Surroundings | परिवेश
Van Vadi is located on the outskirts of Dehradun bordering Rishikesh, around 30 minutes from the Jolly Grant Airport, yet tucked away deep in a forest in Thano. In one moment you’re on a regular dusty road, and in a blink you’re transported into an enchanted land perched in the middle of a forest.
Van Vadi is located on a six acre hill with step farms. Here we grow rice, wheat, ginger, turmeric, seasonal vegetables. You will also find a lot of indigenous fruiting and flowering trees of pomegranate, mango, guava, gooseberry, banana, and fig, and wild vegetation including edible berries and herbs.
A natural mountain water stream flows at the bottom of the hill, providing perfect background music all day. There are seasonal springs in the monsoons, which turn the hill into a lush green ecosystem. You often hear the sounds of barking deers, peacocks, and an enormous variety of birds including Woodpeckers, Magpies, Drongos, Kingfisher, Cuckoo, and Parakeets.
In the Colonial Era, Thano made the first gateway to Doon Valley. Evidence of the British movement through Thano Range can be seen in the form of Forest Guest Houses built in the 1850s and the colonial architectural ruins.
Thano, which comes from the word Than, meaning sacred, was also once the land of Naga Sadhus who meditated here and practised Hatha Yoga.
The range is part of the Thano Forest Reserve which has the elephant corridors, and witnesses leopard movement. Being closer to the Ganges, the area is home to numerous birds, and is a paradise for nature and birding enthusiasts.
Walks and Trails
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Walk type – Facilitated
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Walk time – The walks are slow, and can last up to three to four hours, covering a distance of two to three kilometres.
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Terrain – Mostly plain, with slight uphill.
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Fitness Level – Normal. The walk is suitable for any age group.
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Group Size – Min: 1; Max: 5.
Join our village naturalist for an immersive tour to gain insights on regional flora and fauna including a wide diversity of birds as small as a few inches. The tour slowly takes you into rustic village bylanes and thick forest trails of Thano Range, which has a record of more than 250 bird species.
With greenery being sparse, summer months from March till June make for an excellent time for bird spotting. Summer also being the breeding season, most wild birds turn astonishingly attractive, while making melodious mating calls. The common sights of the birds include Parakeets, Barbets, Woodpeckers, Flowerpeckers, Hornbills, Lapwings, Kingfishers, Maina, Bulbul, and Cuckoo.
The tour gradually invites you into the foodforest of our community representative, ending with a freshly brewed organic herbal tea. You’re also welcome to forage the aromatic leaves for your beverage, and indulge in an inspiring conversation while sipping it.
