All exhausted and sickened by the hustle bustle of the city life, me and family in April 2016 after a period of four years since 2012 decided to take a tour of a place that could fill in the lack of internal peace.
After much searching over the internet and deep discussion with our friends and family, we packed our bags to visit Narkanda, a small town located at an altitude of 2,760 meters in the mountainous region of Himachal Pradesh and it took us almost 8-9 hours to reach there from Delhi.
Being a family of travel lovers we prefer driving down to our destination, you, however, may choose to ride in a bus which is available from Delhi/Chandigarh and some other cities onwards costing approximately INR 900 individually. Additionally, you can travel to Shimla (Kalka Railway Station) and then take a toy train at a nominal cost which would charge you around 500 per person, provided you take the most basic form of tickets. I wouldn't recommend flights as they are expensive; roughly costing around 6000 per head also the airport is quite distant from the main town.
Please note that these rates are from Delhi onwards.
While most of the hotels/motels are located in the market area and in and around the bus stand, We chose to stay the Hathu Valley Homestay a peaceful place not very far from the market run by a very decent and welcoming couple- The Dogras with the help of two very genuine and considerate staff members and of course my favorite- Jojo, their furry, naughty and amiable spitz. I personally recommend you to choose to stay in the Quietus, such as the Tethys Ski Resort (Costing roughly 7,000 per couple for the standard room), Hotel Hathu (INR- 1,800 for the standard room category), Hotel Snowflake (priced approximately 1700 INR for a basic room) or the one where we stayed Hathu Valley Homestay (room charges-1800 for a suite and 1500 for other rooms), additionally if you're a camping lover Vanyakaksh in the right spot where you should be (charges around 2500 for a double bedded tent).
To our surprise, the place was freezing cold even during the month of April. With the then temperature being around 6/7-degree Celsius to 18/20-degree Celsius which remains the weather condition there during summers. Concerning the winters, the roads are usually blocked post-October, but if you're lucky enough you may get to experience the merriment of skiing in Narkanda valley.
Coming to the places that one can visit I'd suggest the
- Hathu Peak and Hathu Temple (leave early to avoid traffic, the road is not very broad)
- Narkanda Peak
- KoteshwarMahadev Temple
- Additionally, you may take a drive around the town to admire its scenic beauty and the apple orchards.
What makes me want to go back is the affection that people welcome us with, by large the people are friendly and take-in visitors with an open heart.
Although we mostly had the wholesome homemade food cooked by Mrs. Dogra, one may opt to eat at any restaurant/dhaba in the marketplace. Some options for you are Shyam Bhojanalaya, make sure to order their Pindi Chana and the New Himalayan Dhaba where I recommend you try their Tadka Dal, these two places serve quite decent food.
Despite the fact that it has been almost two years since my visit, this by far has been the most memorable trip because of the picturesque beauty, weather, and the people also, the best part is the availability of the police in the marketplace that helps avoid any traffic jams.
Despite the fact that it has been almost two years since my visit, this by far has been the most memorable trip because of the picturesque beauty, weather, and the people also, the best part is the availability of the police in the marketplace that helps avoid any traffic jams.
Lastly, I'd advise you to carry your inhalers if you suffer from breathing problems since that sort of became a hindrance to our stay, due to lack of oxygen levels at that altitude maybe.
Quick Facts
- How to reach – Frequent buses and trains from Delhi
- Nearest Major town – Shimla, about 63 km by road
- Nearest railway station – Kalka, 148.4 km
- Nearest Airport – Jubbarhatti, 155 km
- Places to stay – Hathu Valley Homestay
- Best time to visit –Summers and Early Monsoon
- Things to do – Breathtaking sightseeing, trekking, apple orchards, visiting ancient temples.
- Is it Child-Friendly - Yes
Contributed By- Vibha Gangal
https://www.facebook.com/rebelliouslaundia
well written Vibha (for a 1st Travelogue) , quite informative. Maybe with experience you would want to develop a more descriptive style of narrative that will make the reader visualize the place, rather than focusing more on the transactional details like hotels, travel etc. Good start I would say...
ReplyDeleteThank you Chachaji, will definitely keep it in mind! :D
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