite pause. For me that place was Mussoorie.
Popularly called the Queen of the Hills, its sublime beauty is hard to express through words. Pick any Ruskin Bond novel and you will understand why Mussoorie is called the Queen of the Hills. Although at the time of visiting this hill station, I hadn’t read much of Ruskin Bond. But after I discovered his books and his love for knitting beautiful stories around the hills, since then I have fallen deeper in love with hill stations, especially the magical Mussoorie.
Situated at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range, it is just about 35 km from Dehradun, and the journey is quite delightful. For all those people who love to visit a hill station but dread the long unwinding roads & hairpin bends, this is a perfect destination, as the distance from plains to hills, Dehradun to Mussoorie, is around an hour.
Mussoorie – The best time to visit
Summer is the most favorable time among tourists to visit this hill station. As the heat is unbearable elsewhere, it is pleasant up in this hill station. If you want to witness snowfall, it is suggested to plan a trip to Mussoorie during the winter. We visited this place towards the end of February and it was numbing cold. Still, we were a little late, and couldn’t experience the snowfall. But, we managed to get a glimpse of the snow-clad Shivalik range of the Himalayas. Mussoorie weather is pleasant all year round.
Mussoorie – Top places to visit
Agreeably, this is the most picturesque town that I have so far visited and as long as your eyes can see, it is beauty galore. The green mountains covered with white snow make up for the most beautiful view, no matter the accommodation you choose. We stayed at an OYO hotel and were awed by the sunrise view. You will find wonderful, budget accommodation at every nook and corner. Best is to search for Mussoorie hotels in advance.
Sightseeing at this hill station was a lazy affair for us, as we mostly basked in the surroundings and just enjoyed the view walking up and down the hills. That is all you need to soak in the calmness of this beautiful hill station. However, we did explore a few places, renowned amongst tourists.
1. Mussoorie Mall Road
Mall road is a shopper’s paradise, perhaps the only place you will find crowds of people in action. Here, we shopped for ear mufflers, jackets, and other wintery stuff, at quite decent prices. In India, you will find a mall road at most hill stations. One of my other favorite places to shop for winter stuff is the main market of Mahabaleshwar.
However in this cute hill station, my most favorite time to take a stroll on the Mall Road was during the nights, when the crowd receded and only the locals were seen catching up at milk shops. Every night of my stay, I savored the hot badam flavored milk and soaked in the local vibe, as much!
2. Company Garden
Must visit place in Mussoorie, Company Garden is an enchanting place decked up varied flowers. You can plan a family picnic at this place that has multiple attractions to offer. A lake, an artificial waterfall, kids play gardens with several games, and also an amusement park. You can go boating or simply sit and soak the lazy vibe at the restaurant, sipping coffee. The Company Garden is open from 9 am to 6 pm and has an entry fee. Plan your day and do visit this place for a memorable experience.
There are quite a few other famous tourist places in Mussoorie, like the Kempty falls, Lal Tibba, and Gun Hill. As we visited here around the festival of Holi, many tourist spots were closed. As a result, we spent most of our time walking up and down the mesmerizing mall road.
3. Clock tower café
Situated right next to the clock tower, this is a cute café offering breathtaking valley views. Ironically, we went there for a dinner and couldn’t cherish the views, but the food was scrumptious. Popular for pizzas and Chinese food, clocktower café is a popular hangout place for a relaxing time with family or friends.
I had such a beautiful time in Mussoorie that I plan to visit this place again, hopefully very soon.
My debut novel, A Girl on the Run, is also based in Mussoorie, such was my fondness for this quaint hill station. Perhaps I share a past connection with this place. Do check out my book on Amazon and share your review. Thanks and enjoy safe travelling!
