“From Office to Mountains: My Unexpected Escape in Lansdowne”

We always hear the names of hill stations mentioned. But very few people pay attention to this tranquil, green, serene, and quaint hill station named Lansdowne. Lansdowne is a picturesque and peaceful place located at an elevation of 1,706 meters near Kotdwar in Uttarakhand.

The town is named after Lord Lansdowne, then Viceroy of India (1888-1894). It now accommodates the command headquarters of the Garhwal Rifles regiment of the Indian Army. Dotted with tall green trees and towering mountains, Lansdowne's beauty and attraction lie in its simplicity and natural, non-polluted state.

While it lacks major tourist attractions, there is a viewpoint (Tip-n-Top), a temple, a museum, Bhulla Lake, and a lovely church. The energy and serenity of the location immediately lifted my spirits.

Yes, I have been to this gem, not as a casual trip, but on an official visit with one of my good office colleagues. She too, ended up having a great time—neither of us had expected that an official visit could end up being such a memorable trip.

Since we are both HR staff, this tour was for the recruitment campus/job fair arranged by the Kotdwar government. On that day, I experienced how we steal small moments of our official commitments and convert them into our individual getaways.

We boarded a train from Delhi at 7:30 AM and arrived at Kotdwar at 1:30 or 2:00 PM. This is the only direct train from Delhi to Kotdwar at that time. After arrival, we checked into our hotel and took a short rest. Then I thought, 'Why waste the remaining half-day?

Without any further delay, I hired a personal cab, and we set off towards Lansdowne, which is only 7–8 km from Kotdwar. The ride was scenic through green oak forests and blue pine forests.

We went to Tip-n-Top, the church, Bhulla Lake, and the museum, taking tonnes of photos at each location. The journey from Kotdwar to Lansdowne is half hilly and scenic. I'm sure I exhausted my whole phone memory on that day!

Lansdowne is an unspoiled place, picking up quiet popularity after the British era, and one of the most serene hill stations in the nation. There's something magical in the atmosphere—no tension, no honking of cars like Delhi—just serenity, quiet, and calm.

The next day, we visited the job fair and returned to Delhi. And since then, whenever a peaceful place comes up, the first name that strikes my mind is Lansdowne.

And here's one of my favorite photos from Tip-N-Top.