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Shimla
161 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - January,February,March,April,May,June,October,November,December
Simla is the capital and the largest city of the northern India state of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsala being the other ca...
An unforgettable story of ‘three friends’ aka ‘3 Idiots’ is one of the reasons why Pangong lake in Ladakh is so famous today. The number of tourists visiting this lake has almost grown more than double after release of this movie. This lake is definitely not a thing to miss, but beware of the fragile ecosystem of this beautiful cold dessert and don’t litter around. And who can forget the beautiful ‘mall road’ and church of Shimla shown in this movie.
Read the Previous PartIt was time for moving ourselves to our next destination - Manali - the adobe of Manu. If Hindu mythology is believed - Manali is where Human Life was recreated after the great flood. Keeping the mythology aside, one great fact about Manali is that the most important fruit in humankind - Apple - was introduced to this country here by the British. The most delicious apple in the country is still cultivated here and supplied worldwide.
With a break for Manali and Rohtang in between, we stayed in Shimla for Three Days. Even though it was evening and the sun was down, we decided to go out and start our quest for Himachali Food. We took a quick shower, readied our son and went out. We decided to have dinner outside and return. We took the HPTDC lift which was within 500 meters from our hotel to reach the Mall Road. It is an excellent facility which takes the visitors straight up to the ridge and reduces the walking distance completely. It takes Rs. 10/- to go up and we were there on the Mall road in no time. The Evening was spent moving around the Upper Bazar and Lower Bazar. I had to buy a guide map and my wife went on to shop e few winterwear for the baby. We had our dinner at the Sher-e-Punjab (Regd.) Restaurant and had extremely delicious Punjabi delicacy.
Read the previous partFinally, we reached Shimla, the queen of Himalaya and the Capital of Himachal Pradesh, the Northern State of India. Even before the Narrow Guage train entered the station we were mesmerized by the fantastic view of the city spread on the slopes of the hill. The Huge Red coloured Idol of Hanuman, the Monkey God, at the highest point of the city was like a shining stone on the crown. The railway Station was neat and well organized.
Place 2: Chandigarh : Shimla : Day1I left for the place all alone on some work basis. I found myself a descent room to stay and lately went to Mehli Gaon. The Ridge: A place on top of Shimla hill. Its a market place, where you can find almost everything you want.
Shimla, the very name transports you into a dream where you're walking along the ridge with candy floss in your hand and the sun shining upon you through the icy cold breeze. I give you the perfect excuse to visit the city and live this reality as Shimla welcomes summer with the Shimla Summer Festival this June.
The driver arrived with the first rays of sun, if anyone wants to travel using public transport the options are available for that, you can get a direct bus from Delhi to Sangla or Delhi to Reckong Peo, if you don’t want to do the direct journey you can do it in breaks from Delhi to Shimla (Rs.420) and then Shimla to Reckong Peo (Rs.500).So I began the journey from Shimla, first stop was at Kufri for breakfast, the cascading of the mountains was penetrating the darkness with gleaming tops in orange shade. After briefly stopping at Kufri, the next destination was Narkanda, a quiet scenic town a perfect getaway from Delhi. The drive to Hatu peak from Narkanda was on a narrow road, with a steep ascent, after driving for another 30 minutes you reach the top, and the view is marvellous, endless mountains with a 360 degree snow-capped Himalayan view. I visited the temple at the top, a perfect example of the wooden architecture that is famous in this part of Himachal Pradesh.
Day 2I took the toy train from Kalka to Shimla. Even though this takes longer to reach than by road, this is probably the better way to reach Shimla, thanks to the experience. After reaching Shimla in the evening, I just took a walk to my hotel from the station and checked in.
The Ridge, I saw the beautiful scenery their and it was worth watching I enjoyed a lot, people were dancing with happiness. This was the beginning of celebrations
Chandigarh
180 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - August,September,October,November
Chandigarh is India's first planned city, quite distinct from the rest of the country and considerably better organized....
We boarded our train to Chandigarh on 9th June and then on 10th we took a taxi till Kasol. As we were on our way, we were already occupied with the ravishing view of the Parvati River. It felt as if we were not following the road instead we were running from our bustling lives to seek peace in the lapse of nature.
Manali, it was started like "fer ki dikkat h"(He (The conductor) referred it to the girl sitting nearby :D) when I asked for ticket to Manali from the conductor.Manali is a hill station nestled in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley, at an altitude of 2,050 meters in the Beas River Valley. It is located in the Kullu district, about 270 km (168 mi) north of the state capital, Shimla. It is the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. It has become a tourist attraction in recent years.
We reached our friend's around 11 p.m. , ordered dinner and celebrated our spontaneous small trip's success with a local alcohol my friend had gotten from somewhere in Punjab. It was made from sugar/sugarcane. We slept goooood!
We started our journey from Chandigarh.We rented a car for 3 days.We were total five friends.We began our journey around 11 pm from Chandigarh.We had our dinner in a restaurant near the highway.Then we covered around 300 Km till Manali and reached there in the morning.We had Tea and Snacks then we continued our journey to Prashar lake,Which is around 100 kms from Manali.
The first thought that strikes you about Spiti is that it is not for the average tourist. The land of surrealism promises amazing adventures -- but only for those who have an adventurous streak in them. After all, “the traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”
Our night started off with dancing in the room and playing beer and wine pong. Yes, wine pong. Not a great idea indeed. For food we got some pizzas and pastas parcelled for our mini house party. Hyatt is a good property in general but with a not-so-good room service. We were locked out of one room for almost 2 hours and the staff didn’t bother helping us unless one of us went all the way down to the reception. Overall, it was a good refreshing start to the long journey we were on.
Reached chandigarh airport at 230 pm. Huge temperature transformation from cool to hot and humid!!!Had lunch at the airport canteen. It was a tiring day as we moved from 8 K ft to 0 ft || cool to hot-Humid. Chandigarh is a well-planned city , acting captial of both the states – Punjab and Haryana and an Union-Territory too!!Checked in, boarded at 6 pm for Mumbai. Reached Mumbai at 8:30 PM and finally the trip came to an end. Reached home at 1 AM.———-•———————————————•———Time to visit - Mid-May until OctoberApprox budget - ₹ 30K inclusive of airtravel If go by tour - it varies from ₹ 40K onwards
We have started journey from Chandigarh to Delhi and heading heavy rainfall around 3 hours.heading up towards Delhi from Chandigarh, had been driving in heavy rainfall and blowing parking lights on the road and following the traffic rules, didn't over take any car.
Day 13 : 29th June 2017 -- Day 16th : 2nd July 2017 -Rode till Bilaspur all together, a fun ride, ghats, the Mandi tunnel of 3km.
So now, after dragging through Manali City till Mandi, we had light Dinner at around Midnight at a Dhaba of Day 8-Day 9, our Driver Virendra took some "Herbal Medicine" to stay awake all night so that he can drive, the reason we were going to Chandigarh was Virendra had to go to his home town in Jalandhar and Chandigarh would come in between so that is why, and then we marched there in our 4x4 Toyota Innova with speed not less than eighty at any point of time, in five hours we covered three hundred and fifty Kilometers and we were at Chandigarh, it was 6'O clock in the morning, we thanked Virendra for the awesome driving and his time, bid farewell to him, we weren't sleepy at all as we did slept for four hours in the cab, so we all decided to take a bus back to Delhi then and there, the ticket was of five-hundred and fifty rupees, and again in next four hours in the afternoon when we were in Delhi, we all were feeling the heat, we all were tanned, we all were full of contentment and emotions, we all smiled at each other saying this is not the end, we are again having this kind of adventure, and we four parted in our ways. it was heart throbbing. Finally i got back home Late Afternoon. :)
Srinagar
264 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - April,May,June,July,August,September,October
Gar firdaus ruhe zamin ast,
Hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast.
“If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s h...
One day in Srinagar when strangers opened their homes and hearts to me.30 May, 2016I reached Srinagar without booking a hotel. I call this method of travelling 'no-method-travelling'. That's how I ended up at a neighbourhood near Khanqah-e-Moula where the caretaker of a hotel lived with his family. The night before, I met Mr. Amin at Lal Chowk and he invited me to spend the night with his family. Something about the man made me trust him. I went with my gut feeling and spent the night watching the IPL with his six daughters.The morning started with some Noon Chai (Salt Tea) and Kashmiri local bread. Amin uncle told two of his eldest daughters, Tabassum and Summaiya, to take me around the city. The kids were more than happy to bunk school; this was their exciting day out too.That day we visited Shah-e-hamdan mosque in the morning and I spent the morning relishing the quietness and the absolutely timelessness of the architecture of the mosque. The space exuded a kind of serenity that's not found in cities. During the course of the day we went to Jama Masjid Mosque, Badamwari and Polo Ground.While walking towards Makhdoom Sahib, Tabassum and Summaiya shared with me the episodes of the tragic floods of 2014 when they took shelter in the Shrine of Makhdoom Sahib along with their entire family. Thousands of Kashmiris who lost their homes and businesses in the floods stayed in the shrine for months. A natural disaster that had till now sustained in my memory only as a headline on TV, now unfolded itself in it's full affect.The day ended at Hazratbal, a place I consider to be one of the most stunning sites I've ever witnessed : the marble-white mosque by the Dal lake with the surreal backdrop of the snow-covered Pir Panjal Range. I can travel the distance just for that one view again. If only everyday in life left us so overwhelmed by the end of it.
1) Gulmarg : Srinagar to Gulmarg is a 2 hours journey and so it is usually a full day trip to Gulmarg. Gulmarg boats of being a beautiful town surrounded by snow covered mountains,lush green meadows. Gulmarg is my personal favorite,as even in March this place was covered with snow,enough snow for me to build my own snowman. When visiting Gulmarg you must definitely try the famous gondala ride. Gulmarg Gondola is world's highest operating cable car. The price of the ticket is Rs. 740 for phase-1 ( Gulmarg to Kungdoor) and Rs.950 for Phase-2 (Kungdoor from Aparwath). The view from the Gondola is absolutely breathtaking,from that height it appears as if someone has painted the entire valley with white paint.
Relaxing in my houseboat in Srinagar I said to Ghulam the houseboat owner, “I am satisfied with Srinagar. I would like to experience some village life. Where shall I head next?”He replied promptly, “Sonmarg, Gulmarg, or Yusufmarg”.“Umm too touristy. Any place quieter?”“Naranag”.I took the last sip of the sugary kahwa and packed my stuff. I took the city bus from Dal Lake to Srinagar Bus Station. You can also arrange for a private car to take you to Naranag for a day trip or overnight stay. Ghulam (+919697384417) can arrange transportation and homestay in Naranag. Since I was traveling solo, I chose to go by bus. Naranag is 50 km from Srinagar on the road to Kargil. The bus drops you at Kangan, the town at the base of the hill some 14 km from Naranag. From there, you take a shared car to Naranag. There are frequent buses between Srinagar and Kangan but they tend to leave only after they are semi-full and they stop frequently. So, not the fastest way to reach Naranag. The last shared car from Kangan to Naranag leaves at 4 pm.Deep into the little known valley
Day 3, time to head back to Srinagar. Spend a lovely morning sunrise before you head for Srinagar.
Next day, headed to Gulmarg Gondola, second highest cable service in the world. There are two levels, first level takes you the first half of the mountains.
LEH – LADAKH || 12 Days, 12 People, Travel to be cherished throughout the lifeLEH, Name always glittered in the soul.A trip we were contemplating since last year, however we got late. And finally thanks to Mr. NaMo- the PM.! We booked our tickets during the biggest monetary lockdown in India – Demonetization 2016.Khusbhu, one of our friend booked tickets for 13 of us. We also had to ask for leave in our respective offices as it was a long trip. Couple of months passed and we all started the planning.Understanding the routes, weather and climate, culture was also equally important. We also took guidance from Manish sir of Kutchi Trekkers. As days passed, the levelof excitement kept on increasing. 2 of them backed out and one was added to it. So finally, count of 12 was good to fly. So, the Month of July started & we started tocount the days.18th Jul, 18 days left.About a week prior to our journey, there was an attack in & around Srinagar where we were planning to start our journey from. This was an attack on CRPF from thelocals which killed the officials.2 weeks ago there was an attack on pilgrims going for Amaranth yatra. Bus was attacked by terrorist groups and 56 people were injured and 6 killed. Many of ourrelatives & friends advised to cancel the trip, but we had to go.Karna hai, toh karna hai, toh karna hai.On Sunday, the day we had to leave, there were heavy rains all across Mumbai. Our flight got postponed and the connecting was getting missed out. This created a hugehassle about 12 hours ago for us. There were lot of hiccups in the pre-journey stage. We did lot of ways to get the flight issue sorted. Finally, l fight to Delhi waspreponed from 9 am to 6 am. We spend whole night at the airport. We spent sleepless night due to the anxiety and excitement.The Day 1 – 18-07-2017 Mumbai -> Delhi -> SrinagarOn Monday midnight, we did our check-in and boarded the flight and reached Delhi. Took a brief overview of the Delhi Terminal 3.Fledd off for Srinagar at 1:45 PM.Our traveller car was booked for the day by the hotel Nishat – our roof in Srinagar. Yogyata’s bro is the Commanding officer, Head of the force at Srinagar. He came tomeet us at the hotel. Did brief talks with him.Left from hotel in the evening went to resto Krishna dhaba had amazing veg food – dhaaba style. Post FullTummy, we reached Mughal gardens and on the other side of theroad is the world famous DAL lake. Witnessed the beauty of DAL lake while the sun was settling down. funtimes clicked. We couldn’t go ahead for the shikara ride as it was already quite dark outside.Returned to Hotel, had snacks, played cards, slept and then woke up early in the morning.
Head back home from Srinagar.
→ Gulmarg:If you are tired of the conventional places like Manali or Shimla; Gulmarg, Kashmir is perfect. The tranquil settings, the skiing slopes, the pine forests of Gulmarg make for the perfect place to holiday! The top skiing destination in India, Gulmarg surely offers a lot for the adventure enthusiasts! Kashmir offers an experience & scenic setting that remains etched in the memory of tourists for a very long time.
Dehradun
290 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - March,April,May,October,November
Dehradun is the capital city of Uttarakhand, a state in the northern part of India. Located in the Garhwal region, Dehra...
Leh
254 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - June to September
This beautiful town happens to be located in Jammu & Kashmir and is an abode for those who wish to pursue Buddhism. The ...
Day 6 : LehWe stayed at Leh for local sight seeing.Leh, is one of the sexiest place I have ever been to, people are honest, surrounded by beautiful mountains, wooden art can be seen in bulk. Leh, was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Leh district, with an area of 45,110 kilometers. The town is dominated by the ruined Leh Palace, the former mansion of the royal family of Ladakh, built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace-the chief residence of the Dalai Lama.
We woke up quiet early at 5:30 A.M. and after having a cup of hot masala tea we took a stroll by the lake. We took our camera and walked down to the lake to witness and capture the magical change of color of the lake from sea green to bright blue. I could not restrict myself from dipping my feet into the lake water and it was icy cold.After returning to our camp and having breakfast we drove back to Leh carrying the unforgettable beauty of the lake.During our return we halted at Changla pass for few minutes to enjoy the breath taking view of the snow covered Himalayan range. In the evening we explored Leh market. The popular items for the tourists are the locally woven woolen garments, Pashmina shawls, Tibetan handicrafts, Buddhist mask and paintings.Since apricots grow in plenty in Ladakh, it is another popular gift we can purchase. We picked some shawls, dry fruits, apricot jam and Tibetan souvenirs for our family and friends. The dragon motif is very popular in Tibetan art. Bargaining is a common practice while shopping in open markets and you pay on the basis of your negotiating skill. However government run shops are there where prices are fixed.
After having breakfast in the early morning we drove out for local sightseeing to Hemis monastery which is famous for mask festival, Thickshey monastery, 3 idiots’ school and Sindhughat for spectacular view of Indus river. We returned back to hotel for late lunch and again headed for a short trip to Hall of fame- a museum constructed and maintained by Indian army in memory of the martyred soldiers who lost their live in Indo-Pak and Indo-China war along with Shanti Stupa- structure built by Japanese Buddhist as symbol of peace.
Day 12: Korzok – LehAfter one of the most scenic treks, drive towards Leh at the end of the trek.
15th August The day India got his Independence.Big day for us!! Our destination was Hunder ( Nubra Valley ) which is nearly 130 km from Leh. KharDung La, the highest motorable pass, 86 km from leh, in between Leh and Nubra Valley having haight 18380 ft.
"Everything that kills me, makes me feel alive" ~ Counting StarsI understood the true meaning of this song when I saw the raw beauty standing still and frozen, the wind biting through my skin and the gentle rays of the sun penetrating my body.Leh! the high desert capital city shuts down for almost three months during winter. The otherwise lanes that our flourishing with tourists and motorists is completely abandoned at this time. The day starts and ends in the afternoon. One can barely see the sun through the constant shower of flakes of snow.Visiting any place during the best season is one kind but travelling to the same region when the conditions are not suitable is an insight into reality. Majority of people crave for adventure and excitement but only few have the heart to experience it. If you are one of those people, read on to know about the land that is detached from the outside world in winters, how to get there, what to do, where to eat and more.
Another new day and another new road to uncover. On day four we headed straight to Sangam point which is the confluence of River Indus and Zanskar just beside NH1 highway located at 20 miles from Leh. On the way back from there we stopped by at magnetic hill (its a section of NH1 where the vehicle is believed to move uphill due to magnetic pull) and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib which is run and maintained by our Indian army. After a little of local sight seeing in Leh, our driver dropped us at the Leh market in late evening hours for some shopping and dinner with which our elaborate guided tour came to an end.
Manali
99 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - February,March,April,October
The land from where once an ancient trade route to China would be embarked on, Manali is an abode for modern creativity ...
The drive to the first campsite, Jobra, lasts just over an hour taking you up the valley, with numerous hairpin bends (some really steep) with some occasionally sightings of apple orchards, right on the road.The campsite at Jobra is a short hike through a thick pine forest. As the trees cast their shadow over the trails, the weather remains pleasant even in bright sunshine. With the thundering Rani river right on your trail, it seems just the perfect setting.
The trek goes a full circle, starting from the green locales of Manali, to the cold barren Spiti and back to square one.
Manali is another ultimate destination for the adventure enthusiasts. The magnificent snow covered peaks and the pine fringed trails along with the endless orchards and pleasing views of Manali has always attracted tourists and adventure seekers. The terrains of Deo Tibba, Chanderkhani Pass, Hanuman Tibba and Rohtang Pass are the best places for heli-skiing at Manali. With the slopes as high as 6000 m, you will definitely be thrilled and have the adventure of your lifetime while heli-skiing at Manali.Auli is a beautiful place with virgin locales and breathtaking views. Auli is also getting noticed as a skiing destination. You will definitely gain the pleasure of heli-skiing at Auli as you fly upto 3000 m and then ski down the pleasant slopes of Auli.
Then, we took a taxi from Barsheni till Manali via Manikaran. We reached Manali at around 11 PM. Next day we covered few of the tourist spots of Manali like Hidimba temple, Vashishta temple etc. The best thing we discovered about Manali was that the city was alive till 2 AM. On ‘Maal Road’ we could see families and children having fun at such an hour while we were discussing our lives and future with a cup of icecream in our hands. That was our last night of that trip and we wanted to enjoy it the most so we were awake for the whole night until we got on board at the last bus and came back into reality from that dreamy place. That adventure will always be missed that time will always be cherished.
So here my journey to Gulaba Base Camp started from Manali. Manali has become overcrowded place these days. It took 2.5 hrs for us to reach Gulaba were one should take hardly 30 mins. So from here we are supposed to reach our first base camp which was 20 mins trail...hold on not the normal trail. We were supposed to climb a 70-degree steep mountain. And during that trail I realised why it is important to do warm up and to work out before going any of the trek. For 20 mins trail we took an hour. What is the difference in India hikes and YHA from my perspective? I did 4 Himalayan treks through YHA and there we used to warm up for 3 days in base camp so that our body gets acclimated for the higher treks. On the other hand, India hikes will directly take you to higher camps as they expect you to be completely fit for the treks. You are supposed to walk daily and send them screenshots on daily basis which is good idea. So finally we reached our Day 1 location at Gulaba (10,370 ft.). We had our refreshments ,then introduction and later on we were told about Medication, Go green Campaign and Overall trek info. Fortunately, we had very good trek leaders with us. We proceeded for dinner then to our tent. The tents were little small and we were told to keep our bags outside the tent still under coverage of tent but not really inside as there were two coverings of the tent. Around 2 at night it started raining heavily, I just popped out of the tent quickly kept our shoes under coverage and then slipped inside my sleeping bag. So here our day one ends ... Our Group at Gulaba Camp Day 2:
3. 'Jab We Met': I love mountains!!!
The weather of the valley didnt allow us to go, as the rain was approaching and we had to climb steep up to the mountain for 4 kms. We were upset but accepted the situation and made a plan to move old Manali. I was visiting Manali after long 3 years, There are many places to visit in Manali. The Hadimba temple, Vashisth hot springs, The mall road, Solang valley and many more. We hunted some good cafes there at the mall road it was snowing there. The sad part was my both the battery of the camera got discharged and was not able to click good picture. After the day out we checked into the beautiful Pinakine cottage, near Nehru kund bridge, Shanag Village. I recommend all the readers who are planning to visit Manali, book their stay in this cottage it has marvelous view and is situated in a very good location the services are best in a very minimal cost. And if you are in a big group and want some discounts then let me know . The next morning i had to catch the bus and was the time to go back to the pavilion .it was a perfect meet with my friend and was nice spent new year . and Time to say good bye to the mountains with a promise to see you soon .
Manali-DelhiToday was a free day in Manali and we had a bus booked for Delhi in the evening. We went to explore places like Hidimba Temple, and some cafés in Old Manali. Old Manali is a beautiful place with a lot of cafes and figure licking taste. We went to Café Bella Vista and Café 1947 both are superb cafés and food and atmosphere is overwhelming. We reached Manali Private bus stand at 6pm and said goodbye to the beautiful Himachal.It is always the same with mountains, once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them. THERE IS NO ESCAPE.
Manali-Solang- Gulaba PassToday we decided to take a bullet for a drive on Manali roads. We rented bikes at Rs 1200 each and left for Solang valley. There are two options for snow points near Manali 1.) Rohtang Pass 2.) Solang Valley. Due to heavy snowfall few days back road to Rohtang was closed. We went to solang and it was full of people. People mostly come there to enjoy adventure activities like Paragliding, snow skiing, rope way etc. We didnt enjoy anything due to traffic and we left Solang in search of a better place. We drove on the road which leads to Rohtang/Leh in search of a place where we can enjoy the snow. In search of it we came across Gulaba pass which is the highest point which is operational during winters. Gulaba pass was on hell of a experience we enjoyed playing in snow, making snowman , snow slides and what not. We left gulaba pass and reached back to manali at night.
Day 10 :We reached Manali at 6AM in morning. Returned rented out bikes left for Jaipur.
Kinnaur
251 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - April,May,June,July
Scenic and serene, Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh is perhaps one of the most unexplored places in Himachal. Passing through...
As summer hues creep over the cloudless skies of this town, the bright colours of Holi are prepared to paint the mountains red and the grass pink. Welcome to Kinnaur, a small district in Himachal Pradesh, where Holi is not just celebrated but revered.
Kara Lake Located in Kinnaur, Kara Lake is located in Bhaba valley. It takes almost two days to trek till Kara Lake and the route passes through beautiful meadows with Himalayan horses grazing around. The entire trek is filled with gorgeous views of Himalayan Peaks. Kara Lake is one of the few treks that will take you through glaciers even in the summer season. Basic Info – Kara Lake trek starts from a small village called Kafnu. There are a couple of guest houses that also provide guide for the trek.
With that we started from kaza to chandigarh via shimla and the journey just cannot be expressed in words. Roads in the cold desert are sometimes very disapponting especially when the drilling of the moutains take places the day you’re supposed to travel and you just keep waiting and the journey of 12 hrs is extended to 15-16 hrs. But still that's another good thing as you can explore more on the way! (I got a real bad reaction from my sister when i said that while we were stuck on the way. I'm still glad i came back alive from that trip and she didn’t kill me. :p )I would define kaza as one of the most picturesque destinations in Spiti valley. I heard from the locals that many Bollywood movies have been shot here. One can watch the Paap (a Bollywood movie) if they want to get a glimpse of what to expect when they reach Kaza.
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The picturesque Sangla Valley in the Kinnaur with its bountiful Apple Orchards is known for rich tribal culture and traditions. There is a local tradition to welcome the guests with a garland of dry fruits and a round Kinnauri cap with green flap. It's also known for legally brewing two popular drinks, 'angoori' and 'ghanti'.Where to Stay:Rattan Cottage:A hidden-rural homestay in the picturesque Sangla Valley in Kinnaur district some 275 km from Shimla. The host also participates in the apple fest to showcase his orchard.Address: Village & P.O. Sangla, Tehsil Sangla ,District KinnaurPhone: 0-098052536
But one last visit will do!The road journey was super exciting. But I just wanted a little more scenery to enjoy! Thus next, we headed to the Himalayas again to uniquely end 2016! It was a perfect place to get away from the city for a while. So I decided to celebrate New Year's eve at Kinnaur, famous for sacred Kinner Kailash high range mountains which is home of the Lord Shiva.
The Hindustan-Tibet road or the NH5 to Chhitkul is precarious and can easily shake even the strongest of the hearts. The landslide prone roads are not smooth all the way as a national highway is supposed to be, mere 3m wide, and Satluj River by the side, the ride scared even our expert driver. Our driver had to drink a bit during the dinner time and only then he could drive fearlessly in the night at around 12 am and onwards.Now was our final battle with the roads.
Kinnaur has for centuries been a major trans-Himalayan corridor. Merchants travelling between China and the Punjabi plains passed through on the Hindustan–Tibet caravan route, stretches of which are still used by villagers and trekkers. The bulk of the traffic that lumbers east towards the frontier, however, uses the newer NH-22, which veers north into Spiti just short of the ascent to Shipki La pass, on the Chinese border, which remains closed.
A small video of our trip through Shimla-Narkanda-Sangla-Reckong Peo and Kalpa which we completed in under Rs 7000 for 10 days from Mumbai with food travel and Stay.
Their family was kind enough to let me know of the bus options and booked a bus to Reckong Peo ( head quarters of Kinnaur district).So, on sunday at 13.30 hours was the bus from Kullu to Reckong Peo( its about 16 hour journey so the bus tentatively reaches around 5.30am the next day ). Off course I was a bit scared because I was going to head out alone and this was supposed to be a group trip and I was heading out solo...Well..You gotta do what you gotta do ...the adventurous side in me overtook the fear and inhibitions in me and prayed to the Divine for guidance!
Amritsar
175 Kms from Dharamsala
Best time to visit - January,February,March,October,November,December
Amritsar has made a huge contribution to Indian history and is the holiest hub for Sikhs. The name of the city, which me...
Day 4 - Reach AmritsarHence, next day morning we checked out of the hotel and decided to head towards Amritsar.There are few buses which directly go to Amritsar one was in morning around 6.30-7.00 am and another one at 9.40 am. We could not reach for the direct bus on time and hence the other option available to us was to travel to Pathankot from Dalhousie to Amritsar (If Pathankot buses are unavailable take a bus from Dalhousie to Banikhet to Pathankot to Amritsar or private cabs)We booked a cab from Dalhousie to Pathankot and from there we took a bus to AmritsarPAJABA NU SAVAGATA - WELCOME TO PUNJAB folks!!Once you step on the land of Punjab, particularly Amritsar you will get a feeling that you have entered a flashback zone in Modern India (stepped into 1947 Punjab)Amritsar is a holy city in the state of Punjab because of its beautiful and unique Gurudwara - Golden temple. It is the spiritual and cultural centre for Sikh religion. As much as Amritsar is well known for Golden Temple, you will be amazed by the variety of food dishes in each lane specially near Golden Temple
Getting to know from the locals and my hotel reception, i followed their advise and went to LADDI KULCHA shop (a small kulcha shop) for having a brunch before leaving for home. And i must say it was the tastiest kulcha that i had ever had .It was time , so i before checking out from the room , i went to the GOLDEN TEMPLE once again and checked out and headed straight to the bus stand for getting the bus back to JAMMU.OVERALL TRIP COST: RS 2500-2800TRAVEL COST: RS 800-900( total to Amritsar and back home , inside amritsar,wagah etc )MEALS COST: RS 500(6 FULL MEALS+ SNACKS +TEA ETC)SIGHTSEEING COST: RS 350-500ACCOMODATION COST: RS 1100
It took me about 5 hours to get there bcz there were multiple stops and toll booths in the way.Finally there (AMRITSAR), bus stand is not far away from town hall area(where GOLDEN temple, jallianwala bagh is)Tip: if u dont have much baggage, just walk to the Golden temple(10 mins) if u cannot or dont want to walk , take an e-rickshaw(pay Rs30 maximum).I reached my stay place at 5:30 pm (one can also stay at room at golden temple, but don't know about availability and price). Checked in and freshened up , moved out to have my lunch cum dinner(bcz i didn't have lunch while travel). BHARAWAN DA DHABHA(restaurant , near town hall on the way to GOLDEN TEMPLE COMPLEX) was my first spot to visit for food. ordered a THALI and the taste+quantity+service was superb for RS. 160. I kept golden temple on my list at the bottom for day 1(bcz the night view is BREATHE TAKING) ,i went to the GOBINDGARH FORT(by e - rickshaw RS 40 )to see the 2 museums ,7D show based on MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH , WHISPERING WALLS light and sound show , walk around the fort ,live cultural performance ) all for a ticket of RS 250-300 per person. and i will never ever forget that amazing evening.
'Langar' @ Amritsar Golden temple - Its not a place , its an experience - Everyone
This post is about the foodie delights of Amritsar. Amritsar, apart from being the home of the revered Golden Temple, is also an absolute heaven when it comes to Punjabi cuisine. I recently had the good fortune of spending a day and a half here with my parents. While the primary aim of the trip was a visit to the Temple, the side attractions of various food outlets that we tried out were equally enticing!So here's a quick run-down of the places I tried out (too many on the list were left out due to paucity of time and inability of the system to handle so much food):Gian Chand Lassi Delicious lassi served in metal tumblers, topped off with butter and cream. People struggle to finish one serving, and once done, you are sorted hunger-wise for hours together. They also have something called "pede waali lassi" where they add bits of sweet pedas to the lassi! Located near the Temple in the narrow market lanes.Bharawan da DhabaThe place to have a vegetarian meal in Amritsar. While my parents raved over the dal and bharta and the crisp tandoori rotis, I went straight for the one thing I wanted here - the onion kulcha thali! The kulchas were hot, crisp, nicely stuffed and accompanied by some very delicious chholey. While most people head to the outlet near the Golden Temple, we went to the newer branch at Ranjit Avenue. Comfortable seating, good ambience, decent service. My dad still remembers this meal fondly!
Chandigarh : Amritsar : Day1It was a trip with my fellow co-workers, two of us reached Amritsar by night and left for Dalhousie early morning with one of our friend who was supposed to meet us at Amritsar.
Golden Temple is one such place where I get peace of mind because my mind is always full with thoughts, just like sky with stars. And I always crave for that rare peace so I have decided to start my trip with Amritsar. And Atari border (or Wagah border), how can I miss the evening parade when in Amritsar. Every Indian should visit this place at least once to experience the level of energy by Indians and Pakistanis.
Fondly called as Ambarsar, Amritsar homes the numerous rich stories and tales which encompasses the chronological narratives for centuries. Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru Ram Das, Amritsar has derived its name from Amrit Sarovar, amidst which stands the sacred shrine of Sikhism—the enchanting Golden Temple.
We reached Amritsar at 8:00 A.M. The temperature in Amritsar was very high and unbearable. We could only go to Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. And then in the afternoon we left for Pathankot (from where our journey starts). And where our journey ends.
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