As cliched it may sound, Dharamsala remains the most popular hill station close to Delhi. We too went to this hillstation for two days to escape the heat of June Here’s all about exploring the gems of breathtaking Dharamsala on the first day of our visit.
Tea Estate
The Tea estate spread over a huge area of lower Dharamsala makes a nice place to soak in the lush greenery and unwind. Greenery is associated with positive vibes, and we experienced it. It was a little tiring, yet we preferred walking over a taxi ride and ended up walking about three kilometers searching for the tea gardens. The green velvety stretch is a visual treat.
To reach the tea estate- Cross the narrow roads till you reach the BSNL office. After that, take the lane adjacent to the BSNL towers and open your arms to the luscious tea garden in sight!
Cricket Stadium
Practically there is nothing to do or see at the stadium, apart from seeing a live match or taking pictures. However, the place still attracts tourists since this is the only stadium in Himachal and also at the highest altitude. We witnessed a practice match of girls’ cricket team. The blue mountains in the backdrop add scenic beauty to the stadium. Needless to mention the pleasant weather too.
Entry fee: None if there is no match.
War Memorial
Barely a kilometer from the stadium, stands the war memorial as a symbol of respect to the fallen heroes. The memorial park has steep, uneven pathways inside the park that lead to the Amar Jyoti memorial.
Entry fee: 10 INR
Kotwali Bazaar
The lively local market is full of shops with fancy clothes, accessories and eating joints. The apple chutney and ginger chukh are must have things in the bazar.
Watch out for the bakery stores there with freshly prepared cakes, biscuits and pastries. Do try the locally made coconut cookies. The blissful cookies smell great and melt in your mouth. Advisable to indulge gorging on big juicy momos at stalls. These are the best momos you might have ever tasted. Additionally, the non veg ones are stuffed with mutton, instead of chicken.
We spent the rest of the day with long walks, imbibing the beauty of the place and window shopping. The colorful chaotic town falls dead asleep in the arms of the dark night, with twinkling stars and lights from little houses.
Acomodation in Dharamsala
There is no dearth of hotels in Dharamsala. From bagpackers hostel to luxury hotels, there is one for everyone. We booked The Kashmir House from http://hptdc.nic.in/ at quite an economical price.
The Kashmir House is a government owned property in Lower Dharamshala. Nested in the arms of Dhauladhar Range, this hotel was home to the king of Kashmir a century ago. It was only post independence that the palace was was converted into a hotel.
The aesthetics speak a volume on the history! For instance, the rustic look and designs have been maintained from the old time including the entrance gateways and wooden work. Also, our circular shaped room on the first floor had antique furniture that gave such cosy vibes. The room offered great view of lower Dharamsala with colorful rooftops and misty sky. Its one of the dreamy places where we can spend our entire life !
How to reach Dharamsala
Dharamsala is at a distance of 480 km from Delhi. However, there are no direct trains and driving would be tiring. Therefore, the best alternative is a taxi or a local bus either from Pathakot railway station or Pathankot bus stand. We prefer overnight volvo from Delhi to Dharamsala directly. The best place to book your Volvo is from http://www.hrtc.gov.in/hrtctickets/Availability.aspx
The URL also shows lot of other destination in Himachal which you can explore. Chamba, Palampur, Bir Billing are few of them.
