How would you feel having your evening tea sitting in a green meadow with beautiful views of mountain streams, listening to the chirping of birds? That’s what I remember when I think of Chopta. Vast lush green meadows, pine forest and small colourful birds flying around. Your vacation can’t get better than this if you are a true nature lover. Chopta is a small hidden gem away from the civilization, nestled in the lap of Himalayas at an elevation of 8,790 ft above sea level. It is a part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, and is covered in pine, deodar and rhododendron forests. Due to its remoteness there is no electricity and mobile signals in Chopta. This is the place to be if you want to cut yourself off from the humdrum of daily life.

It is a base for trekking up to Tungnath, the highest of Panch Kedar. It is an easy and breathtakingly beautiful trek of 3.5 km. A steep trek of another 1.5 km takes you to Chandrashila, which rests at an elevation of 13000 ft. From here the Himalayan ranges of Trishul, Nanda Devi and Chaukhamba are clearly visible. There are not many staying options in Chopta but there are budget guesthouses, which are replete with all the basic amenities.