Peace and Fresh Air of Picturesque Mountains. Review on Dalhousie

Dalhousie is a beautiful virgin place to visit, full of lush green pine trees. It doesn't possess lots of spots but the charm of cool air greenery, lofty paths make it an ideal destination. Some 8 hours journey by car from Chandigarh via Pathankot, it is a place where not many people visit. Pathankot can also be reached by train from where rest of the journey has to be carried out by road. It’s a place that isn't expensive to visit with hotels available at reasonable rates. Peak season to visit is summers though I like visiting himalayas in winters with 30-40% discounts in hotels and snowfalls to enjoy.

I visited Dalhousie in March when I got a discount of 30% in Himachal Tourism Hotel situated a bit away from the main Dalhousie (15 minutes of walking distance). A good small market for window-shopping in the evening hours, it’s a very good destination for honeymooning. Panchpula (5 streams) is a beautiful place where Rock Garden is there for enjoying. It can be very enjoyable in sunshine as the water is very cool. By the name of Rock Garden and if anybody has seen the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, I must tell it is quite different. It just consists of big rocks in a stream of cold water where the scenery and companionship of your spouse can be enjoyed.

Some 45 kms away is a place called Khajjiar, which is a beautiful valley, a garden with a small pond in the centre and surrounded by horse track, which is again surrounded by pinewoods. It’s a place that can be visited from Dalhousie (45 kms) and Chamba (45 kms). A must visit place, its a picnic spot where people come in the morning and go back in the evening. There is a Himachal Tourism Hotel here also where I got 34% discount in march. No cable television or phone service is available after dark. Only one phone booth is available in daytime that is very expensive as it is connected to nearest exchange through wireless connectivity.

Generally in winters, the road from Dalhousie to Khajjiar is blocked by snow. In such situation, Khajjiar can be reached by first going to Chamba (45 kms from Dalhousie) and then to Khajjiar. Chamba is also a beautiful place - a valley alongside river and has lots of old temples. A good and big marketplace where you can get Chamba shawls though I preferred to buy them from Handicraft Factory in Chamba.

We reached Dalhousie in the evening, checked in the hotel, stayed there for 2 days and 1 night more (2 days and 2 nights in total), went to Chamba, spent the day there, went to Khajjiar in the evening, stayed there at night, enjoyed next day, left for home in the evening.