Kausani Travel Guide — Everything You Need to Know
Kausani is a small village on a pine-covered ridge at about 1,890 m in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, and it is known for one thing above all: the view. On a clear morning a long line of snow peaks — Trishul, Nanda Devi and their neighbours — turns pink and then gold across the northern horizon. Mahatma Gandhi stayed here in 1929 and was so taken with it that the place has carried his praise ever since. It is a place to slow down rather than sightsee. Pulp Hotels does not list a stay in Kausani yet.
Things to do in Kausani
- Sunrise over the peaks — the reason to come; any east- or north-facing terrace on the ridge will do, on a clear morning.
- Anasakti Ashram — the house where Gandhi stayed, now an ashram with a small museum and a prayer hall looking out at the mountains.
- Sumitranandan Pant's house — the birthplace of the Hindi poet, kept as a museum in the village.
- Kausani Tea Estate — tea gardens on the slopes below the ridge, with a shop selling the estate's tea.
- Baijnath — a group of old stone temples by the Gomti river, a short drive down the valley.
- Rudradhari falls and caves — a walk through pine forest and terraced fields to a waterfall and cave temple.
Best time to visit Kausani
October and November are the best months for the view, with the clearest skies of the year. March to June is pleasant and the main season, though haze can hide the peaks. December to February is cold and crisp, with snow on the ridge in some winters. July to September is the monsoon, when cloud usually hides the mountains.
Getting to Kausani
The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, about four and a half to five hours away by road, with direct trains from Delhi. The nearest airport is Pantnagar. Kausani is about two hours from Almora, and the road continues down to Baijnath and Bageshwar.
Where to stay around Kausani
Most stays are along the ridge road, and the one thing to ask is which way the room faces: a room with the Himalaya outside the window is what people come for. Kausani fits well on a Kumaon loop with Almora, Ranikhet and Binsar.
