Hotels in Garhwal
 Commonly treated as a poorer cousin of the adjoining region of Kumaon, which developed under the patronage of the British, the Garhwal Himalayas was off-limits for the common tourist until quite recently. Today, however, more and more tourists are succumbing to its varied charms as infrastructure facilities open up previously inaccessible areas.
Tourist Attractions in Garhwal
In a world that is fast being stripped off its natural glory, the Garhwal Himalayas stand as a citadel protecting nature's treasures. Garhwal abounds in natural wonders ranging from scraggly and mean peaks-in contrasts of black and white that borrow the hues of sunrise and sunset as easily as they vanish behind gathering clouds-to the alpine meadows smiling with blooming wildflowers, gurgling rivers and sweet water springs to quench one's thirst and lush green forests whispering to the winds.
Garhwal has its city attractions in the shape of Mussoorie and Dehradun. Although parts of it are quite congested, sobriety is the hallmark of Dehradun. Placed at an altitude of 2,200 feet and wedged between the two great rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Dehradun has a mild climate, plenty of trees and gardens, and quiet, restful, residential areas. Dehradun could be a destination in itself, rather than merely a gateway to Mussoorie.
Called the queen of hill stations, Mussoorie has been a winner all the way, what with its proximity to the plains, the beautiful walks and views and picnic spots, the range of hotel accommodation and shopping opportunities galore. What does, however, take away from the appeal of Mussoorie is the denuding of the hills around it and the construction mania that has hit it like a malady. The place is packed during the holiday season, often outstripping civic amenities. Yet, the crowds only tend to grow. The moral of the story is: visit Mussoorie only during the off-season.
However, Garhwal has a lot more to offer beside a peek at cities. Take a trek across this region and one will find that the trekking routes ribbon through rich green forests and meadows. A 20-kilometer trek from Govind Ghat (beyond Joshimath) will bring one to the famed Valley of Flowers. In July/August, the Valley of Flowers is covered with a bewildering variety of alpine blooms, the queen among them being the blue poppy. The valley, nearly 10 km long and 2 km wide, is watered by the Pushpavati Ganga, a stream with several sparkling tributaries.
Garhwal has a majestic network of rivers. Top of the roll of honor are the all-time greats like the Ganga, Yamuna, Alaknanda and Mandakini. River runs to meet river, forming a confluence (Prayag) held sacred since the dawn of time. Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag, and Vishnuprayag are holy names. Nevertheless, the holiest of the holy are the shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, which mark the confluence of infinite beauty and faith with long hallowed tradition.
Other natural treasures lie between the folds of the Garhwal mountains-pearls like the dazzlingly beautiful Dodi Tal, the Khatling and Pindari glaciers and the lake known as Roopkund, which has eluded all of man's efforts to solve the mystery behind the hundreds of human and animal skeletons found on its shores. There is an array of awesome glittering peaks-Trishul, Shivling, Meru, and Nanda Devi-as well as shrines like the one dedicated to Goddess Nanda Devi and Hemkund, sacred to the Sikhs.
 Several national parks have been established in the area to protect the wildlife from destruction and poaching. The most famous of them is Corbett National Park. India's first national park is cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas and spread over an area of 520 sq. km, along the banks of the Ramganga River. The dense sal forests of the Himalayan foothills and the tall grassy meadows make it one of the richest areas of northern India for the habitation of the big mammals. Among the reptiles, the long snouted, fish eating gharial and mugger could be seen basking in the sun and sand banks. The tiger is the biggest attraction of the park. Other carnivores include the leopard, elephant, bear, hog, sambhar deer, muntjac, and fox. The park has more than 300 species of birds. The common birds seen here are ducks, snipe, egrets, herons, spotted eagle, harrier, woodpecker, darter, cormorants, and thrushes. Ramganga River is the home to the gharial and the mugger. A few species of turtles and tortoises are also found in and around the lake.
The Nanda Devi National Park, spread over 630 sq. km in the vicinity of the Nanda Devi Peak, India's second highest mountain, has a unique combination of flora and fauna. The park was established in 1980 and includes some of the highest mountain peaks of the western Himalayas. The faunal species here include snow leopard, brown and Himalayan bear, bharal, Himalayan tahr, serow, monal and chir pheasants.
Kedarnath Sanctuary was established in 1972 on a 967 sq km area of the Garhwal Himalayas. The fascinating Garhwal Himalayas present a spectacular viewing of mountains and forests and grasslands, butterflies and flowers. Snow leopards, leopard, tahr, serow, snow cock and musk deer have made their habitation in this beautiful sanctuary. Kaleej and monal pheasants are among the many birds seen here.
Situated on the edge of the Dehradun valley, the Rajaji National Park was established in 1966 and covers an area of about 820 sq km nestling in a wide and thickly wooded valley of the Shivalik ranges. The sanctuary offers exciting opportunities of viewing the wild in their natural habitat. The wildlife here includes elephant, tiger, panther, bear, chital, sambhar, wild boar, kakar, python, monitor lizard and a large variety of avifauna.
Established in 1977 on the east bank of the Ganga, the Chilla Sanctuary is a paradise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. Wildlife here includes elephants, tigers, bear, and gorals.
Hotels in Garhwal
Accommodation is not a problem in Garhwal. There are many standard hotels, which provide good services to their guests. As Garhwal is quite popular with Indian tourists, it is better to get reservation before reaching there.
In order to make the travel tour to Garhwal even more joyful we at IndiaHotelsAndResorts.com offer just the right kind of accommodation for you and your family or friends in Garhwal. We at IndiaHotelsAndResorts.com can customize the tour package and offer the hotel accommodation. The reservations of the room can be made well in advance as per the requirements of the tour.
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