Himachal Pradesh Trip Details
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Hotel Holiday Hill, McLeod Ganj: Stayed here for two nights in April 2022
- Pros:
- 1) 1) The staff is super helpful. They helped us with all our travel needs and were very knowledgeable. They helped book our Triund guide and transportation and local sightseeing.
- 2) The place is close to the main market and there are plenty of eating options close to the hotel.
- 3) The rooftop restaurant serves full all day (post 8 am) and the quality of food is quite good.
- 4) The tariff is reasonable.
- 5) The WIFI is free and the connectivity and speed was good.
- 6) The rooms and bathrooms were reasonably clean.
- 7) The view from the room and the roof top was excellent.
- Cons:
- 1) The rooms and lobby decor look old and tired.
- 2) There are no street/external noise. But the rooms have very poor sound proofing. If you have noisy neighbours, then your sleep with be disturbed.
- 3) The breakfast time is quite late. It does not start till past 8 am.
- Hotel Ashiana Regency, Chamba: We stayed here for two nights in April 2022.
- Pros:
- 1) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful.
- 2) The rooms and bathrooms were quite big.
- 3) The rooms and bathrooms were clean
- 4) The rooftop restaurant has great view/ambience. Quality of food was also good.
- 5) The room service is also good.
- 6) They have good and prompt (same day) laundry service.
- 7) The WIFI is free and connectivity and speed were good.
- 8) The tariff was reasonable.
- 9) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is good.
- Cons:
- 1) The location is not great. The place is not easy to find. It is up a narrow alley opposite to the petrol station, but the access is only possible in one direction. There are no signs for the hotel. The city centre is 20 min walk away. There are no shopping/eating places next to the hotel.
- 2) The interior passage of the hotel is dark and dingy. The exterior decor is good.
- The Grand Raj, Kangra: We stayed here for two nights in April 2022.
- Pros:
- 1) The front desk staff is kind and courteous. It is manned 24 hours.
- 2) This is the best hotel available in Kangra.
- 3) The front lobby/external decor, corridor the garden area are excellent.
- 4) The on-site restaurant ambience is great and the food quality is also good.
- 5) The location is great. There are plenty of eating/shopping options available within a short walk.
- 6) The tariff is reasonable.
- 7) The WIFI is free and connectivity and speed were good.
- 8) The room size was big.
- 9) They have good, same day, laundry service.
- 10) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is good.
- Cons:
- 1) The room interior decor is poor compared to the exterior looks of the hotel.
- 2) The bathrooms are small and layout is poor.
- Tourist Inn, Rewalsar: Stayed here for one night in April 2022.
- Pros:
- 1) This is the best hotel in Rewalsar. The town has very few staying option. If you have to stay overnight in Rewalsar, you have to stay at this hotel.
- 2) Location is great. It is a short walk to the lake and all the sights.
- 3) The staff is courteous and helpful.
- 4) The exterior decor of the hotel is great and there is plenty of space in front and in lobby area.
- 5) We stayed at the suite. The room was very spacious and clean. The view from the balcony was great.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is good.
- 7) The tariff is quite cheap.
- 8) The WIFI is free and connectivity and speed were good.
- Cons:
- 1) The bathroom layout was quite bad in the suite and the cleanliness is not great.
- 2) The quality of food at the restaurant was poor. But there aren't many great restaurants in town anyway.
- 3) The front desk staff seems a bit over-worked. They man both the restaurant and the front desk.
- The roads are typical Himalayan winding roads. In many places the roads are so narrow that you have to back half a kilometer to let the opposing vehicle pass. Driving is not recommended for inexperienced drivers. The distances and timings shown in Google Maps are quite accurate for driving between any two towns/cities.
- McLeod Ganj
- Bhagsu Falls: Should see. The falls are decent, but crowded. It is a 20 min walk to the falls from the parking. If the schedule is tight, you can miss it.
- St. John's in the Wilderness: Must See. The location is great. It is quite challenging building to photograph.
- Tibetan Government in Exile: Should See. The library has some decent artifacts in display on the first floor museum. The entire area is pleasant to walk around.
- Dal Lake: Should See. There is very little water during summer. But the surrounding scenery is nice.
- Naddi Point: Must see. Has great views of the Dhauladhar Range.
- Dalai Lama Temple: Should see. You are here mainly for the goosebumps. The temple itself is quite underwhelming Don't miss the Kalachakra temple which has some excellent mandalas.
- Triund trek: Must do. If you take the taxi to the trailhead (one where there is check point), it is a 6 hour (12 km) return hike. It is generally rated as easy. I would rate it as moderately tough. It is a steady climb throughout with a steep ascent in the last 30 minutes. The view on top is worth it. There are plenty of options for snacks (Maggi/Bread Omelet/Water/Drinks) along the way. Guide is not necessary. The path is very well marked.
- Tibetan Food: Must try. One of the places with authentic Tibetan food. Momos, Thenthuk and Thulpa are good choices for vegetarians.
- Dharamshala
- Karmapa Monastery: Must see. The setting is astonishing.
- Norbulingka Institute: Must see. Don't miss the Doll museum and the main temple.
- Cricket Stadium: Must see. You have to fight the crowd to take the classic picture.
- Kangra
- Kangra Fort: Must See. Exceptionally well maintained fort. The views are fabulous. Please go all the way to the top. It is worth it. You will need a couple ogf hours at the site. Don't miss the site museum.
- Sansar Chand Museum: Should See. Museum is not that great. But it offers the best view of the fort.
- Brajeshwari TempleShould see: Regular Hindu temple and a Shakti Peeth. It is not great architecture wise.
- Tashi Jong: Must See. This is 1.5 hrs east of Kangra. Very impressive monastery with great views.
- Baijnath: Must See. Quite close to the Tashi Jong Monastery. Small temple with some excellent carvings
- Masrur Temples: Must see. About an hour west of Kangra. Get here in the morning for the best lighting.
- Bathu ki Ladi Temples: Must See. About 2 hrs west of Kangra. Can be combined with Masur on a long day trip. The temples are accessible only for a few months between Feb and June. The exact dates depends on the previous year's rainfall. It is best to get here in late March. That is when there is enough water for the temples to be on an island and you get great reflection photos.
- Prashar Lake: Must See. Otherwise you will not be getting this far. If you want the classic picture of the entire lake you need to climb on top of one of the surrounding hills.
- Rewalsar Lake: You can walk upto the statue for the classic view of the lake. There are three monasteries worth visiting - Tso Pema (which is a bit far away), Drikung Kagyu, Zigar Drukpa Kargyud. There are a couple of Hindu temples by the lake and a Gurudwara. The afternoon are a good time to climb to the statue to photograph the lake. Mornings are a good time to take reflection snaps of the Rewalsar town.
- Chamba: Half a day should be sufficient here.
- Chowgan: Must See. Well, all you can do is to walk around it. Evening would be the best time for photography.
- Bhuri Singh MuseumShould See: Has some decent sculpture collection and miniature painting collection. 30 mins to an hour should be plenty.
- Laxmi Narayan TemplesMust see: For the birds eye view pictures head up the dilapidated shopping mall on the left side of the temples.
- Akhand Chandi PalaceCasual visitors are not allowed inside. This is a college now. But you can roam the grounds and take pictures. Don't ask for a palace and you will be sent on a wild goose chase. Don't follow Google Maps. Just look for the college next to the Laxmi Narayan Temples and head inside.
- Champavati Temple: Must See because it is historic and was built by the founder of Chamba. It is difficult to get to. The access is from the main road up a narrow alley.
- Chamunda Devi Temple: Must See. The temple offers the best views of Chamba. A bit difficult to locate
- Bharmour: Must See. You are here just for the Chaurasi Temple complex. It is a small complex with several temples. The main ones are Manimahesh, Narasinha, Dharmaraja, Lakshana Devi (the oldest surviving wooden temple in India)
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