Travel enthusiasts who are passionate about exploring new places are always in search of serene holiday destinations that are far away from the madding crowd. Lush greenery, clear skies, pleasant weather, and tranquillity in abundance are what this quaint hill station near Dehradun and Rishikesh is blessed with. But this blissful, relatively unpopulated hilly retreat, Chakrata, comes with a catch. It is an access-restricted, special-entry cantonment area and like all such military-restricted areas, you need to be an Indian citizen to enter.
This hidden gem is located 90 kilometres from Dehradun in Uttarakhand and according to the Uttarakhand Official Tourism Website, 'owing to its high-security location, only Indian nationals can gain access to Chakrata. Foreign tourists are allowed up to Kalsi and have to obtain a permit from the Commandant 22 Force c/o 56 APO.' The hill station is situated in close proximity to other tourist destinations such as Dehradun and Rishikesh. A travel blogger with an Instagram handle called 'pahadan_on_road' recently posted a video on her social media handle describing her trip to this hill station.
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In the caption to her post, she described Chakrata as 'a beautiful hill station near DEHRADUN and RISHIKESH. Chakrata is the perfect hill station to visit in Uttarakhand. If you want to escape the crowds, sit in the mountains with a hot cup of coffee, explore old Deodar forests, and go hunting for beautiful waterfalls then Chakrata is the place!!!! Best time to visit this place is during monsoon.'
She also named a few other idyllic spots that are accessible from Chakrata which include Deoban, Budher Caves, Tiger Falls, Chimiri Top, Moila Top and many more. She also explained that the little town can be explored in about 2 to 3 days and has waterfalls, sceneries, and trekking activities.
Chakrata was established as a British Indian Army cantonment in the late 19th century to serve as a military base and training centre for the British troops. This scenic destination continued to serve as a military cantonment under the Indian Army, even after independence, maintaining its status as an access-restricted, special-entry military cantonment area.
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