Khajjiar

Khajjiar, with its green meadows and dense forests is often called mini-switzerland or Switzerland of India. This is one of the major destinations for people going to Dalhousie. But, given the beautiful surroundings, this makes for a good staying option for 2-3 days. HPTDC operates Hotel Devdar here and this makes for a good staying option here. There a multiple types of rooms offered by the hotel. But staying at the Khajji Cottage is an experience in itself. It is secluded, being situated at the far end of the meadows. There is a dedicated caretaker who stays in a small caretaker's bungalow behind the

Khajji cottage. Review of the hotel is available here. Khajjiar has lush green meadows surrounded by dense forest of devdar trees and a small lake in the center. There are number of activities that can be done here like horse riding, zorbing, etc.

The distance from Dalhousie to Khajjiar is around 25 Kms. and takes about 40 mins. Enroute to Khajjiar, there are 2 beautiful spots that can be covered.

Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary: The kalatop wild life sanctuary has a very thick and dense forest cover. Very little sunshine come through. Hence the name. 3km from the entrance to the sanctuary, there is a tourist bungalow. With a entrance fee of Rs.200/- we were able to take our vehicle up to this bungalow. It has a fabulous setting and has been the location for some of the Bollywood films. I regretted not having researched this option, as it would definitely have been quite an experience. The caretaker there, made some Maggi noodles for us, which in that setting, tested heavenly.

Dain Kund: This is another scenic detour that can be taken before reaching Khajjiar. The 6km route toward the top is breathtaking. Once you reach there, you need to do a trek of around 40 min to visit a local temple there. All in all, a must-do spot.

From Khajjiar, you can plan a half day trip to Chamba. Chamba is an ancient city and has a number of old temples. 

• The Bhuri Singh museum make for a good visit and has sections showcasing the ancient literature, coins, paintings, etc of the region. It also has a number of old photos of the city which make for interesting viewing. 
• The Laxmi Narayan Temple is the oldest and the largest temple in Chamba. 
• The Chamunda Devi temple, dedicated to goddess Kali is beautifully located and provides great views of the majestic mountains and the Ravi river flowing by.

More photos below

Dalhousie

Went to Dalhousie in the first week of May. This was the second stop on our journey - the first being Dharamshala. The road from Dharamshala to Dalhousie was covered in 3 1/2 hours. (around 140 kms). We stayed at the Manimahesh Hotel operated by HPTDC. A review of the hotel can be found here. Bookings for the hotel can be done online here.The hotel is situated very near to the taxi stand from where you can plan your local site-seeing. There is a tourist information center here as well.

A 2-3 hour taxi tour covers all the sight seeing points that Dalhousie has to offer like Panch Pula, Saat Dhara and Subhash Bowli.The real fun, I feel, is in walking around Dalhousie. The walk from Subhash Chowk to Gandhi Chowk offers some great views.

Shopping can be done at the Tibetan Market situated near Gandhi Chowk. One can shop for mementos, trinkets, bags, handicrafts, etc. The prices though looked to be on the higher side. People staying in Dalhousie, generally plan a trip Khajjiar. My suggestion is to plan a stay at Khajjiar. More on this in the next post.

Slightly longer tours from Dalhousie can cover the Chamera Lake which offers a variety of boating options, the Bhadrakali Temple which is one of the important local temples and the Rock Garden.