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Shakti Himalaya
Enjoy walks in the beautiful Kumaon Himalaya while experiencing the comfort of Shakti's inviting village houses and award winning lodge, Shakti 360°.
Duration: 12 Days
Combine your itinerary with your preferred hotels or other accommodation. Take a look at the Accommodation section for ideas and inspiration.
| Days 1 - 2 | You fly in to Delhi and transfer to the hotel of your choice. A guided tour of the city will include time at Delhi's most famous sights including the Jamma Masjid Mosque and the impressive Red Fort. |
| Day 3 | It's an early start today to catch the Shatabadi Express from Delhi to Kathgodam in the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand state. The journey takes nearly 5½ hours. Your guide and driver will meet you at Kathgodam Station and you will then be driven to the village of Chitai - a further 3½ hours away - with a lunch stop en route. From here you begin walking with your guide to the first of the Shakti village houses in Deora - a small, remote village situated at 1,495m roughly two hours walk from Chitai. It's a relief to stretch your legs and enjoy the mountain air after such a long day travelling. You will receive a warm welcome on arrival and enjoy drinks and a delicious evening meal produced by your private chef. |
| Day 4 | Today you walk from Deora to the Shakti village house at Jwalabanj. It's a very scenic walk through pine and rhododendron forests and across picturesque terraced fields. You will see the local people going about their everyday rural lives, little changed by the modern world. You may be able to visit a school on the way and perhaps the house of an interesting ex-army officer. Mostly the walking is gentle although there are a couple of uphill stretches to reach a very pretty lunch spot. If you'd prefer to avoid these, you can easily jump in the car instead. After lunch, it takes less than 2 hours on foot to reach your overnight stop at Jwalbanj. |
| Day 5 | You could choose to rise early today and head up a nearby ridge to a viewpoint where you can watch the sunrise over Nanda Devi - a truly breathtaking sight. After a leisurely breakfast your guide will take you on a local walk. You begin by gradually climbing a ridge on good trails before descending to Artola Village and then continuing through terraced fields to reach a lovely picnic spot on a hill top. After lunch you carry on uphill to the village of Kutal before returning to Jwalabanj. Later you could take a cooking lesson with your chef and learn to make some favourite local dishes. |
| Day 6 | After breakfast, you set off once again to walk to Shakti Kana. It's downhill to start with, through terraced fields, on a path that leads you to the ancient Jageshwar Temple Complex. You will have time to explore this fascinating site before continuing your walk to a delightful lunch spot by a stream. There's no need to hurry as it will only take another hour to reach Kana. You can simply relax and enjoy the lovely setting or you can take a 3 hour local walk in the afternoon through shady forests. Alternatively you may visit the Panchachuli Women's Factory - a weaving co-operative where you can take a tour and perhaps pick up a souvenir to take home. |
| Day 7 | It takes just half an hour to walk from Kana to the roadhead this morning to continue your adventure. You will be met here and driven to Leti. It's a long drive of nearly 6 hours, but at Leti you leave the car and walk along a dramatic mountain trail to the Shakti 360° Lodge, a fabulous hotel perched on an imposing promontory overlooking a romantic mountain wilderness. Once at the lodge you can just relax and enjoy the magical setting and fabulous facilities. |
| Days 8 - 9 | You have two full days to indulge in all that Shakti 360° has to offer. There are great walks to be had from Shakti. Private guides are on hand to take you on gentle walks in the countryside or (or longer if your prefer), or you may simply chill out in the lodge's grounds whilst enjoying the magnificent views. Yoga and meditation sessions can also be arranged, or a foot massage, or a culinary session with the chef. You can even take an overnight camping trip for an extra taste of adventure. Shakti 360° really is a chill out place like no other. |
| Day 10 | Today you will make the stunning drive back to the village house at Kana where you will have a last night to enjoy this superb mountain environment and the hospitality of this lovely region. |
| Day 11 | Your driver will take you back to Kathgodam (about 4 hrs drive) where you once again board the Shatabadi Express to return to Delhi. The train departs mid-afternoon, arriving in Delhi around 9.00pm. You will be met at the station and taken to your hotel for a last night in India. |
| Day 12 | After breakfast you will transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK. |
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