Tiny Lansdowne is one of the quietest hill stations in Uttranchal. So quite and so hidden the time when I reached gates of Garhwal Rifles Cantonment I came to know that I have reached. The town is so picturesque as I drived through Kotdwar past a mountain stream also known as the lost river Khoh, so clear that I could see the pebbles on its bed from far up the mountainside.

Back to the Raj, Lansdowne was one of the popular hill stations, where the Sahibs, mostly from army galloped across the ridge that overlooked a sprawling valley and the Greater Himalayas or drove to the church on the hill. My driver briefed me about this fact as he was a localite here. Shaded winding roads are still lined with colonial bungalows, some in a state of disrepair, some steadfastly retaining their charm with ornate gates and windows sills hidden behind blanketing bougainvillea.

Savour the untrammeled pleasure of a walking tour in and around the stimulating environs of these gentle slops. In the not so distant past it was no surprise for a late night traveler to chance upon a solitary leopard who would walk past too busy with his own agenda, to bother about human beings. Silver fir, spruce and the elephant’s favorite bamboo forests cover the hills in and around Lansdowne. Carry some water and a few assorted munchies on your walk into the forests, and if you happen to be in Lansdowne some time around June then do carry a raincoat. Do also visit the British church, which has lost most of its glory.