The Queen Of Hills - Mussoorie

Thin fog, cool breeze and sunlight mild enough to make you feel its presence when it touches your face. That's how Mussoorie is! 

(All the Landscape pictures have been taken from the internet)

ABOUT ME..

My name is Sanaika Jaiswal and I have just graduated high school this year. I studied the last two years of my schooling in Mussoorie as a student of Mussoorie International School which is a boarding facility. 

I have a passion for travelling so I have made sure to make use of all the opportunity I get to explore places. Mussoorie happens to be just one of them.

(That's a picture of me at school)

THE QUEEN OF HILLS..

"The Queen of Hills" Is how Mussoorie is known in India. It's located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and I have lived there for two years of my life. Studying in a boarding did not give me the chance of exploring the city corner to corner, but I've managed to get a decent hold of the place. 

Ill start with the most famous place in the city, that is, the Mall Road. It's a vast stretch of road that goes on for about 2kms, filled with little shops and stalls for food, shopping and even hotels. Indian wear accessories and warm clothes are the most common buy in the area. Brands like Nike and Reebok are also available on the way. A PVR cinema hall has just recently opened, and even though it looks pretty small from the outside, its pretty decent from the inside. 

In school we were taken for a film every two months and we've always thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Any chance we got to get to the mall road, we would just happily take it. 

Although the best part about mall Road is that, On one side of the road you have all these shops and restaurants, while on the other, you can see the whole beautiful valley of Dehradun, and believe me, it's nothing but mesmerising. You even have benches facing the valley. So incase you are awestruck by its beauty and just want to sit and appreciate it, you can go ahead and do it! 

WHERE TO EAT..

The Lovely Omlette, owned by an old man, is actually the most famous food stall on the road. Theres a variety of omlettes that he sells. He has even won several awards and has also been recognised by food shows and channels on TV. So, for nothing in the world should you miss that experience!
Apart from that, "Tavern" is a cafe and restaurant, which serves absolutely delicious Italian and Indian food. It has a different interior and It's desserts are also mouth watering!

Chick Chocolate is known for the sweet dishes they serve. They have multiple options from cakes to waffles to chocolates to shakes, and everything is wonderful. If you happen to plan a trip that side, please do go.

HOW TO GET THERE..

You can get to Dehradun by a direct 45 minutes flight and then take a cab from there to mussoorie.Taxis can be pretty expensive. Since the airport is on the very outskirts of Dehradun, its takes about three hours to drive from the jolly grant airport to Mussoorie Mall Road (which is actually considered the centre of the city). This can cost upto ₹2000-3000, depending on your stops and waiting time.  Food costs are reasonable. One person would take about ₹500 Per meal. 

WHERE TO STAY..

Now for your stay, a 3 star hotel like The Imperial or Vishnu Palace would cost somewhere around ₹3000-4000 per night. But thir advantage is that they are right on mall road which gives you the convenience of maximum time there without having to think about commuting. A four star hotel like Fortune or The Royal Orchid would cost around ₹7000-₹9000 per night. Theyre close to the mall road but not very so you will have to take a cab for commutation. Whereas a 5star hotel like JW Marriot or Fortune Savoy would cost between ₹15,000-20,000. While fortune savoy is still near mall road, JW takes about 40 minutes. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Apart from this, there are a number of good hostels in Mussoorie for student education. I myself have studied from Mussoorie International School for my high school years. And I have got nothing but praises for the place. 

"I have literally woken up every morning to see the beautiful valley and the snow covered Himalayas from my big dorm window. The air is so fresh that waking up at 5 in the morning for our excercise lesson never felt like a burden. We felt fresh all day long and would sit outside our Academic buildings every chance we got, just to sit and admire the beauty that nature had to offer! Oh how I wish I could go back to those days!"

And night life? Believe me, if you step outdoors at night in Mussoorie, it's star filled skies spell bound you. Every night is a night under millions of stars. They're so clear that even a person like me who had no knowledge about stars learnt a lot about each and every constellation! I have noticed them every night in such a way that i could detect change in their positions and actually observe them come back to the place I saw them first in a year. Mussoorie turned me into the person I am today. It turns each and every person into a nature enthusiast, because you can't help but appreciate it every second. 

Its a safe city, and all the people there are very, very kind and helpful. And even though the weather is pleasant throughout the year, it gets very cold in winters. Although there's nothing more beautiful than a snow covered mountain! 

I would recommend everybody to visit musoorrie atleast once in their lifetime. It's a lovely city, whether its for your education or travel or retirement. It's nothing less than a blessing to be able to live there. It's an experience I would encourage each and everybody to opt for. 

If you've been to Mussoorie, please share your experience with me, I would love to discuss more and even help you incase you're planning to go sometime soon. 

Hope this information was helpful! 

Thank you.