I first went to Landour in 2016. I immediately fell in love with the place. Then I planned a trip to Landour in May 2024. I was flexible with my dates. But I went at the beginning of May. I could see the trains were getting sold out mid May due to the summer vacations. I took a Shatabdi while going and Vande Bharat while coming back. It helps that my school friend Shweta lives in Dehradoon and she was joining me on this trip. The biggest take away from this trip is that in 8 years, places change. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Landour but it is not the same. I guess it is selfish of me to expect it to be the same!
When I went in 2016 I was invited as a blogger by the Rokeby Manor. This time I was on my own and Rokeby Manor was completely out of my budget. We stayed at the Landour Heights which is much lower down. It is a decent place which will not break your bank. Shweta and I stayed there safely and comfortably.
Both of us are mothers and when we leave home, it is then we realize how stressed we are generally. We had no agenda, but we ended up walking a lot and eating good food. And in my opinion it is an excellent combination! The picture above is of our breakfast at the Anil Caffe at Char Dukan. We could not finish everything.
I love to walk, and I doubly love to walk at places with a view. The weather was decent in May. But there were a lot of people, much more than I remember from my previous trip but then, it was 8 years ago.
In May, there were a lot of flowers. The flowers in the hills glow with a different sheen, at least to my eyes! This lovely rose bush was blooming near Char Dukan!
Wild flowers were blooming in every nook and corner. And they were far more prettier than my picture. This trip, I just went with my phone, a Pixel 7.
Sheep Sorrel was also blooming everywhere. They add a unique color to the landscape. I notice that I am not really going after pictures in my recent trips. But then I know it is a matter of time!
I love the words of wisdom that I find casually scattered around the hills. This one tells us – If you are searching for peace, you need to be peaceful!
Shweta and I would look for a shady area near the road and simply sit down on the divider on the side of the road. We would look at the people going by. Many of them were young and interested in taking a lot of pictures!
We had just one full day at Landour and we went around the town twice. Our step count on this day was 24,933 steps and 15.33 km. How do I know, because I took a screen shot which I still have on my phone!
On Sunday, we went out early in the morning, around 8.00 am for our breakfast to Char Dukan. We could hear so many cicadas, at least I think they were cicadas.
This is me at the Landour Bakehouse. I wrote about it in 2016 too “I tried out all the dining options available with Rokeby Manor but I am extra partial to the cakes and coffee of the Landour Bakehouse. I would love to go back, sit on a table by the window and get lost in the view and my thoughts. I may occasionally glance through a book but I would love to daydream more than anything else.”
In 2016 I must have been the only customer in the Bakehouse on a rainy September. In 2024 there was a 40 minute wait to get a table on a Saturday evening. It is really popular now. I wanted to give up and go someplace else. But Shweta suggested that we should check out the shops in Sister’s Bazaar and then come back. It worked. A lot of people who were ahead of us, didn’t wait and we managed to get a table after 20 minutes or so.
Will I go back to Landour? As they say in Spanish, por supesto, of course I will. But I will try to pick up a quieter period.
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