Delighting Dalhousie

The trip to Dalhouise is a long one if you are heading from Delhi, its 560 km which takes around 11 hours by road. Train is a convenient and the most cost effective way to reach Dalhousie from Delhi, Pathankot’s Chakki Bank station is the nearest railway station from Dalhousie (approx. 71 km). Also the domestic airport in Pathankot is 75 km from Dalhousie.

We Chose a bus journey to reach Dalhousie, there are number of Volvo of Himachal Roadways that run from ISBT. We boarded the bus late night at around 9.00 PM and reached the destination in morning by 10 AM. We stayed at Kayanat hotel in Dalhousie, it was the treat for the eyes, we can see the snow capped mountains from our hotel. We refreshed and proceeded for the sightseeing. We booked the taxi from Dalhousie taxi stand. The taxi services are quite economical. The driver takes you to complete sightseeing of Dalhousie and Khajjiar for 1000 Rs.

We begin our day with Chamera Lake, built on river Ravi, Chamera lake is an artificial lake and a part of the Chamera Hydroelectric Project. Apart from its scenic beauty, which includes the dense pine forests of Bhandal Valley surrounding the dam, the lake is also famous for water sports like river rafting, motor boating, canoeing, & kayaking. We did the boating there for almost 45 minutes and later proceeded to visit the famous Chamunda Devi temple, which is situated on the banks of the stunning Baner river. 

After exploring these, we came back to hotel for some rest. In evening, we walked down the lanes and reached the mall road of Dalhousie. Dalhousie is marked by 2 sides of market - Subhash Chowk and Gandhi Chowk. We went out for an evening walk in the mall road across Gandhi chowk. The place has shops for snacks like momos, maggi, sandwiches, coffee and more; and shopping winter items and local souvenirs. We enjoyed the local food at streets of Dalhouise, we started with veg cheese toast, pizza and there was a famous Jalebi shop. It was a lovely evening. 

We begin our day with aloo paratha at the hotel and proceeded to Khajjiar known as "Mini Switzerland of India", a round valley surrounded by deodars and pines with a small lake in between the lush green meadow. This region also attracts adventure seekers and has a lot of options in adventure sports like paragliding, horse riding, zorbing, trekking etc. We stayed there for around 5 hours, did paragliding  and spent the day beholding the beauty of the place. 

Later moved on to Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a popular site to explore by trek near Dalhousie. The best way to experience the beauty of this place is by trekking and hiking. There are two trekking trails at Khajjiar and Kalatop. A guide is must especially after dusk. Visitors can also go for a wildlife safari in the sanctuary. Animals like the Himalayan black bear, Himalayan black marten, mountain cats, leopard, jackal and langur are the inhabitants of the sanctuary.

Then we visited Panchpula, surrounded by a cover of fresh, green pine and deodar trees, Panchpula is a waterfall, and an amazing picnic spot in Dalhousie. Everyone from adventure lovers to trekkers to photographers love visiting this stunning destination which is surrounded by beauty. The best time to visit this wonderful spot is in summer and monsoon as the water gushes with full force during this season and the place looks its best.

Later spend your day mesmerizing the beauty of this place visiting Subhash Baoli, Named after the great Indian Nationalist, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, ‘Subhash Baoli’ is yet another popular tourist spot in Dalhousie. There are many tea-stalls and small eateries nearby serving lip-smacking snacks and hot beverages – truly a relaxing experience amidst gorgeous mountain scenery. One can spend hours under the shelter near the baoli, gazing at the splendid beauty of the nature and serenity of the place.

Evening was spent at Mall road visiting St. John's church, and exploring new food items at Gandhi Chowk. 

Dalhousie is one of the most pristine hill stations in the lap of Himachal Pradesh which is a paradise for the tourists. Its the collection of old world charm, mesmerizing natural landscape, pine-clad valleys, flower decked meadows, fast flowing rivers, magnificent misty mountains and some of the most spectacular views in the world. I would recommend to visit this place once in a lifetime to experience the beauty and nature up close.