Living in and around Delhi NCR has its own merits and unlike Any other city we have a host of options when it comes to weekend getaways. But my personal favorite place which occupies a sweet place in my heart is Kasauli. I was in Delhi and was very confused with various destinations for a relaxed weekend getaway after my international trip to Singapore. Kasauli was identified as the destination to spend a few days with no particular aim. Sticking to the true spirit of unplanned travel, no research was done on the potential stay options. Bags were packed in whatever time was at hand and in no time I found me and my three really close friends on an unplanned road trip to Kasauli by our Car. The day started with a steamy glass of chai and leaisurely walk around the green boulevards of the cantonment area with the intent of finding a budget hotel. We came across several really beautifully designed heritage properties however we were looking for something with a spectaculat view of the hills and then we found at Kasauli residency fron great food to super cool staff the hotel got everything you require to make your weekend getaway a memorable one. We departed from Delhi around 6 and by the time we dumped our bags and feasted on aloo paranthas and wore our explorer's shoes we found at that it's already 3 in noon. Given that it was a supposed to be a relaxed break our only aim was to roam around the beautiful cantonment area of Kasauli and soak in some good mountain area. We had a limited expectation from Kasauli given its popularity as a touristy destination but the monsoon played it's lucky charm. We were happy to appreciate this picturesque with some great Chinese food and a bottle of red wine. Red wine is a must try if you visit Kasauli as they manufacture their own wine in Kasauli which is really amazing and a treat for your taste bud. Then we headed back to our hotel and after a long day of travelling thought of having some sleep before we could start our day 2 of exploring the hills of Kasauli.
Kasauli is best explored on foot. So we decided to walk on day 2 and kept our car in the hotel parking. And eventually our decision was correct and we loved going on long endless walks on the upper mall and lower mall road to soak in the uninhedered aroma of pine-scented air, the misty ambience and the spectacular view. There are trails from lower mall road that will take you towards Garkhal, which witnesses amazing sunsets and has a number of tastefully done homestay and hotel options. Vehicle movement on upper and lower mall road is restricted, making the walks around these lanes memorable. After that we went to the Manki point (pronounced as monkey point) which is the highest point in Kasauli and is 4 km from Kasauli bus stand. and finally we ended our trip by having a leaisurely lunch at Ross Common Restaurant. Ross Common is a perfectly setting for a leisurely lunch located in a comparatively quieter area away from the touristy rush of the mall road and is among the last few stay options near the main square in Kasauli. Atlast, with some great memories and some big packs of Kasauli tea we ended our weekend getaway in style and went back to Delhi :-)
