I usually do not associate government accommodations and cleanliness together but GMVN Rajaji National Park was a clean place. Our huts were right inside the forest and it was a serene atmosphere unless the tourists themselves started blaring music. There was a group of tourists who did just that but thankfully they stayed only for a few hours and then left. It leaves me spell bound how people can be so callous and play loud music inside a jungle! The place is quite close to Haridwar and is a weekend getaway from Delhi.
The room had an attached bathroom and though quite basic it was clean. Government guesthouses can become quite apathetic to their services and guests. Rajaji National Park accommodation was an exception. I also hate carpets in the hotels as usually they are not maintained and give of a very offending smell to the entire room. Such was not the case at this park when we visited. My room had no carpet and that is a blessing in most of the budget Indian hotels!
There is one thing in which no one can beat government hotels in India and that is the location. All government guest houses are located at prime locations which private players can only wish for. Also there are off beat places where one will find only a government accommodation.
The food at the park was OK. Anyway after spending the day outdoors I build up a huge appetite and unless there is something drastically wrong with the food I eat well.
The staff at government guest houses also is an entity in itself. They don’t seem to be trained hotel management employees and though it makes for variety sometimes if becomes difficult to deal with them. The staff that we interacted with at the park was helpful.
In all I have fond memories of our visit to Rajaji National Park near Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
Thanks Tarun, from Haridwar the Chilla gate of the park is just 7 km away, we took a tempo from the main bus stand in the morning.
This beautiful, I didn’t know that it’s near haridwar, where exactly in hardiwar?