The last week of December is always a good time to visit any of the hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. I have been to the cliched 'tourist destinations' Shimla and Manali many times during my college days and have always wanted to visit a more non-conventional destination like Dharamshala. This Christmas weekend, I finally got a chance to do so.
We explored all the possible options viz. by bus, train and driving our own vehicle to reach Dharamshala. But we figured that the easiest possible way to reach Dharamshala is by bus. So, we booked tickets for the Delux HP bus and boarded the bus from ISBT, Delhi just in time. The journey was quite comfortable and we reached Dharamshala at 6 in the morning. With our jackets, gloves and caps, we were well prepared to counter the cold weather. A local state transport bus leaves from Dharamshala every 30 minutes and is the easiest and cheapest way to reach Mc LeodGanj which is barely 30 mins away from Dharamshala. As soon as you reach McLeod a horde of people gather around trying to sell cheap hotel rooms. We decided to walk around a bit and check out a few places before deciding on the hotel. A narrow lane beside the famous McLLo's runs down and leads to Hotel Misty Woods. After having checked a few other places we decided to settle for Misty Woods. The room was basically a fully furnished appartment with a living room, kitchen and bedroom. Priced at Rs 1100 per night, this was a steal! and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a nice place to stay in McLeod.
Day 1: It is always a good idea to get acclimatised to the weather whenever you reach a high altitude place. So, we decided to visit nearby places on the first day. Auto rickshaws charge Rs 250 and would take you to the most popular nearby destinations - Naadi and Bhagsu falls. It takes around 20 mins to reach Naadi. With a few resorts facing the Dhauladhar ranges, Naadi is a peaceful place and offers a clear view of the ranges. A view through the telescope also lets you see the caves and temples on the hills from close range.
The next stop during our journey was at Bhagsu. Trekking down the hill we took 30-45mins to reach the waterfall. Tired after the trek, it's a good idea to relax beside the falls for a while. The famous Shiv Cafe is another few meters walk up the hill and should be visited by people looking to go on a 'trip' of their own. We enjoyed our meal at Shiv Cafe and headed back to McLeod.
A walk down the temple road and watching the sun go down behind the snow peaked hills is a perfect way to end the day. The Dalai Lama temple offers a magnificent view of the sunset and the play of light on the mountain ranges is definitely worth capturing through your lens. McLlo's is a fine place to enjoy a nice dinner and listen to some good music. Must try out the Momos and Pasta.
Day 2: After a good night's sleep we got up early next day and were all set for the trek I had been eagerly waiting for. After having filled our stomachs with Aloo Parathas at a local Dhaba we headed straight towards Triund. An auto rickshaw/van can take you to the place from where the trek starts. It makes sense to reach the starting point by car rather than trekking the 6km stretch before the real Triund trek starts.We did not hire a guide for the trek. For people who are looking to spend the night at Triund it's preferable to make necessary arrangements at Mc Leod and hire a guide from there itself. The trek is moderate level trek and the total stretch is around 9kms. After halting at various spots for tea etc we finally reached Triund. A full 180 degree view of the Dhauladhar range appears in front of your eyes out of no where. This is a spectacle which you can just lie down and watch for a few hours without even blinking your eyes. By the time we reached the top we were extremely hungry and Maggi and tea at the local Dhabas at Triund proved to be a life saver. It is a good idea to carry something to eat and lots of water for the trek. After halting at Triund for a few hours and clicking pictures of the snow capped peaks we started to make a move at around 230-3 in the afternoon. It is advisable to reach back by 5-6 pm before it becomes a little dark.
We had heard a lot about Jimmy's kitchen and decided and go there for dinner. The Pizza's and Pastas are really worth a try and would definitely recommend it for anyone who is bored of the trite Dal roti.
Next day, early morning we boarded the state transport bus and started our long journey back home. Would certainly like to come back here next year and plan to stay at Triund..
We explored all the possible options viz. by bus, train and driving our own vehicle to reach Dharamshala. But we figured that the easiest possible way to reach Dharamshala is by bus. So, we booked tickets for the Delux HP bus and boarded the bus from ISBT, Delhi just in time. The journey was quite comfortable and we reached Dharamshala at 6 in the morning. With our jackets, gloves and caps, we were well prepared to counter the cold weather. A local state transport bus leaves from Dharamshala every 30 minutes and is the easiest and cheapest way to reach Mc LeodGanj which is barely 30 mins away from Dharamshala. As soon as you reach McLeod a horde of people gather around trying to sell cheap hotel rooms. We decided to walk around a bit and check out a few places before deciding on the hotel. A narrow lane beside the famous McLLo's runs down and leads to Hotel Misty Woods. After having checked a few other places we decided to settle for Misty Woods. The room was basically a fully furnished appartment with a living room, kitchen and bedroom. Priced at Rs 1100 per night, this was a steal! and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a nice place to stay in McLeod.
Day 1: It is always a good idea to get acclimatised to the weather whenever you reach a high altitude place. So, we decided to visit nearby places on the first day. Auto rickshaws charge Rs 250 and would take you to the most popular nearby destinations - Naadi and Bhagsu falls. It takes around 20 mins to reach Naadi. With a few resorts facing the Dhauladhar ranges, Naadi is a peaceful place and offers a clear view of the ranges. A view through the telescope also lets you see the caves and temples on the hills from close range.
A walk down the temple road and watching the sun go down behind the snow peaked hills is a perfect way to end the day. The Dalai Lama temple offers a magnificent view of the sunset and the play of light on the mountain ranges is definitely worth capturing through your lens. McLlo's is a fine place to enjoy a nice dinner and listen to some good music. Must try out the Momos and Pasta.
Day 2: After a good night's sleep we got up early next day and were all set for the trek I had been eagerly waiting for. After having filled our stomachs with Aloo Parathas at a local Dhaba we headed straight towards Triund. An auto rickshaw/van can take you to the place from where the trek starts. It makes sense to reach the starting point by car rather than trekking the 6km stretch before the real Triund trek starts.We did not hire a guide for the trek. For people who are looking to spend the night at Triund it's preferable to make necessary arrangements at Mc Leod and hire a guide from there itself. The trek is moderate level trek and the total stretch is around 9kms. After halting at various spots for tea etc we finally reached Triund. A full 180 degree view of the Dhauladhar range appears in front of your eyes out of no where. This is a spectacle which you can just lie down and watch for a few hours without even blinking your eyes. By the time we reached the top we were extremely hungry and Maggi and tea at the local Dhabas at Triund proved to be a life saver. It is a good idea to carry something to eat and lots of water for the trek. After halting at Triund for a few hours and clicking pictures of the snow capped peaks we started to make a move at around 230-3 in the afternoon. It is advisable to reach back by 5-6 pm before it becomes a little dark.
Next day, early morning we boarded the state transport bus and started our long journey back home. Would certainly like to come back here next year and plan to stay at Triund..
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