Location: Fifty kilometers from Nainital, Camp Purple is perched on the Mukteshwar ridge in the Sargakhet village.
Mukteshwar is located on one of the highest ridges in the middle Kumaon and apart from breathtaking Himalayan views, it is also known for its fruit orchards.
About: Mukteshwar literally means 'Abode of Shiva' and at 7290 ft. is one of the highest ridges in central Himalayas. The camp is surrounded by apple and peach orchards and its name is inspired by the color which blends perfectly with nature as the sun sets (or rises) over the snow covered mountains.
Apart from the above, day picnics out in the jungles, meadows and streams, workshops based on forestry and other community development projects, on kite-making and flying and stargazing await you as much as the blazing campfire, endless cups of tea and day-dreaming on sun- drenched grassy slopes.
Accommodation:
Residential tents: Accommodation in American Safari Tents along-with camp cots, mattresses and sleeping bags ensure a comfortable stay in the wilderness.
Toilet tents: Fully equipped with W/C toilets, running water flushes and toilet paper.
Bathing tents: Four tents with buckets, mugs and soaps and fresh running water. Wash area with wash basins, running water and mirror.
Kitchen facilities: A spacious tent equipped with modern facilities under hygienic conditions and infrastructure to provide Continental, Indian or Chinese cuisine along-with local delicacies. Bar-be-ques are also arranged around the campfire. Any special requests for food specifications can be made if advance notice is given. Sample Menu
Dining area: A summer house set in the midst of the garden with a stone table and benches makes an appetizing place to enjoy meals
Activities:
Adventure:
Rock Climbing & Rappelling
The Chauli-ki-Jaali cliffs offer an excellent site for rock climbing. Here you can do various grades of rock-climbing, rappelling, long pitch and artificial climbing.
River Crossing
A day picnic on the stream with a rope bridge tied across two trees.
Trekking and Hiking
Mukteshwar's thick jungles and isolated villages make for very exciting treks enthralling Himalayan backdrops.
Shitla Village:
A small village, 6 kms from the camp. The trek is through thick jungles and the old IVRI campus. Shitla is the headquarters of the NGO- Chirag.
Stream (waterfall) trek:
The trek takes you to the bottom of the valley with the steam flowing gently. Along the way is an emerald green pool fed by a waterfall.
Sunrise trek:
This trek is just 2 kms from the camp to the CPRI top. From here one gets excellent views of the Himalayas with a spectacular Sunrise in all its hues.
Sunset trek:
A short walk behind the camp gets to a view mesmerising view of Sun setting behind the distant graded mountains.
CPRI Meadows:
Open sun drenched terraced field meadows of the CPRI with excellent views. An ideal place to play games, paint, fly kites and have a picnic lunch.
Gahana Village:
A 4 kms trek to Gahana village in the isolation of the mountains for making friends with villagers, to see small farms, cattle-sheds, village shops or schools and generally familiarise themselves with life in the village.
Almora trek:
A day trek through jungles, steams and villages culminating in the biggest township of Kumaon - Almora. (One cannot return to the camp the same day and therefore we have to stay in Almora town itself or camp somewhere around it). One of the largest township of Kumaon, Almora was the capital of ancient dynasties of the region. Old cobbled streets, copper handicrafts, special art of painting in terracotta intricate woodcarvings on age old buildings and houses make it very rich in heritage.
Night trek:
A night trek with torches through a jungle to an isolated house in the midst of the jungle.
Nature-Based:
Bird spotting
Excellent bird watching area with magpies, minivets, eagles, verditers, woodpeckers etc.
Bridge Hunting
Deep in the jungle with the Rithani Cowshed (1897), a familiarisation to ancient trails, hundreds of years old and is a good exposure to jungle survival.
Service projects
You could participate in any village based programme or environment workshop such as planting trees.
Star Spotting
The camp located at the top of the ridge gives a wonderfully huge overhanging section of the sky in full view. The common board has lots of star charts with marked constellations for your perusal
Allied Activities:
Kite Making/Flying
A day picnic to the meadows to make your own kite and fly it against the magnificent Himalayan back drop.
Campfire games
Exciting games to keep you enthralled during the evening.
Recreation Games
Various games like carrom board, chess etc are available at the camp
How to reach there:
By Train: The overnight train, Ranikhet Express leaves Old Delhi Railway station at 10:45 p.m. daily for Kathgodam, 66 Kms away from the Camp Purple. Cabs are readily available at Kathgodam station to take you to the camp.
By Bus: Day and night buses ply between Delhi and Nainital. Cabs may be taken from Nainital for transfer to the camp.
By Car: Drive yourself to the camps from Delhi (330 Kms) through Moradabad, Rampur, Rudrapur Haldwani and Bhimtal. Last place for fuel is in Haldwani
Tariff: Valid upto 31st March 2013.
Rs. 1,750/ per participant per day (Double sharing)
Rs. 1,500/- per participant per day (Triple sharing)
Tax applicable of 3.09%.
The above cost includes:
