Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra

Tripoto
11th Mar 2017

On a Friday evening we came up with this idea of going on a road trip to the hills. Yeah, you read it right. So, as it may sound, it was a last minute plan . We had to leave in like 4 days and we hadn't figured out a single thing. And to add to this, the weekend was a long Holi weekend.All I realized after this trip was, that our last minute bookings and the craziness was worth it.

Day One.

So we left from Chandigarh at 10.30 in the morning. It was pretty breezy that day. The weather was perfect for a road trip. We had our breakfast, midway . The drive from Chandigarh to Naldehra is pretty amazing. The first 25-30 kms of the 130 km journey is a carpet 4 lane highway. After that it is a single lane road with no median for the rest of it but very thin traffic .So just have a good playlist ready because you would really enjoy the drive.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 1/8 by Neha Maheshwari
Somewhere between Chandigarh-Shimla

So we did a de-tour and the above picture is from there. If you de route from the usual highway, you will get to experience less traffic than usual and can go in between the villages watching the life of the locals in the hills.

While we were on our way, the weather suddenly changed and it rained for like an hour and by the time we were near Shimla it started snowing. Yeah, we saw snowfall. I had been longing to see a snowfall and this was the first time I saw it. Believe me , it is a great joy to see snow falling.The misty weather and the white snow makes a perfect combination for a great view.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 2/8 by Neha Maheshwari
10 kms above Shimla
Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 3/8 by Neha Maheshwari

So we reached Naldehra at around 2-3 in the afternoon. We had ditched the regular hotels and had booked an airbnb instead . Last minute planning, lands you to other options and we thought of trying it because what can be better than having a place of your own for 2 days.

Snow already had our adrenaline rushing like crazy since everyone in the group saw snowfall for the first time. And when we finally reached at our location, we couldn't be more pleased. The flat had the perfectly amazing view , one can ever get. Plus it was away from all the hush-hush. One peaceful , place to be.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 4/8 by Neha Maheshwari
View from my balcony

Soon, the sky cleared out and we could see a different view altogether.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 5/8 by Neha Maheshwari
The view in the evening at around 5pm

The care-taker of the airbnb is a sweet lady. She got all the things from the nearby market and took care of all our meals.

At night, the homes on the hills lit up and the stars would add to the beauty. One could put on some music and sip some wine, while enjoying the view.

Day Two.

After a cosy sleep, we woke up and grabbed our morning coffee and went to the balcony. Actually, I grabbed my coffee while the others took their tea. We sat in the balcony and watched the mountains while sipping our tea . It was a sunny day but chilly indeed.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 6/8 by Neha Maheshwari
Morning view from my room
Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 7/8 by Neha Maheshwari
Serenity

After having our breakfast, we decided to leave at around 12pm.

Photo of Why you should ditch Shimla for Naldehra 8/8 by Neha Maheshwari
On our way back

On our way back , we went through Mashobra. Also, we de-toured and took a different way rather than taking the traditional road.

The road trip to Naldehra was full of unexpected weather and some great view. We enjoyed the snow fall, saw the sunset and woke up to the rising sun. If you are looking for a peaceful getaway with your friends or family , then you should definitely pick Naldehra as your destination. Book an airbnb and take your car along. Nothing can beat a road trip to the hills.