Mcleodganj – The suburb of Dharamsala.

Looking for a road trip for your next vacation? this may help you out. A 500km/ 9 hour drive from Delhi to the Kangra district of Himachal would make your road trip impeccable. Mcleodganj, the lonely planet of Himachal is situated at a distance of approximately 10-12kms from Dharamsala. The Tibetan town is residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. You may find yourself comparing Mcleodganj to other hill stations at first, but once you behold the charm of the locale, you’ll be tempted to contradict your opinion. The place has an undefined allurement of it’s own. Best time to visit is? well that depends, looking to enjoy the monsoon- go in the month of July (Mcleodganj gets the second highest rains in India); wish for less crowd- visit in the month of September; have a desire to enjoy areas covered under massive snow- February is your month; go pick!

It takes about 3-4 days to explore Mcleodganj. Itinerary can be kept lucid and if followed accordingly, one won’t regret it.Pack your bags, fuel up your car and hit the road early morning around 4/5am, this way you will prevent driving in the hills when it’s dark. The journey takes about 9 hours to complete and passes through Karnal, Chandigarh, Ambala, Nangal, Kangra. Remember to pre book your hotel through any travel portal but don’t book it in Mcleodganj, the best place to stay when you travel to Mcleodganj is Dharamkot. Dharamkot is a village 1-2kms away from Mcleodganj and has a decent range of accomodations available with exquisite views alluring the eye. Some of them include Hotel Shivalay, Gandhi’s Paradise and Dharamkot Inn. You will never regret picking your accomodation in Dharamkot.

The time you are left with after the drive can be spent wandering around the streets of Mcleodganj, visiting the local markets, meeting the monks and much can be done. Keep your destinations lined up for next day after a good sleep. A little tip- Mcleodganj has excellent varieties of delicious Chicken.(Go try ‘Em.)

Major attractions around Mcleodganj include Dalai Lama Temple, Dal Lake, St. John in the Wilderness, Bhagsunag Waterfall etc.

Dalai Lama Temple

St. John in the Wilderness

Dal Lake

One should hire a taxi or a cab to visit the above destinations as parking can be an issue, also the traffic jams in the hills are quite troublesome. You might miss out on few destinations due to that.

Keep your third day entirely devoted to Triund. Triund is considered as one of India’s best trekking destinations and cannot be missed at all. It has quite a scenic view with a range of Dhauladhar Ranges on one side and the Kangra Valley on the other. A tranquil trek which can be accomplished by people from almost all age groups. The starting point of triund is Galu, it is suggested that if you can, you must hike all the way up; you won’t regret it. The trek takes roughly about 2-3 hours to complete.

Mcloedganj is also famous for one of the most popular adventure sport- Paragliding. It is done in various parts of the town and is quite thrilling. You needs to spend about 2000-2300 bucks per pax. A once in a lifetime thing and a must add to your Bucket list.

Mcleodganj is a peaceful town with friendly people.

Do spare time for an amazing adventure.

Enjoy your trip and let me know about your experience.

(All the above pictures are clicked by me and not copied from anywhere.)

 

Weekend Getaway- Kasol/ Bhuntar/ Kheerganga

Tormented by the extreme heat of your city and looking for a weekend get away trip to a hill station? But the regular hill stations like Manali, Mussoorie etc. are jam-packed. Kasol is your destination. A small village located in Himachal Pradesh between Bhuntar and Manikaran approximately at a height of 1640 meters. Reaching Kasol is hassle free. Though there is no direct bus to Kasol, taking a bus to Bhuntar(located roughly 30kms from Kasol) would do it. Direct buses are easily available from Delhi to Bhuntar and take approximately 9-12 hours to reach Bhuntar. A cab or local bus from Bhuntar can be further hired to reach Kasol village which takes about 1.5-2 hours roughly. Situated on the banks of Parvati river, this village is also known as the weed capital of the country, if you know what I mean. The place is truly splendid and surrounded by gigantic mountains. 

There are a number of places available in the form of accommodation which range from hotels, guest houses, holiday homes etc. There’s this guest house called Alpine Guest House which is situated just by the sides of parvati river and has an exquisite view as you can see in the above picture. This would probably be the best place to stay in Kasol if you wish to connect with nature.

Kasol is famous for its Israeli restaurants and cafes which offer almost all kinds of cuisines such as Indian, Chinese and Israeli etc. It is often visited by people from all over the globe and is always at peace. The best mode of transport to travel to nearby excursions would be hiring a two wheeler which is easily available on the main road or one can also hire a cab. Nearby excursions include Tosh, Malana, Manikaran, Kheerganga etc.

Tosh is a village located approximately 37-40kms from Kasol  village and can be covered by two wheelers easily. Although it should be kept in mind that the roads towards the end are not properly built and there’s a rough patch filled with stones that lasts upto 2kms.

It will take approximately an hour or two to reach Tosh from Kasol. Tosh is a small village on the top of a hill guarded by mountains. It offers admirable views of mountains filled with snow. One needs to trek for approximately half an hour to reach the top of the village and the way is though the village only. The people of the village are very hospitable and will surely guide you to the right way. There are a couple of cafes near Tosh where delicious food is served. Villagers of Tosh also offer home stays at very minimal cost. The rooms of home stays are well maintained and quite cozy.

Another excursion is Malana, a village situated at a distance of about 22kms from Kasol. It takes roughly an hour to reach the trekking point of Malana. In order to reach proper Malana, one has to trek for approximately one and a half hour on foot. This is a treat for all the adventure seekers out there. Malana is an ancient Indian Village located in the state of Himachal Pradesh and is pretty much isolated from the rest of the world. It’s said that beauties should never be compared, so shouldn’t  Tosh and Malana. Both of them are beautiful in their own way and a treat to the eye. The trek to Malana can be breath taking but once you reach on top, you will know how much was it worth.

Kasol is famous for local markets which offer antique products. They offer carry bags made of THC which are very trendy and durable to carry. Other things include Mufflers, Bongs, Sheesha, Scarfs, Wrist Bands etc. A walk through the local markets of this holy village is a must.

There may be a ton of hill stations out there, but you ain’t gonna find one as peaceful as Kasol.

Go explore it and see for yourself, it hardly takes your weekend.

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I hope you liked it.

(All the pictures inserted are clicked by me and not copied from anywhere else.)