This quaint little cantonment retains its original charm, right from the days Chakrata was established by Colonel Hume and fellow officers of the British 55th Regiment, 125 years ago. The local populace may complain on occasion that they cannot get the same opportunities to cater to tourism as their cousins in Mussoorie nearby, but the army here is a lot more careful of who (and how many) it opens its doors to, and for very good reason. Chakrata is home to a branch of the army’s special forces and the rugged Himalayan countryside is an ideal training ground for all kinds of commando courses. It is said that LTTE supremo Prabhakaran learnt all his skullduggery here (trained by the Indian Army, ironically!). However, don’t be alarmed by this cloak-and-dagger scenario — for you are here for Chakrata’s incredible natural beauty.

The town lies above the Yamuna Valley in the Garhwal Himalaya and is approached from Dehra Dun either via Mussoorie or Kalsi. The latter is the commonly used one, but the road surface is pretty atrocious. Once you make it to Kalsi, you have to be lucky enough to make it through the barrier there on time. Barrier, you ask? Indeed. The Kalsi Army Checkpost allows only Indians to drive through to Chakrata, where there’s a toll of Rs 21. But it’s also single-lane traffic from here on to Chakrata, since the road is pretty narrow. It’s better to take the Dehra Dun-Mussoorie route, which is about 20-odd km longer but is a newer road, barrier-free and very picturesque.

If you opt to go via Mussoorie, after a dramatic plunge down the valley from Mussoorie, via the Kempty Falls, the road takes you to Yamuna Pul, the bridge over the Yamuna as it flows out of the moun­tains into the terai. It is incredible to think that this pristine, aqua­marine mountain torrent turns into the sad sluggish slop that it is at Delhi, not that far away. Put that out of your mind, how­ever, and keep your eyes open for birdlife. The sub-Himalayan jungle here is full of kaleej pheasant and the lovely Himalayan blue magpie. If the bird­watching doesn’t knock you out, the view will — the higher you climb, the more awesome the views of the Yamuna get.

Non-Indians may not enter Chakrata

Orientation

Once in Chakrata, you immediately know what all the fuss is about. The town has a magnificent view of the Greater Himalaya and everything around is delightfully green — deodar, Himalayan oak and rhododendron cover the hills. The only built-up area, and there’s very little of it, consists of some of the prettiest colonial army buildings, green- and red-roofed gables complete with rambling roses and wisteria. The town is built all along a ridge with a tiny bazaar in the centre. A Mall that makes a perfect, forested ramble connects the entire length of Chakrata.