quizzicalmagicalhimachal

[quizzicalmagicalhimachal]

Quizzical – Magical – Himachal

Our parents and grand-parents might boast about how their honeymoon was romanticized by the chilly winds of Manali or Simla but frankly, now these cities are no less than a metro in terms of chaos. Gone are the days when from your hotel room in Manali one could clearly see the mesmerizing Himalays. It takes hours for the traffic to clear and enter the city square where you might be hounded by cab drivers charging over-prized rides to real short distances, icing on the cake would be open drains, plastic litter carelessly thrown...you get the drill yeah? Au contraire, when I chose to step away from these wannabe touristy places and travel to the lesser known latitudes in the Kullu and Kangra district I discovered the rarest of gems located here second to none. Thought once could accuse me of being partial to the other locales, I was personally mesmerized by these 6 Must-Spend-A-Night-Here places.

1) Kasol – A town so small that it does not even have a crossroads! Its a deli-fork serving a chill-pill. Infamous for the reasons known to all, this sleepy town will push you to do everything that you would otherwise fear to do in your city, talk to strangers, slouch in someone’s backyard, walk-into a hotel where you don’t intend to stay but just enjoy the view of gushing river and leave at your will. Don’t be surprised if a stoned server in a shady cafe playing metal music comes to you after an hour of ordering your drink and tells you that somebody in the kitchen had your drink. It stands cancelled! Just laugh your head up and the neighboring table will be kind enough to offer their drink and a freshly rolled bud of magic.

2) Pulga – At first it might seem too much of an effort to reach a small patch of land inhabited by few hundred people where no man-made mode of transport can take you. We figured that it was nature’s way telling us that I made this for me and you can’t bring your trivial wants here. For a mere 500 rupees a night we got a room which we would not have traded for a Royal Penthouse Suite. Snow-clad Himalays at our eye-level occasionally lined by clouds, A neighborhood of modest wooden houses and apple orchards. What more we could have asked for when all this comes with a roof-top restaurant with the I-max experience of a star-studded sky. And when we got served the dinner, the true Himachali Spirit of giving reflected in the sheer quantity of the platter and the size of smile of our new friend.

3) Kheerganga – An adventure sport in disguise. When you hear the melange of words “kheer” (rice pudding) and “Ganga” (Gangs river) one would probably picture it to be a quaint village sweet as kheer and pious as Ganga. Do not be decepted by this innocent sounding name. We came across this maze-like trail to reach the famous hot-water spring located atop a mountain. However, little did we know that the path chosen would be so tricky and lead us dangerous cuts and curves and wild dogs encounter in this 5 hour trek. Should the need arise, race against the time to reach your destination before sunset or else trekking in the dark Himalayan mountain forests with wild dogs lurking around and unclear paths would not be the kind of adrenaline rush you would want to. Cheap tents are available but a spoiler alert – Arachnophobes beware!

4) Malana – Owing to the myths and facts spread over years, Malana is famous for reasons so scripted that it has spread curiosity among travelers that I recommend its marketing strategy should be documented in top marketing reference books. A village no different from other rural spots of Himachal; about 70kms away from the city, you trek for an hour to reach the village, no vehicles only mules or legs take you up and so on. It seems that locals started spreading the rumors of this village being that of the descendants of Alexander, you can’t touch nor talk to them, the Maal (aka. stuff *wink wink*) being THE best in world most of which is just a hyperbole of the otherwise normal practices in almost every village in the foot of Himalays. Nevertheless, this lovely village will leave you spellbound with its sheer beauty and welcoming people and it’s a worth your day irrespective of your intention to carry some Magic back.

5) Dharamkot – A small neighborhood adjoining Mc.Loedganj is a perfect place to stay or dine or enjoy a quiet evening with friends or with your “tanhaai”. If like me, you are not a big fan of noisy and crowded town Mc.Loedganj is turning into, you may choose this hippie zone. A sumptuous meal in an off-beat cafe is what one would totally welcome after a trek from Triund. You might have burnt enough calories by walking in and around Mc.Loedganj even if trek is not on your list and you can totally surrender to a refreshing 3 course meal at this trippy restaurant called Trek-N-Dine. Ideally, my menu would include, a ginger-lemon-honey drink followed by a sinful pizza that would take you to Naples and end it with Hello to the Queen – a dessert without which every trip to the mountains stands incomplete.

6) Bir-Billing – Did you know that India hosts world-cup for games other than Cricket? Did you know Bir-Billing is an internationally acclaimed aero-sports district second only to Switzerland? ... Yes, our very own little hamlet of Bir-billing, is a place where world renowned aero-sports professionals come to practice and teach their sport like Para-gliding, para-sailing hand-gliding. Another place which deserves a mention is Col’s Resort. As the name suggests, a warmhearted, animal-loving, hat-wearing Col. owns and manages a resort with basic yet best possible amenities at a reasonable prize. What’s more that one could say hello to his horses and dogs and take a walk in his tea-estate. This one place deserves a night stay and a full day to explore a passionately  maintained resort property and a village ideal to take back souvenirs for your loved ones. I would recommend at least 1 day more for Tibetan culture enthusiasts as this place has 3 breath-taking monasteries ready to floor you as you walk through its doors.