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Shoja Reviews

Shoja cottage
Jun 27, 2008 04:23 PM 8948 Views

Shoja cottage have a superb view of the valley, rooms are very comfortable , well polished wooden flooring, nice coffee table book, good library of books, nice big rooms, food also is pretty good, it's a bit secluded, unless you are an avid trekker, not much to do all day, best for families with older kids, because they can come on all the treks , or come with a bunch of friends and play cards all day long.


Shoja cottage rooms are far superior to the retreat rooms, never mind the differnce in the rates. staff is also pretty helpful, they even come along for the treks if need be, be sure to also visit gushaini, tirthan valley about 45 mins drive, it's a beautiful place with a river flowing, good for those who like fishing, also try to stay in the other banjara hotels in sangla & tahnedar. sangla tents are nice, a different experience, though a bit uncomfortable for city dwellers, still it is a must do


Divine2021MouthShut Verified Member
New Delhi India
Kalpa - The Kinnaur Kailash Range
Oct 27, 2007 04:45 PM 10752 Views

The flight of imagination - Kalpa. After having our breakfast at HPTDC hotel at Narkanda, we walked of about 100 meters away to the bus stand.    The journey to Kalpa is via Rampur, Recong Peo and then Kalpa.  It reached about 6.30 p.m. The route along the Sutlez river was precariously beautiful.  There were a number of Hydro-Electric power stations being built thus making the road more rough. There were a number of water streams we saw coming down from the upper reaches.  The bus stopped for lunch at Jeori.  Jeori is the place from where the road to Sarahan about 17 kms. at a height of 2100 meters. The only problem we faced was that we could not get a decent hotel for lunch neither at Rampur where it stopped for quite a while nor at Jeori.  We managed with fruits and sweets. Another thing which we felt absence of was cleanliness. Perhaps cleanliness is not in our blood.  Unfortunately, we do not give it a priority and we are very casual about cleanliness.  I think our nation will really progress only when this cleanliness will be a part of our nature. It is not due to lack of resources but it is a poor mentality we are satisfied with. This must change.


The bus dropped us at Kalpa bus stand at 6.30 p.m..  We really did not know where the HPTDC Hotel was.  The conductor pointed his finger up in the hill which will be, I presume, about 200 meters above the road.  We were already tired by the whole day’s journey and now we had to carry our rucksack up there.


However we trekked upward and finally reached our Hotel.  It was so tiring. After reaching our destination when we looked at the mountain range of Kinnaur-Kailash, all our exhaustion evaporated and instead a feeling of exhilaration ran through our body.  It was such an excellent view and the cool breeze took away all our feeling of dissatisfaction. We sat unmoved looking at the gigantic mountain range. The hotel ‘Kinnaur-Kailash’ where we had our booking is also an excellent structure built keeping in view the tribal architecture of the place. As soon as we were allotted a room with three beds having a row of windows through which we could see the mountains, we felt as if we were transported to a heavenly abode.  Although it was getting dark slowly, still we could clearly see the natures’ splendor around.  The moment I opened the windows, the cool breeze flooded the room with chill air. I felt our coming all the way from Delhi to this remote corner of Himachal has not been in vain. With a cup of tea from the hotel and some biscuits which we carried with us, the evening was perfect.  After some time, the sky became cloudy and it covered the mountains for a while. When the clouds moved away, the moon became visible bringing with it a mystical touch of night. The stars glowed from the far away horizon making our place like an island away from human habitation.


Our hotel ‘Kinnaur Kailash’ is beyond comparison.  The location, the architecture, the rooms with wonderful view, the Restaurant is more than a five star hotel because the view you get from the restaurant, and the rooms,  I think a very few places in the world can offer that.  We could not stay out for more than half an hour as the cold breeze slowly turned into strong wind while the moon continued gliding through the clouds.  After having our dinner we had to go back to our room to protect ourselves from the strong chill wind. In the room we switched off the lights as the moonlight flooded the room with its romantic silvery light.  We could still see the Kinnaur-Kailash range through the glass window as if you were watching it in a dream state.


Next day (June 26, 2007) we planned to take a walk up to the suicide point, deepest and steepest incline in the world from where one can see down below the Sutlez river flowing like a fine thread. After finishing our breakfast we headed towards that point.  On the way we came across a big Dewdar tree. Its trunk is so big that even 6 people would find it difficult to hold it with stretched hands.  I surmised its age would be around 1000 years. Next to this tree we saw another small hotel - by name ‘Golden Apple’.  This hotel attracted me with its cozy corner and it had a telescope so it was written.  So we went in to sit there for a while. The green lawn with a few chairs was enough for us to enjoy the cool breeze and the ‘Kinnaur Kailash’ range in front.


After about half an hour we continued with our walk up to the suicide point.  Yes, the deep gorge below is mind boggling. We could see the road below along with the Sutlez river.  One interesting phenomena which we watched was that a strong wind possibly more than 100 kms. per hour was rushing from below to the mountains above with deafening sound.  Strangely enough it was covering only 2 meters stretch and beyond that point there was no ferocity of wind.  My daughter said it could be trade winds - travelling from high pressure area to low pressure area. We also met there some road maintenance worker, mostly aged ladies.  They said that the wind has been blowing all the time. We found them to be happy and satisfied in life. Krishna clicked her camera to freeze their picture with myself and Shivani.  We promised to send them the copy of the picture.  We have yet to do that.  On the way back & forth we could see the Apple Orchards.  All the apple trees are laden with small apples and we were told that these apples would ripe around August and are exported. In Delhi too we see these apples but are very costly for our budget.


After lunch, we retired to our room and to have some rest. Only one irritating factor that bothered us was ‘flies’. They are not one or two, they are in hundreds. They get into your room, in the dinning hall.  They are everywhere. In fact we have invaded their land and we are intruders but now they have become unwanted, the original inhabitants of the land! Around 4.30 p.m. we asked for tea.  We also observed that a new family occupied one of the cottages on the ground floor and we were on the first floor.  The newcomer was looking for a band aid. I told my daughter to give him one from our stock.  How thus our conversation started.  .


Kalpa is a place where you could view the Kinnaur-Kailash range from any point. That evening the mountain range took a golden hue. It was marvelous. Slowly the twilight turned into darkness and the moon already present in the sky became brighter. The landscape of Kalpa is dominated by the Kinnaur-Kailash range.  This domination is so overwhelming that nothing else really matters as if only Kinnaur-Kailash exists. Breathing deep into fragrant air and delighting the eyes with beauty of that area, we slowly turned back our steps towards our hotel in that moonlit night.


The bus station of Recong Peo is a picturesque one, very quiet, clean and you have the impressive view of the Kinnaur-Kailash range.


From Recong Peo we left for Sarahan.


SHOJA - Nice place but we have better options
Sep 10, 2006 05:30 PM 13403 Views

INTRODUCTION: Shoja is a beautiful village situated in the relatively lesser explored regions of Himachal Pradesh. Its very green and the plus is that it is away from all the traffic that lines up the popular hill stations. I would recommend it more if there were better options to stay but there are equally good if not better places which are closer to Delhi. But don't be disappointed as this place has its own charm. Please read through the lines to get a better picture.


LOCATION/ HOW TO REACH: Shoja is located about 500 kms from Delhi. The place is on the periphery of the Great Himlayan National Park and is 5 kms from Jalori Pass which forms the boundary between Shimla Hills and Kullu Hills. There are two routes to reach Shoja - 1st is from Delhi - Chandigarh - Ropar - Bilaspur - Mandi - Aut - Banjar - Shoja. The 2nd route which is shorter but is more prone to disturbances due to landslides etc. is from Delhi - Panchkula - Shimla - Narkanda - Saini - Ani - Jalori Pass - Shoja. I would recommend the 1st one as its more reliable and the roads till Aut are very good and after Aut, they are very beautiful. Frum Aut to Banjar is about 28 kms where you follow the energetic Tirthan river. After Banjar, its an uphill drive among thick forest passing enroute through Jibhi village. However due to adverse weather conditions at this height, this road is not very well maintained. Total time taken is about 12-13 hours. From Aut it is about 2 hours and from Mandi is about 3 hours.


THINGS TO DO: The place is an idyllic retreat and is best to sit down and relax and watch the lush green forests. Its not a great place for children say 1-3 years old as there is very little flat ground to play and hence they can't move out of the retreat. Other options are jungle walks, visit to the Jalori Pass from where you can take 2 walks - one to the Serolsar Lake is longer but less strenuous and the one to Raghupur Fort which though shorter is very difficult. There are picture book chai shops and a small temple at the Jalori Pass. Other better or rather must do option is to visit Gushaini village at the banks on the Tirthan river which is about 1 hour drive from Shoja. Its good to visit in June when the IRIS flowers are in full bloom and the whole valley turns blue.


PLACES TO STAY: We stayed at the Banjara Retreat in Shoja. This place is much hyped by the Banjara people and we went expecting a lot but we were disappointed to be there due to the following reasons - 1) A house with steel roof has come up in front of the retreat which virtually destroys the splendid views in front of the resort. 2) The retreat is about 200 meter downhill walk from the road which is steep and is difficult to climb up esp. for elderly ppl. or for ppl with small kids. 3) There is no flat ground for kids to play and your life is constricted to a 6 ft wide alley/ balcony where you can sit/ dine/ play board games. 4) Its situated in the village only and hence does not offer proper seclusion for people who want complete peace in natural surroundings. However the quality of food and service was good.


The second option is the PWD rest house which has an excellent location and well maintained lawns. Only if it had some better facilities like good food and entertainment, it would have been one of the best places to stay.


BOTTOMLINE :The better option to visit this area would be to stay at Gushaini at Raju's cottage or at the Himalayan Trout House - both at the bank f Tirthan river and visit this place for one day. Then there are equally good if not better places to visit which are within 10 hours drive from Delhi like Binsar/ Mukteshwar in Uttaranchal, Rohanda/ Karsog in Himachal etc. and many more which offer isolation, green hills with forests and splendid views.


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mumbai india
Kinnaur, a touch away from heaven
Jun 14, 2006 03:28 PM 8517 Views

I am a die hard beach fan, my holidays constituted lounging bonelessly by in a beach shack & sipping on various alcoholic concoctions, letting the day drift by. So, when I was told by a friend of mine to join her & her family for a trip to the Kalpa and Sangla Valley in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, I was totally circumspect about the idea. Mountains???? Et moi??? I would probably get bored to death within the first few days, & here we were planning a 12 day sojourn!


My wife however had enough of the beach & firmly put her pretty foot down to acquiesce for the trip. So the Himachal it was, from the 6th of May till the 18th of May


The first leg of the journey was from Mumbai to Delhi, on the red eye Air India flight. Landed in Delhi groggy, half asleep & squarely cursing the intolerable heat(considering it WAS mid may!). We had, of course, packed a whole load of warm clothes as per advice, & I was smirking after being exposed to a chilling 42 deg celsius in Delhi. Onward to Chandigarh by road, & the weather just got better & better, with the mercury spiralling & load shedding adding to our comfort.


Next day we took the HPTDC "Luxury !" bus to Reckong Peo(at 6 am from the Chandigarh Bus stand). 270 Kms was scheduled to take 14 hrs, and I quailed at the thought.


The moment we started the drive, & after we crossed the grimy & touristy city of Shimla, I started to fall in love with the vista & magic of the mountains. Narkenda, Rampur, and from Rampur onwards the bus started on a hair raising, vertiginous drive up to the Kinnaur valley. Roads are virtually non existent, & the faint hearted shouldnt look down the precipice, but the sheer majesty of the mountains!!! The moment we started on the climb, temperatures started plunging, as did the valley's! Sheepishly, I was forced to pull on my jacket. The sheer beauty of the snow clad peaks, & the rushing Baspa river ,made our tiredness of being rattled in the bus for 12 hours, drop away like a cloak. We landed at the termination of our journey at a quaint(if slightly commercial) town called Reckong Peo.


Onwards from Reckong to Kalpa in a Sumo, with the driver closely challenging Schumacher's driving expertise,but by such time, we were hardened to the devil may care attitude of these drivers.


We parked ourselves at the Circuit House in Kalpa, very basic acomodation, but very hospitable & warm people. The dawn of the next day saw the mountains of the Kinner Kailash range coming abalze with the golden sheen of the rising sun. Nothing, no words or expressions, can ever describe the sheer awe inspiring beauty of the snow clad peaks at first morning light .One is just dumb struck ath the majesty of nature,& it just shows how small & inconsequential we are in the face of nature's glory!


We trekked to the last village on the old Hindustan Tibet road, called Rogi. A straight walk of 6 Kms each way, and it was a total breeze, literally speaking too, since there was a gale force wind accosting us all through the walk. Rogi was a true revelation, a sleepy little hamlet, with a population of 500(yes, there are villages in India with such populations). We truly felt we were at the ends of the world,with a bunch of friendly, curious kids to give us company. Truly a village unspoilt by the ravages of tourism, no stray Lays packets, Frooti tetrapacks or empty cola bottles ruining the landscape. Heaven personified!!


4 days in Kalpa whizzed by, from whereon we proceeded to the Switzerland of the East, the Sangla Valley, which was approximately 45 Kms of mountainous terrain road from Kalpa. I wonder when it was the last time when a drive of 45 Kms took me 4 hours. Sangla was a picture postcard. Towering mountain ranges with densely forested valleys nestled in between. The only eye sore was the huge Dam on the Baspa river, which has totally ruined the delicate ecosystem of the valley beyond the dam point. The character of the river before the dam and after the dam is like comparing the Ganges at gomukh to the Mithi river. Beyond the basic circuit house accomodation at Sangla, one can also stay at the Kinnaur camps for a rough & ready experience, or the Banjara Camps, if you want a taste of urban comforts in the wilderness. The Banjara camps, although very well appointed, was not really our cup of tea, as it had too much of an urban feel. We essentialy wanted to be away from it all. Onwards from Sangla, we drove all the way to Raksham(population 735, jesus!!!), and had the most heartening meal I can think of in a long time. Basic food, but the taste , mamma mia!!!!!


The last outpost on the indo-tibet border was another lovely lay by village called Chitkul. Met a man there who was visitng back home, after completing his BA(Hons) from Shriram college in Delhi. Very warm hospitable people & family. It's indeed like a breath of fresh air to meet people unspoilt by the commercial ravages of the materialistic world. We had to meet more content & happy people than the Kinnauri's.


We actually crossed the Baspa which was in spate due to the glacier melting, on a primitive pulley & rope trolley, propelled purely by muscle power. Drank water straight from the streams,& ironically, filled bottles of "Himalaya Mineral Water" from the same streams.


An etheral holiday to say the least, far removed from the usual hustle and bustle of the hill stations during summer time. One note for the traveller to this region, expect no creature comforts, or have high expectations of the fare you get to eat. If you are a nature lover & want to see India's pristine & unspoilt beauty, this is the place for you to visit. Apart from the local produce, shopping is not a major attraction, but then thats hardly the reason to visit this shangri-la. Go to Kinnaur, forget all urban attachments, be a thoughtful & considerate tourist, & please dont sully the surroundings. The sheer beauty of the place will enthrall you forever. Goa after this trip, Ha!! I am a true blue mountain convert, the ironical part being that if this review wins, then I get a free trip to Goa!! HAHA, will switch that for Kinnaur anyday!


It rains purple n blue in Shoja
Jun 12, 2006 04:05 PM 7234 Views

Going to Himachal in June will bring on heaps of warnings ... but it's as safe as Delhi in Rain, provided you avoid the cloudbursts zone and come back before the torrestial rains of July... So here's to Rain in Himachal.


"SHOJA" in pure Bangla means straight. When I first heard of Shoja, I laughed and quizzed my friend, "That means the route is straight?" Well, any hilly road that doesn't land you in a ditch is straight.... as long as it takes you straight to your destination.


I would suggest Shoja to only those people who take a holiday for leisure, and not go to Hills for the "Mall walks" and "video parlours" and great second generation Indo(euro)pean cuisine.


Shoja is a quaint name of a wayside hamlet, which attracts very few tourists throughout the year. Which makes it all the more attractive, since it still retains it's pristine "Hill Station" quality of solitude among the ascetic peaks and the proud verdant pines. It is so forgotten a place that actually I yielded only two good results in the google search... so I thought I must write a bit about it.


Shoja is tucked in the hillside after ANI and before Jalori. Of late it has become famous for its camp, run by the Banjara group. Most people don't know about a unique feature of Shoja. Come June and this amazing stretch of hills between Jalori (10,000 ft) and ANI turns visibly blue.


Every June these hills turn on a purple-ish blue attire which is so mesmerizing that you would pray each day that your holiday shouldn't end. Thousands of acres of the grassland in the emerald cedar forest suddenly becomes a picture postcard, as the tiny BLUE IRIS blooms for miles and miles across as far as you can see.


Many websites and blogs will tell you that these are wild flowers. But to actually be there among the flowers at every step and see miles and miles of blue, leaves you wilder than the tame plants rooted to earth. The pretty flower has a way with people. Forget about the fairer gender's bias to everything floral, I have seen grown-up men loosing their way into the Iris fields, just to get a better shot. In the process they finished a couple of rolls of film on only various angles of the flower.


VAIN flower you might say... well I have to agree. It's hard to keep your hand off from them. Either you shoot them or pluck them or decorate your buttonhole or ponytail or room, they just look pretty wherever they are.


There are two ways to reach Shoja


One -- you can cross over the Jalori pass from the Simla valley to the Kullu valley and on your way down to Aut you will encounter Shoja.


Two -- there is a "Shoja" way... that is you drive up from Chandigarh up to Aut (on the road to Kullu). The road on the right goes to Goshaini and Bathad, the last pit stops for an entry to the Great Himalayan National Park. Will tell you more about that later... the road on the left takes you to Jalori pass.


There are buses every half an hour to take you there. Alternatively you can take you own car or SUV. Mind you, the road is STEEP and is full of hairpin bends. There are points where the road suddenly looks like it is vanishing into the clouds.


June is wet season… so requires careful driving and mind the trees.


When I say, "you will encounter Shoja" I actually mean it. There is no other way to describe the feeling. Getting into Shoja is almost as accidental as getting into Mathura. Apart from the smells and your instinct, there is no big road sign or big bus stop to tell you, you have arrived. But if you happen to be there NOW that is in June... the signature blue will start welcoming you from miles ahead. Little tufts and nooks and meandering brooks, everything reflects their colour. And you can't miss it for miles... unless of course if you are colour blind.


Also the trees will start getting taller and greener as you go higher and closer to you destination. The clouds will get more approachable.


Accommodation and food --


Apart from the Banjara camps there is a PWD house, which requires early booking. Those self-sufficient, could try camping around the villages and eat at the local dhabas.... you will get basic, Dal chawal or roti sabzi. A little adventure may get you a kukkar or murga.


In June rains nothing can beat the smoky roadside taverns….They dish out scrumptious pakoras in a jiffy and its quiet an experience to huddle near the chulha and share folklore with shepherds and villagers over hot tea and more pakoras.


You could try your luck with the locals if they would let you spend the night in the nearby village. There are plenty of small shacks and wood homes that would be glad to offer a room for money. A couple of days stay is must to actually do some good for your body and soul.


What to buy in SHOJA --


Fruits and Garlic, (don't go together though). Most fruits of the season are available here so you can directly buy it from the farmers. By June the cherries are gone… but you will get plenty of pears (Nashpati), Peaches and Khubani. Don’t try the half ripe plums (alu bukhara) they can be really sour.


The Garlic here is the best. Maybe the size won’t be that good but the smell is awesome. I lived around that area for a long time & saw them farming garlic, and the air was always heady with the smell. Oooh! When I got back home with a sack full of garlic @15 rupee a kilo, I had all my friends queuing up for a handful.


Things that you can do around Shoja –


Take long walks ---- walk into the woods... to discover your own little waterfalls and fairytale huts…. There is actually a tiny little brook, which connects to the Tirthan. It has a little curved yellow wooden bridge over it and a daisy field and a pumpkin patch next to it.


Interact with villagers and learn to weave or learn the unique technique of farming apple on pear. Pears grow on slopes and plums grown on flats…. Do not pluck anything without permission of the owner, which of course you will get gladly, cause the people here are friendly and absolutely guileless like kids.


Just lie down around anywhere among the Iris fields and rediscover privacy…. A friend of mine and I actually couldn’t stop running around the aisles between the fields with out duppatas flying over our head and singing ditties from “yash chopra” movies.


Soak up the sun and silence. Set up camp near the brook and read a book with your own picnic basket of fresh fruits. The only sound would be the cicadas and a few Brahmani Kites hovering above.


That reminds me, Shoja is great for Birding. Take your copy of “Salim Ali’s -- Book of Indian birds”, a pair of binoculars and start your journey into an amazing treasure trove of bird.


If you are a fishing enthusiast then you can try fishing for trout... but you need proper gear, guideance and licence to fish which you can procure from Larji. Don't be conned by people who try to sell you bony carps as Trouts. Trouts have a single central spine bone and is very delicate almost butterly soft and deliciously smooth on the palate.


I suggest Shoja to those who want to relive their first honeymoons and really are not coochy poochy lovey dovey any more but long to just hold hands and talk into the sunset. What best could be the setting but a field of flowers, whispering rain and clouds which need no password to intrude into your privacy.


UNWIND VERY SLOW is my advice when you visit Shoja.


Mumbai India
Trip log - vaishnodevi - dalhousie - dharamsala
May 26, 2005 10:43 AM 6235 Views

Hey Folks,


Me back after completeing a honeymoon stretch to Vaishnodevi, Dalhousie and Dharamsala. Thanks to all o fyou who helped (Simla esp).


Heres an updtated info log incase someone might find it useful.


Reached Jammu on time by Swaraj Express from Bombay. Came out of the station and it was like any other indian town/city. There was a prepaid taxi booth where depending on the cab you took, the charges were levied. The minimum was about 700 bucks for a maruti van -one way. For a next day return it was a couple of hundred bucks cheaper. there is no bus stand outisde jammu station so please dont even think of taking a bus to katra. I looked around and spotted 2 couples who found the fare too steep so I asked if my wife and me could join them. And then we were off in a sumo (800 bucks divided by 6)...worked fine with us....then on the jammu sringara highway (NH 1), the guy stopped at a roadsided dhaba for some excellent paneer pakoras. Saw a lot of monkeys on the way and finally reached katra after an hour and a half. Drove straight to the registration counter and bought 2 tickets (free ofcourse). had to be used within 6 hours and it was only 18 30 hours...since we would hardly be staying at any hotel, decided to go in for a cheap option...next to hotel sahil just before the bus stand...there ar e a lot of small hotels/lodges...got a room for just 200 bucks, refreshed and by 9 30 we were walking towards banganga after dinner...there is a nice restaurant outisde hotel sahil ..good food....took a rick for 20 bucks to banganga....crossed over and began the walk....good arrangements if you compare any temples in south india (and this was my first visit to the north) except that the horses and the horse dung was a BIG NUSICANCE......the kilometer signages along the way need to be re done..its surely more than 12 kms cos it always seems that its near yet so far....finsihed darshan withing 15 minutes and started the walk down at 5 am....took us 4.5 hours wtih a 45 minutes break to climb up. a word of caution...never never take the stairs up....they are big and difficult and within 5 minutes you start panting (MY WIFE STILL WOULD BE CURSING ME for taking one of them along the route).


stopped on the way back at cafe day for some frappe....an dthen made it back to the hotel with great difficulty...the heat will kill you in this weather...only climb up at night !!


next tried getting a bus to pathankot to reach dalhousie...the guy at my hotel was honest in saying the 2 buses he had only had the last seats which we didnt want...i went to another travel agent an dthis guy offered me 27 and 28 and said it wa s a 40 seater bus..we were happy but after 45 minutes of waitin gat the bus stand for the bus, when it finally came, it wa sa 35 seater....so we were almost in the last seats !!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.....after 4 hours of driving, by 6 30 we were dropped off at pathankot on the main road itself where a lala type offered us taxi service to dalhousie at 1100 bucks !!!! I told him that it was to omuch ...again luckily we were met iwtih another couple who decided to share the cab....5 minutes 5 minutes only turned to 45 minutes wehre the tata indica finally arrived and then we all piled in...the route to dalhousie was excellent and it was almost past sunset....i was next to the driver and being a driver myslef, was shitting in my pants as the guy took blind curves on 50 plus speed...whoaaaaaaaaaaa......one stretch of about 12 kms on the hills has been SCREWED UP BY THE government on the pretext of repairing it.....someone should note this or give me details of HP Govt....reached dalhouse by 10...checked in at kumars hotel next to the busstand....1000 bucks plus 10 % taxes .......ordered beer to be told that its a hill area and a bottle of beer costs 80 bucks !!!!!!! daylight robbery !!!


walked around next afternoon and reached subash chowk just 10 minutes from bus stand..took pictures and ate at a restaurant called preet which was cheap and clean and good food....then walked up to gandhi chowk....thats a bit above subhash chowk....another 20 minutes......sat there and watched kids from school etc..returned to the room to have antoher beer and slept off....next day we went to prince tours and travels just opposite the bus stand....they organise same day bus tours to khajjar and chamba....150 bucks per person....good deal as compared to 1000 bucks for a taxi !!...also booked 2 tickets to dharamsala by a 7 am bus.....took the tour to khajjar and chamba.....very very narrow and steep roads and its a wonder how these guys drive so confidnelyty and fast..my heart was always in my mouth 1!! khaajjar is nothing great to talk about...a dirty lake in the middle of a big park....visitied the musieum and temple at chamba......got down at the river beas....in ice cold water...my feet were like frozen !!!! excellent climate in dalhousie...there was a cultural program at subhash chowk which is to be held every weekend now...had fun there !!!!


were sad to leave the place and took the dirty bus to dharamsala...DISAPPOINTED.....bad climate and an even bad place...nothing in dharamsala at all ...totally comercialised.....lots of shops and people around...though you can see the snow topped mountains on the backgreound...biggest mistake....resreving at kashmir house hptdc......looks like a ramsay movie haunted house..no phones in the rooms, rooms are like a congested house boat...curtains everywhere!!!!no bar...and the restaurant has 2 tables !!!! can u beat that ?? went to dauladhar...5 mintutes away...wow !! looked like a hotel, decent staff and had a bar too.....chilled out there ! and though to fmoving in from kashmir house to dauladhar....WORD OF ADVICE....PLS NEVER STAY AT KASHMIR HOUSE.......GO FOR YATRI NIVAS WHICH IS FAR OFF...OR THE BEST IS DAULADHAR.......took a cab ride 3 hours for 375 bucks to mcleodgang...went to the tibetan temple, church, an anicnet temple...walked upto the waterfall, naddi..which is the highest point and a dirty lake !!! dal lake I think its called...was happy to leave dharamsala in 2 days taking a bus to chakkibank/opathankot for my train to lucknow.....its crazy...from dauladhar hotel to the bust stand whihc is 5 mninutes by walk, the taxi fare is 50 bucks !!!!! robbery daylight !!!!!!!!!!!!


and heres the biggest sensation...according to the indian railways website, my ticket was booked for 5098 amranath express from chakkibank to lucknow...as poer the website, the train departs only on wednesdays from jammu...but my ticket showed as 25/05 : hours...luckily my wife saw the ticket and realised it was for tuesday midnight and not wednesday midnight.....i kept arguing that the train was only on a wednesday and it wasnt possible so we called up all the people we knew but all confirmed it was for tyuesday midnight...gave up one days room rent at the hotel and came to chakkibank where our names were on the reservation chart...i demand an explanatyino fron indian railways for this !!!! be carefl next time your ticket is booked on a train after midnight !!


anyway good trip overall with no major freaks.....sorry to bore you al lbut thought would share with you omy experience !!


cheers


vij


9821449747Hey Folks,


Me back after completeing a honeymoon stretch to Vaishnodevi, Dalhousie and Dharamsala. Thanks to all o fyou who helped (Simla esp).


Noida India
Shoja - so near, yet so far
Jun 30, 2004 05:18 PM 4892 Views

It was the beginning of June already and I had not made my yearly trip to the Himalayas as yet. Not because of the usual reasons (I am so busy, I don’t have any leaves left etc), but the simple fact that I was not able to zero-in on the destination. Wife was already getting restless. Simla, Masoorie, Nainital, Chail….. I had had enough of them and was generally sick of the summer crowd in these ‘famous’ and once-beautiful places. I went around hunting for information, talked to friends, surfed the net.. and finally decided on a place I thought would be just perfect for someone like me. Not too far off (Leh/Ladakh where you need two full days to ‘get used to’ the highs!). Not crowded and popular (Simla/Nainital, where the Mall Roads make you feel you are in Chandni Chowk). The place was a small village in Himachal Pradesh called Shoja. Thus began the journey. It was fairly simple. There are two routes to reach Shoja. We took the Chandigarh, Mandi, Aut route. The other one is through the Chandigarh, Shimla route. On the highway that leads to Kullu/ Manali, there is small hamlet called Aut. You take a left turn there and begin your drive through the hills to reach the destination we talk about. The turn is so small, it’s very easy to over-shoot.


The most amazing journey starts after Aut. If you are driving your own vehicle, a night halt at Aut will do a world of good. There are two or three small places in Aut where you can stay. Most people should find them reasonably ok. Hygiene freaks, please enter at your own risk! What starts after Aut is one of the most beautiful journeys you will ever undertake. Most of the time, you drive along the Tirthan river which eventually meets the Beas. Tirthan is great for trout fishing. Ideally this drive after Aut should be taken early in the morning when you have a lot of time to stop by wherever you feel like. The road to Aut is mostly uphill. You drive across breath taking landscapes, lush Pine forests and pear orchards. Make sure you do not cover the journey from Aut to Shoja in anything less than 4 hours. Do stop en route to taste fresh pears straight from the tree, smell the fresh air, hunt around for rare fauna, do some bird-watching, and simply laze around by the Tirthan. Finally we reach the destination. Shoja is tiny village with less than 50 families living there. We stayed at a beautiful place called Banjara resorts, a wooden building tucked away in the quiet village. There is one Government Guest house too, at a short walk from the village. Shoja is a picture postcard village with apple groves, long wooded walks, and amazingly simple and nice people. Completely unaware of all the tourist-conning techniques. The village is on the mountain edge, overlooking the valley. There is not much to “do” at Shoja. That makes is a perfect setting for a idyllic holiday, far from the madding crowd. However, taking few of the magnificent walks around Shoja is an absolute must. A short distance from Shoja (5 KMs) is Jalori Pass. You can either drive or walk to Jalori Pass. From Jalori Pass, you make short walks (5-6 KMs) on each direction to reach a beautiful lake and a fort. In short, this place sure rejuvenate your oh-so-tired-in-the-city souls and lungs. A word of caution however, is to try and avoid going there with a kid. Well, I did. My 2 year old daughter gave me a hard time, as there are no ‘flat areas’, pastures etc. where you can let the kid run around. It’s mainly highs and lows with thousands of pines and orchids in between. Perfect place for peace loving couples and oldies.


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