Club Ten Pine Lodge, Mukteshwar- a luxurious stay in the lap of Himalayas

While looking for opportunities to escape from the heat and the hustle bustle of Delhi, I landed upon Mukteshwar as the perfect place for a short weekend getaway, and the people at Club Ten Pine Lodge were kind enough to organize an epic road trip for me, and 9 other bloggers. Packed in two SUVs, we hit it off from Delhi for some memories of a lifetime!

Located only about 340 kilometers from Delhi, Mukteshwar is a small town in the Kumaon Hills of Uttarakhand. Located in the Nainital district, it has an elevation of 2286 meters above sea level.

Getting There

• The road from Delhi to Mukteshwar is beautiful to say the least. Since more than half of the route is covered on plains, it does not take more than 7-8 hours to reach this beautiful little town.
• There are no direct buses from Delhi to Mukteshwar. You can take a bus from Delhi to either Nainital or Haldwani and then take shared cabs or local buses to reach Mukteshwar.
• The nearest railway station from Mukteshwar is Kathgodam (64 km from Mukteshwar) and Haldwani (71.5 km from Mukteshwar). There are direct trains running daily from Delhi to both Kathgodam and Haldwani, from where you can take shared cabs or local buses to reach Mukteshwar.

Where to stay

While there are plenty of hotels and resorts propped up in Mukteshwar, I decided to stay in Club Ten Pine Lodge, and thank god I did!

There are plenty of reasons to love this beautiful place, but my top reason was that it is situated in a peaceful area away from main Mukteshwar, hardly a 15 minutes drive from the market. The lodge is surrounded by pine trees all around, with dried pine cones lining the road. Wherever you look, there are farms of walnut, corn, apples, apricots and sunflowers to name a few. The sun rises gloriously from behind the hill right in front of the lodge, and that was more than enough reason for me to quickly grab an east-facing room with an attached balcony, and set my alarm to 6 am!

The rooms are spacious and beautiful, with a different decor and colour palette in each room. The smaller rooms come with two couches near the balcony to sit on and enjoy the play of the sun with the clouds, and the bigger rooms have a separate sitting area altogether!

Made up almost entirely of cobblestone, the building has a warm rustic feel to it. The common garden area with sunflowers growing almost everywhere was perhaps one of my favourite parts of the lodge. Our hosts were kind enough to set up a table and chairs and we spent the entire night sipping on chai and trying to find stars from behind the cloudy sky!

The food scene at the lodge is a different game altogether. The dining hall serves delicious meals three times a day, and for the in-between snacks, they have a beautiful bar complete with a wide range of liquor, traditional hookah, and a ping pong table for some fun! And after you are done stuffing your face with the food and liquor, you can go sweat it off in the room below dedicated especially for music and dance lovers!

Things to do in Mukteshwar

Not only did our hosts at The Club Pine Lodge made sure we have a great comfortable place to stay in, they also took us around Mukteshwar to help us be closer to nature.

Bhimtal Lake

Located in the town of Bhimtal, this is the largest lake in the Kumaon region. It also has a natural island in the middle of the lake, which has now been developed as a tourist stop, with an aquarium. Bhimtal is located just 37 kilometres from Mukteshwar and makes for a great pit stop en route.

Mukteshwar Dham Temple

This is a beautiful little Shiv temple, which is some thousand years old and holds a big event during Shivratri. The entire view of the valley is visible from up there, and the branches of trees in the temple complex are adorned with red cloth and small bells.

Chauli ki Jali

Located behind the cliff of Mukteshwar Temple, it takes a small walk through the trees to reach this place. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that if a barren woman crosses the hole in the rock of Chauli ki jali during Shivratri, she will be blessed with a child.

This place has also become an adventure hub of sorts with various activities including zip-lining, rock climbing, tree climbing and archery available here.

Bhalu Gaad Waterfall

With a height of 50 ft and a depth of 40 ft, this is one place that you must visit if you’re ever in Mukteshwar. It is a 1.3 kilometres hike to reach the waterfall, and the best time to visit is post-monsoon to see it in all its glory.

From climbing rocks on all fours to hopping on stones to cross multiple streams, this is a hike packed with adventure. Most of the hike is a piece of cake but the real deal begins during the last bit of it, just before the waterfall. Whatever little trail helps you reach that far slowly disappears and you’re left with steep slippery rocks that you need to climb up and down to reach the waterfall pool. But it is all worth the effort!

Although post-monsoon is the best season to enjoy the waterfall, there are a few things that need to be kept in mind:

• The trail gets slushy so make sure you wear proper shoes.
• The rocks that you’ll be climbing get slippery due to water and algae, so it’s important to go slow and wear hiking shoes for proper grip.
• The flow of the waterfall is very heavy and the pool is very deep. Don’t venture into the deep part. Remember, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
• Recently, two people drowned in the waterfall. So if you want to enjoy a dip in the pool, a life jacket is compulsory, You can rent one there on the spot itself and it’ll cost you 200 rupees for 3 jackets.
• The trail to the waterfall is lined with nettle leaves which are venomous and can cause itching and burning if stung. So make sure you wear something that covers your legs and arms completely while hiking to the waterfall.

Club Ten Pine Lodge truly made my short stay in Mukteshwar memorable. If you wish to have an adventurous time, while staying at a comfortable lodge, don’t forget to contact them and ask for a curated trip, just like mine! You can contact them here:

Address: Club Ten Pine Lodge,

Tandi, Village near Govt. ITI,

Dhari-Pokrad Rd, Chaukhuta, Uttarakhand 263132

Email: info@clubtenpinelodge.com

Phone: +91 9034 200500

Website: https://www.clubtenpinelodge.com

We love transparency! This is a sponsored post by Club Ten Pine Lodge, Mukteshwar. However, the views expressed in this post are truly my own.