I remember it was early evening when I set out to explore the meadows. The golden-green grass undulated over mounds of hillocks. It was just meadows everywhere. Fluffy white sheep grazed peacefully in small clusters in the nooks of the meadows.

Mt Bandarpoonch, with its shimmering snowy flanks, stood over the meadows like a guardian angel. It was omnipresent. The big massif with Mt Kalanag followed me everywhere.

You always hear of how stunning mountain views are when they jut out of the meadows. But, on Dayara Bugyal it grabs you by the scruff of the neck. Because behind me, in the direction I had climbed up was the entire stretch of greater Himalayas of the Gangotri extension.

I don't think I can say I was stunned. It was more than that. I had to sit down on a rocky outcrop to steady myself at what I was seeing.

I think people have got it all wrong about the views. They talk only about the meadows. It is the mountain views from Dayara that are the stunner.

I was taken aback at how vast the meadows were. I could not find an end anywhere. Curiosity got the better of me. I had to know where the meadows ended.

I climbed the second and third hillocks. The only thing that I got to see was more endless views of the meadows. I traversed my way towards Bakhariya top, the highest point of the meadows. It was many hills away.

Halfway, I climbed to a ridge that led to a hilltop. From the summit of the hilltop I could see the great deep valley many thousands of feet below me. On one side was the deep valley with the fading rolling hills, on the other were these great mountain ranges. In front was Mt Bandarpoonch. And below me were these endless carpets of green rolling meadows.

Where was I? This couldn’t be earth!

I have trekked to Dayara from multiple routes — what strikes me is how shady the trail is. Right from the base camp until you breakout of the forests into the meadows, the trail is in good shade with lovely forest cover. The biodiversity is high. Which is why you’ll hear a lot of bird calls. While we talk about the meadows, don’t miss out on the forest. Dayara Bugyal is one of the Best Himalayan treks for Bird Watching. See birds spotted on the Dayara Bugyal trek here.

Be it Gui, Chilapada, Nayata or even Barnala. Enclosed by forest but in grassy clearings, with commanding views of mountain tops, I think I could fall in love with these camps.

They are secluded, plenty of space to stretch your legs, walk about, take a peek in the forests, yet, you can just sit in one corner taking in the views. I have done lots of trek and have loved lots of camps, but if you ask me about Dayara, then I think it has some of the better campsites.