When we planned our Landour trip, the name ‘Jabarkhet Nature Reserve’ kept popping up. But we’d only one day in Landour & weaning ourselves away from this serene town seemed impossible.

Someone advised us to visit the Jabarkhet Reserve before we started for Delhi NCR. We’re glad we got this counsel & that we took it. It turned out to be worth it!

The Nature Reserve is a private endeavor set up to protect & conserve the ecology of the forests around Mussoorie in the Himalayan foothills while encouraging nature – based education & tourism.

It’s small enough to be explored in a few hours but the moment we entered; we knew we could keep ourselves engaged here for days. There are seven main walking trails & countless connecting ones; the staff at the entrance can propose which one to take.

We would have loved to take a guided walk but we were early & the guides were yet to arrive. So, we equipped ourselves with a map & took off. Most of the trails could be covered in two-four hours.

We chose a mix of the Spring & Wildflower Trails due to paucity of time. The Wildflower Trail began at the main gate & went downhill, leading to a stone wall with a wooden gate.

We went past the gate & walked across the first meadow to The Hut. Just behind The Hut was a circular sit out & a small waterhole. We followed the Wildflower Trail sign & climbed the wooden stile over the dry-stone wall.

The lower meadows were covered with tiny blue gentians. From here, a trail to the left led us to The Spring, from where we climbed back up to the gate & the entrance.

We saw flora of many kinds and listened to numerous bird songs. We were ecstatic with the pin-drop silence and the unspoiled air. Due to the conservation measures, Jabarkhet has become an area to explore nature & encounter Himalayan wildlife.

We hope it becomes an archetype, for both the government & the private land owners, to conserve similar natural areas.

For your visit, we recommend –

1. If you’re unused to exploring forest/ mountain areas on your own, please walk with a guide.
2. Please don’t shout/ talk loudly as this will drown out the birdsong & disturb the wildlife.
3. Please don’t walk in the Jabarkhet Nature Reserve after dark; this’s when the wildlife needs a peaceful sanctuary.

A cheery place, it delighted the nature lover in us. When we left the Jabarkhet Reserve, we were also leaving Landour & the Himalayas behind. Our sinking hearts took refuge in words again –

I leave behind the gravity defying inclines of Landour.
The biting cold. The fragrance of pine needles.
The winter line. A stand-off with monkeys.
Endless cups of hot 🍫 & plates of momos.
With a heavy 💓. For I don't know when I'll travel again, thanks to covid19.
But जान है तो जहाँ है। This too shall pass dear 💓!