Orissa ikat cotton saree for a trek

I wore this simple cotton saree for trekking down the stream. It held good during the trek, picture ops on the stones near the stream, rain, climb up to Mukteshwar temple and did not get dirty or crumpled at all. Another feat accomplished- wearing a saree on a trek.

Ladies trip to Nathuakhan, Uttranchal

 I have been travelling solo forever now. I am pretty happy and comfortable doing that. For the first time, I went with an all ladies group. I must admit that initially, I had my reservations as to what kind of a group it would be. But, luckily, I was proven wrong and the group turned out to be the best part of this trip. They were so much fun and we bonded right from the very first moment we met. For the majority of the part of the trip, we were singing, laughing. We laughed till our stomachs hurt and till we had tears in our eyes. We were unstoppable. There were a karaoke night and dancing night, we trekked by the stream and we visited Mukteshwar temple, got soaked in the rain. I wore my sarees throughout the trip and loved the snug comfort they provided, despite being cold. 

Let me copy and paste the itinerary as it was advertised. Then read my detailed review of the trip.

A romantic trip with your special someone is great, but a trip with an all-girl ‘gang’ is super fun. Get ready for a dream trip with like-minded women who love to ‘let their hair down’ occasionally. 

Travelling in such a group is sure to make the trip overflow with some of the happiest times and memories to be. 

We at The Happy Dervish are taking an all-girl trip from 6th - 8th April to Mukteshwar, a quaint yet breathtakingly beautiful hill town. The serene ambience, astoundingly pleasant weather, stupefying snow clad the Himalayas, and the vast variety of palate wetting food. The tranquil town boasts of ancient temples, verdant woody expanses, and trails. Experience an adrenaline rush with activities such as rock climbing and rappelling.

Are you ready to unleash the ‘free spirit’ inside of you?

Schedule: 6-8th April

The Happy Dervish Boutique Resort
Day 1: Friday

The journey starts at 7am from IFCO Chowk

1:00 pm Halt in Nainital for 2 hours and sail on the mountain lake or stroll on the vibrant mall road or find exciting deals at the Tibetan flea market and of course try the local street food.

Arrival at The Happy Dervish 4.30pm. Relax and soak in the tranquillity at the resort with Kadak Chai/ Thyme Tea/ Buransh squash and Pakoras
8.00pm - In-house activities
9:30 pm - 10:30 pm Delicious Dinner Buffet and Gupshup with the travellers' post Dinner

Day 2: Saturday

6:00 am - Birdwatching
7:00 am: Morning Tea
8:30 am - 10:30 am: Breakfast
10:30 am - 1:30 pm: Small Trek to the stream

1:30 pm: Village themed Lunch to give you sumptuous memories.

4:00 pm: Mukteshwar. It has a lot to offer. Snow peaks are visible from its height which is 6000 plus feet above sea level.

7:00 pm - 9:00 -OPEN MIKE ( enthusiasts share your songs, jokes, horror stories poems etc with others in the misty mountains)

10:00 pm: Dinner buffet complemented with Chit chat and Conversation with beautiful souls.

Day 3：Sunday

7:00 am: Tea
Explore our Meditation and Yoga Point. Fun Activities (Archery, Dart, Pool, Badminton or chat with interesting companions)
8:30 am - 10:30 am : Breakfast
11:00 am - Depart from Nathuakhan with Splendid Memories.

Cost per person on Twin/triple Sharing - 7000/- inclusive of all meals, stay, in-house activities, to and fro transportation.

For more details contact us.

Happy Dervish review

Positives: 
The companionship of my fellow ladies definitely deserves full marks.
The price of the trip seemed super lucrative.
The place was beautiful with fresh air and a quaint resort.

Negatives:
As you read from the itinerary, I understood that all meals were inclusive. At the last minute, we were told that we had to make our arrangements during the travel. Which meant that only 1 full day and dinner on the day we arrived (Friday) and Breakfast on the day we left (Sunday). 

The journey each way took 12 hours and we stayed there only for 1 full day. It somehow did not feel right. It was tiring.

The meals were not up to the mark. It left for a lot wanting. No fruits in the breakfast, no biscuits with the high tea, not much vegetarian options, too spicy despite repeated request. Upon repeated requests fora vegetarian sandwich in breakfast, we were served a sandwich of tomato and onion, sparsely put in on a bread. It was annoying.

The basic essentials were missing- No wi-fi, no electricity at night-until morning, difficult to charge the cell phone or power bank, no constant supply of hot water. The buckets were being sent to the rooms and despite repeated request, I got a 1/4th bucket of hot water.

The rooms were not cleaned throughout our stay. They were dirty and messy.

The kitchen was far from the dining room and it took forever for the staff to bring food from there. 

In-room service was zero. In fact, no phone in the room to reach out to the staff.

The bus that was provided was too tiny and the seats were super uncomfortable. It was a tempo traveller, in fact. I guess, to save cost.

Overall review: The fellow travellers completely made up for the lack of all the facilities. As I wrote earlier, they were so much fun that everything else could be ignored. But not all of you who would go there will be so lucky. Hence, do your research thoroughly. The place is beautiful- no doubt but the basic amenities were missing- hot water, electricity, wi-fi, good food, clean room, room service, etc. Hence, plan your trip knowing these facts.