India Travel

Moving on from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Mandi to Dharamsala in Northwest Himachal Pradesh

The road northwest from Mandi skirts the edges of the hills, passing through thick pine forests and lush tea gardens. While most visitors make die six-hour journey to Dharamsala in one go on one of the nine daily buses, those with more time can pause at the small towns of Baijnath and Palampur, or pick up die narrow-gauge train as it trundles slowly through the fertile valleys between Jogindernagar and Kangra.

Northwest Himachal Pradesh

From Shimla the main road winds west and north to the riverside market town of Mandi. an important crossroads in the heart of Himachal linking the Kullu Valley and the hills to the northeast.The rolling foothills in the northwest are warmer and more accessible than Himachal's eastern reaches, though less dramatic and considerably lower. The area however sees litde tourism outside Dharamsala. the British hill station turned Tibetan settlement, home to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Dharamsala is an excellent base for treks over the soaring Dhauladhar Range to the Chamba Valley, harbouring uniquely styled Hindu temples in Brahmour and

Dharamsala to Chamba over Indrahar Pass in Himachal Pradesh

The most frequented route from Dharamsala to the Chamba Valley, over the Indrahar Pass (4350m), is arduous in places, but most trekkers manage it in around five days. The first section, from Dharamkot, winds through thick forest and steep rocky terrain for 9km to a grassy plateau at Triund- From here the path climbs to Laqa Got, and then on a seriously steep section up to the knife-edged Indrahar Pass where, weather permitting, you'll enjoy breathtaking views south to the plains and north to the snowy Pir Panjal peaks and Greater Himalayas. The descent is difficult in places and will

Pathankot in Haryana and Punjab

The dusty town of PATHANKOT, 270km north of Chandigarh and 101km to the northeast of Amritsar, is an important cantonment and railway junction close to the frontier with Pakistan and near the borders with Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. Many travellers pass through to pick up bus connections to Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Chamba and Kashmir, or to take the slow train east through the picturesque Kangra Valley.

Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Your best bets for Indian and Western dishes are the Hotel Dliauladhar and the City Heart in Kotwali Bazaar. There are several cheap and cheerful dhabas serving decent Indian food including Rajinder at the main crossroads. For Tibetan food around Kotwali Bazaar, try the Potala, a small but clean cafe with a sins pie menu.

Trekking from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Dharamsala is one of the most popular starting points for treks over the rock ridges of the Dhauladhar range, which rise steeply from the Kangra Valley to 4600m Most of the routes are used by Gaddi shepherds, who cross from north to south m the winter, cradling bundles of lambs and kids in their jackets, and return to the northern pastures in summer. Trails pass through forests of deodar, pine, oak and rhododendron, cross streams and rivers and wind along vertiginous cliff tracks passing the occasional lake waterfall and glacier. Unless you are very experienced you'll need a guide as

Arrival and information in Himachal Pradesh

State-ran buses from Manali, Mandi, Pathankot, Kangra and Delhi pull into the bus stand in the very south of the lower town, though some continue after a short stop all the way up to McLeod Ganj - the usual arrival point for private and deluxe buses from Delhi and Manali. The nearest point of arrival for trains from Delhi, Punjab and Jammu Tawi is Pathankot - the narrow-gauge train linking Pathankot to Jogindernagar also stops at Kangra and at Nagrota. Dharamsala's airport, 11km to the south at Gaggal, has three Indian Airlines' flights a week to Delhi. The tourist office (Mon-Sat

Moving on from Manali in Himachal Peadesh

Manali is well connected by bus to other Himachali towns and major cities on the plains. HPSRTC run luxury, deluxe and ordinary buses, all of which can be booked at the bus stand. During the summer, demand invariably outstrips supply, particularly for the faster services, so book as far in advance as possible, and be prepared for regular and fruitless visits to ticket offices. The numerous travel agents dotted around town also sell tickets for private "deluxe" services to Delhi, Shimla and Dharamsala. Consider breaking your journey in Mandi (for Rewalsar) or using the Kangra valley railway to reach Dharamsala,

North and east of McLeod Ganj Eating in Himachal Pradesh

McLeod Ganj is one of those places where sitting, chatting and philosophic in restaurants is the favoured activity.Tibetan dishes such as thukpa and tna are prominent, along with Chinese egg noodles, chow inein and stir fry’s Frp h baked Tibetan bread and cakes are widely available, and you'll also come arm omelettes, chips, toast, veggie-burgers and plenty of Israeli dishes I Dharamsala, there's no shortage of snack stalls, but less choice of cuisine

Moving on from Delhi

Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.

McLeod Ganj Accommodation in Himachal Pradesh

Most visitors stay in the upper town McLeod Ganj. However if you have an early bus to catch, or arrive late, you might prefer to stay the night in Dharamsala, although options are fewer and the standards lower. Hotel accommodation tends to fill up during the Tibetan New Year (Feb/March). Those planning long-term stays often head to Bhagsu or Dharamkot, where you can rent rooms or huts on a self-catering basis. A handful of rooms in the Tibetan Library are available to students taking courses here, and for dedicated Buddhists, there's always the possibility of staying at a monastery or

Moving on from Chandigarh in Haryana and Punjab

Chandigarh's long-distance transport connections are summarized on p.665. The railway station, 8km from the centre, has direct services to Delhi, Amritsar and Jodhpur, Regular buses run to Delhi (248km), but the journey can be made in almost half the time by taking the superfast a/c Shatabdi Express trains (#2006 & #2012 departing at 6.50am & 12.20pm). Second-class tickets cost Rs435, four times the bus price, but the journey is far more comfortable and convenient. Other useful trains include the #4096 Himalayan Queen (dep 5.35pm, arr New Delhi 10.30pm), the daily #4535 Kalka-Amritsar Express (dep 4.58pm, are Amritsar 23.20pm) and the

Bhuri Singh Museum Practicalities in Himachal Pradesh

Buses arrive at the cramped bus stand in the north of town, overlooked by eral lodges, the best of which is the slightly shabby Chammida Vigu, (®01899/22478; Q-Q).Jimmy's Inn (©01899/24748; ©-©'). opposite the bus stand, has comfortable if small rooms and hot water by the bucket. Chamba best hotel is the HPTDC Hotel Iravati (01899/22671) on the northwest edge of the chmugcm, with comfortable carpeted en-suite rooms with bathtubs. Their cheaper annexe, Champak (01899/22774), has reasonable doubles and a dorm (Rs50). Other budget options include the less salubrious but passable Rishi (01899/24343), with some rooms overlooking the Lakshmi Narayan temples. The

Jawalamukhi in Himachal Pradesh

A simple whitewashed temple in the otherwise nondescript town of JAWALAMUKHI, 35km south of Kangra, protects one of north India's most important Hindu shrines. The sanctuary, crowned with a squat golden spire, contains a blue gas flame, revered as a manifestation of the goddess of fire, Jawalamukhi. Priests are eager to light emissions of gas in smaller chambers for expectant devotees, but only the main flame is kept alight continuously. A three-kilometre parikmma or circumambulation starts from the temple, climbing steeply up into the wooded hills and taking in several shrines on rhe way. Accommodation includes HPTDC'sJnuw/j/i Hotel (01970/22280), a

Listings of McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

Banks and exchange The State Bank of India in McLeod Ganj has ceased foreign exchange transactions. There's another branch in lower Dharamsala (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, Sat 10am-noon). The Bank of Baroda. in the lower town, issues money to Visa card holders, with one or two days' delay. There are several authorized private foreign exchange agencies in McLeod Ganj. Bookshops The Tibetan Bookshop and Information Office is a good place to browse for books on Tibetan Buddhism, as is the friendly and informative Charitable Trust Shop, both on Jogibara Road in the main bazaar. Bookworm, opposite the Tourist Office, South End, is small

Moving on from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

The toy train leaves Shimla for Kalka, where you can change onto the main broad-gauge line for Chandigarh and New Delhi. The 10.35am departure from Shimla will get you into Kalka just in time to catch the 4.50pm Himalayan Queen #4096, arriving in New Delhi just after 10pm. The other toy train services depart at 2.25pm, 5.30pm, and 5.45pm, arriving in Kalka at 8.15pm, 10.15pm, and 10.55pm respectively. Reservations for onward journeys from Kalka can be made at Shimla station (0177/252915; enquiries 131). Alternatively, you can catch a bus to Chandigarh and continue to Delhi by train from there. The main

Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj in Himachal Pradesh

Home to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government in exile, and starting point tor some exhilarating treks into the high Himalayas, DHARAMSALA. or more correctly, its upper town McLEOD GANJ, is one of Himachal's most irresistible destinations. Spread across wooded ridges, beneath the stark rock faces of the Dhauladhar Range, 150km east of Pathankot and 160km northwest of Mandi, the town is divided into two distinct and separate sectioW almost a thousand metres apart in altitude. Originally a British hill station, McLEOD GANJ has been transformed by the influx of Tibetan refugees fleeing Chinese oppression in their homeland. Monks and

Kangra in Himachal Pradesh

Although KANGRA is bypassed by most travellers on their way to Pharamsala, 18km further north, it's certainly worth a brief visit. Buses from all over the Kangra Valley and further afield pull into the bus stand lkm north i of the town centre, where there are frequent connections to Dharamsala. Kangra can also be reached from Pathankot by the daily Kangra Queen narrow-gauge railway service. Before the creation of Himachal Pradesh state, Kangra was capital of a district of the same name. For centuries, it fell prey to invasions by Sikhs and Muslims, before the British took control in 1847 and

Practicalities Haryana and Punjab

Pathankot can rustle up a few hotels, should you need to spend the night. The Tourist Hotel (0186/20660; 0-0)- on Railway Road, has reasonable rooms, while the Khalsa Hindu, also on Railway Road (0186/21093) features three nice roof-terrace rooms, though the downstairs rooms are a bit: dingy. The well-kept railway retiring rooms (0186/20046; Rs100, Rs 200 for air-con) are good value and the a/c rooms have sofas, carpets and private bathrooms with hot water. PTDC's Gulmohar Tourist Complex, Shimla Pahari, Mission Road (0186/20292), away from the hustle and bustle, has a wide choice of rooms, restaurant and bar, and pleasant

Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Himachal Pradesh

The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (01892/21478, 21033) was founded in 1959 to preserve the Tibetan identity jn exile. Around 120 people live on its campus in the forests above McLeod Gam overlooking Bhagsunath, including artists, teachers, musicians and administrators. The TIPA troupe perform traditional lhamo operas (see box opposite) and have played a morale-building role at Tibetan refugee camps throughout India, while also sharing Tibet's rich cultural heritage with international audiences. Information on upcoming events and tours can be sought at its office (Mon-Sat 9am-12 & lpm-5pm, closed 2nd & 4th Sat of month). Lhamo instructors from