Top 10 Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India

It's fashion of sharing 'Top 10/15/20' things on web and we also thought of sharing something like this from our area of interest, which is Travel. Since Himachal is most explored region by Travellingcamera, here is something we would like to share with our viewers and followers. It's one of the most difficult task to entitle few of the hill stations as most popular while there are so many interesting places in Himachal from different point of view. Here we have tried to list options which would be suitable for different kinds of travellers and tourists. We have tried to share appropriate details about each destination and what kind of travellers would like to be there.
During one of my recent visits to Shimla, schedule was really busy and I also wanted to visit Viceregal Lodge. Usually I go to Viceregal Lodge via HPU route or walk down from Mall Road. This time the route changed and first time I climbed from Boileuganj...Here is first view we get after climbing a hill from boileuganj.I have stayed in Shimla for 3 years approximately but never went through this route, although it's quite easy and quick one to reach Viceregal Lodge. Buses for Boileuganj are very easily available from bus stand and Himachal Pradesh University. And then it's a 15 minutes climb which is not very steep.It starts from the chowk where roads from Tutoo, Summerhill, Bus-Stand and University meet. And lagoors will be there to welcome you. It's not very special because they can be found anywhere in Shimla to welcome you :)During the climb, HPTDC (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp.) Hotel 'Peter Hoff' can be seen just below the TV tower of Shimla. Peter Hoff is one of the good hotels in Shimla and it's situated next to Viceregal Lodge. Exactly it's in the middle of Chaura Maidaan and Viceregal Lodge. Via bus, it's accessible from 103. 103 is a bus stop near tunnel-no 103 and very popular stop in Shimla.New Bus Stand of Shimla is also visible during the climb. This is first time I saw this bus stand and it was amazing. I wanted to compare it with IGI airport but stopped myself :) ... But for sure, it's best among all the bus stands we have in North India at least. it's situated near Dhali. Old bus stand has been converted into Local bus stand and there are regular shuttles between new and old bus-stands. While coming back to Delhi, I did some mobilegiri at Shimla Bus stand and will share soon...Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy also comes on the way from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge.It's a wonderful walk from Boileuganj to Viceregal Lodge as whole stretch is full of trees and nice flowers around. At times it feels like you are crossing through some garden. There are some governments residences as well, which makes this hill more lively.Apart from some institutes and houses, there are some buildings which seemed to be locked for last many years. But somehow, colors lie about these buildings. The building above shown was closed from all the directions and there seemed to be a long silence around the place.After a quick climb, we reached Viceregal Lodge. It was so quick that I forgot to mention that one of my cousin was accompanying me and we also discussed some changes happening in his institute in HPU (UIIT). Overall this was a fastest route to Viceregal Lode but probably I will still prefer the longer route which comes through Vidhan-Sabha, Cecil etc.Shimla is definitely the most popular destination in Himachal Pradesh and that's a proven fact if we go by numbers. At the same time, Shimla region has lot to explore and when I say Shimla region, it's more about places beyond the town till the borders of Kullu & Kinnaur Districts. Depending upon the time in hand you can plan your visit to Shimla and surrounding places. Some of the interesting destinations are Shimla can be - Kufri, Chail, Mashobara, Naldera, Narkanda, Hatu Peak, Tani Jubber Lake, Anadel etc. If you plan to be around Shila town, you may want to check the list of main things to do in & around Shimla. My favorites are british buildings across the city and beautiful walks through high deodars. 


If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera, you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer. One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana. Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay, things to do and lot more. While compiling this post, old memories are coming to my mind. I started this blog in 2008 and never got a chance to go again to Kasol, but my only trip to this region was very exciting with college friends. We planned a trip to Kullu Manali from Shimla and thought of visiting Kasol/Malana as well. This was a week long trip and we spent 3 days walking & trekking around Kasol. When it comes to options of reaching Kasol from Delhi or Chandigarh, the only way to hit this region is by road. It's not connected by railway and flights are not very frequent to Kullu. There is an Airport near to Kasol, which is located in Bhuntar (Kullu) but flights are rare and would be a costly affair. In some of the portals, folks have quoted low rates like 2.5K but I could never find that. There is no rail line in part of Himachal Pradesh. Kiratpur Saheb in Punjab and Una in Himachal are two railway stations around this place. Both of these railways stations are more than 150 kilometers away from Kasol. There is another narrow-gauge line at around 100 kilometers, which is located in Jogindernagar, but it's not recommended except in a scenario when you have enough time and want to experience toy train, which starts from Pathankot and ends at Jogindernagar.So road is only good options to reach Kasol. Now transportation has improved a lot and you have multiple options. There are luxury buses by HRTC are available for Kullu from Delhi, Chandigarh & many other main cities. Even normal buses of HRTC are also quite good and cheapest way to travel. Luxury buses by Himachal Tourism are also available from Delhi. All Volvo buses by HRTC & Himachal Tourism start from Himachal Bhavan in Delhi, which is located in Mandi House near Connaught Place. All these buses go to Manali via Kullu and one needs to get down at Bhuntar to take local bus for Kasol or a taxi. Kasol is located at around 30 kilometers from Bhuntar. Kullu can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 which passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi towns. Kullu is 480 km from Delhi. There are various options available to stay in and around Kasol. Budget hotels, few resorts and luxury home-stays as well. And this place offers great atmosphere all around. Fresh air , blue sky, parvathi river, local folks, cattle grounds, green hills and lot more. There are various intresting treks around Kasol and Malana. There are various easy, moderate and difficult treks around Kasol village. Kheer Ganga is one of the main treks. Whole Parvati valley is very different and more beautiful from many surrounding hills stations of Himachal Pradesh. There is lot to explore in this part of Himachal, some can be discussed and some are not to be disclosed in public ! Kasol is a village in Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Parvati River flows through the village. There is a bridge in the village which divides it in two parts known as Old Kasol and New Kasol. Lot of Foreigners can be seen in the streets around this place. Holy place Manikaran is just 5 kilometers from Kasol. Malana is another popular village which is reachable after a moderate trek. We went till Malana and heard a lot of stories about the place. We also got to know that many of the foreigners have come to this place and living here for many years now. Lot of Israelies come to Kasol and one can see the hebrew language banners in parvati valley. Probably I will share another post only on Malana with some of the mind boggling stories associated with this place, the cannabis and local democracy. Kasol is one of the favorite places for backpackers and also a base for Himalayan trekking to SarPass, Pin Parbati Pass and Kheer ganga. Wish you a great trip to Kasol.
Manali (& Kullu) Kullu Manali is one of the most popular destination among Honeymooners. Apart from that Kullu Valley is also most popular among adventure lovers. It takes 14 hours to reach Manali from Delhi, via Volvo Bus. This region is also a gateway to Leh through Rohtang Pass. Rohtang Pass is one of the highest passes in Himachal Pradesh and one of the popular places to find snow. There are plenty of things to do in this region of Himachal - Trekking, Rafting, Rappelling, Paragliding, Rock Climbing, river crossing etc.. Some of the main places to explore are Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Vashishth, Old Manali, Manikaran, Kasol, Malana, Bijli Mahadev Trek, Naggar Castle, Rogtang Pass, Solang Valley, Marhi etc.  This is best place for folks who want to experience snow. There is high probability of fresh snowfall during winters but hills around Rohtang Pass have always snow. 


 Dalhousie (& Khajjiar) Dalhousie is like a typical hill station which is quite peaceful as compared to other main hill stations of Himachal Pradesh. Extremely beautiful surrounded by forests of high deodars. Dalhousie has some of the old castles from British Era and construction is quite restricted in the town which makes it very special. This is in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh and Pathankot is nearest railway station for Dalhousie. Some of the main places to explore around Dalhousie are - Khajjiar, Chamba, Kala Top, Chamera Dam, Panchpula Waterfalls, Ravi River etc.

Idea of this Photo Journey came after a brief discussion with one of my office friends, who want to go on a road-trip to Mcleodganj and other places around. During the discussion it came that they have approximately 4 days in hand and want to make best of this time. This Photo Journey is to help in planning such Road Trip around Palampur region of Himachal Pradesh. (Declaimer - This plan is made purely for Nature Lovers and Adventurous people)Please note that, if you want to know more about any of the places being discussed here; just click on photographs of appropriate links shared in between. So this discussion started with an idea of Road Journey to Mcledoganj and what other things can be approached if we have 4 days in hand. So what we planned is to hit Mcledoganj in morning or by noon.. Have some rest at your Hotel/Resort and have your breakfast/lunch... and move out to feel the place, as per your preference. Main places you may want to do around Mcledoganj Streets - a Visit to Temple near residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama, a small walk till St. John Church (This is a wonderful walk through high cedar trees around the road), Bhagsu Waterfalls & a temple near it and don't miss interesting eating options in Mcledoganj streets. Shopping is something you will figure out yourself :Next Day again can be spent around Mcleodganj for trekking around Triund or general walks around the place to better feel it and enjoy the nature around Dharmshala/Mcledoganj..Next day, we planned to move towards Barot. We planned to leave Mcleodganj by 7am in the morning and expect to reach Barot by 12:00 noon, which is reasonable estimate. Barot is least known place but wonderful place for nature lover. No commercialization, peaceful and isolated from tourist movements. The only challenge is place to stay. There are very simple Guest-Houses to stay, but not bad at all unless you are looking for good service with luxury arrangements in your room. Simple & clean rooms with basic stuff can be found across the river at Barot. While going to Barot, lot many things may compel you to stop and spend some time, but ignore while going to Barot and enjoy them during back journey. Don't think twice before stopping if you find something very interesting, which may not be possible to experience during back journey :)Spend one night at Barot and start back journey to Palampur in the morning... Now, it's time to chill on the way and take your time wherever you feel like. There is a cut on the way which takes us to Bir Billing. Distance-wise it's just 14 kilometers from main road but takes around 1-1.5 hr because of steep hill and bad road. Bir-Billing is one of the world popular place for Paragliding and World Cuo happens at this place only. From top, whole valley can be seen where everything looks very tiny. This is one of the best place to experience Paragliding and it can't be compared with paragliding options at Solang Valley or other hill stations. It takes 45 minimum to land in the valley if wind favors you, otherwise 1 hr to 1.5 hrs is average time to land after you fly from top. But please note that Bir Billing is at least one day affair, so need to be planned accordingly. So here I have put it as an optional place because you may not find anybody on top who can provide paragliding services to you.There is an interesting and huge Monastery on the way. It's just 2 kilometers away from main road which connects Barot with Palampur. There is a cut near Chuantra town which takes to us to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Institute. You can choose to visit this Tibetan colony and Monastery. After spending some time here, we can further towards Baijnath, which is our next destinationBaijnath is one of the main important town with a popular Shiva Temple made up of rocks. This temple is on right side of the road and comes just in the beginning of Baijnath Market. Nice place to spend some time and go to it's back side which has well maintained garden with an amazing view to river flowing in the valley with snow capped hills in background.Drive from Baijnath to Palampur is simply amazing with wonderful road, scenic beauty and tea gardens on both sides of the road. If you haven't stopped your car for lunch, take a break at Taragarh Palace, which is a Welcome Heritage Hotel on the way to Palampur. This can also be a decent place to stay...As you come near to Palampur, don't miss to stop and see Kayakalp Health Resort... This area is generally very beautiful... A round inside Agricultural university can be a good idea, if you want to see how hybrid seeds are produced in their local fields and how they actually maintain all these things...As you enter into Palampur Town, just move up towards Chuapati and Neugal Cafe which is one of the beautiful place in Palampur. Huge Tea Gardens surrounded by beautiful cottages and colorful houses. Have a cup of tea at Neagul Cafe and enjoy wonderful view of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges, which can be best seen form this place. If still you have time in hand, take a small detour to go near to Neugal River which flows just below the hill where Cafe is located. I know this day can be very tiring but rewarding as well. Now it's upto you where you want to stay. Going to Dharmshala/Mcledoganj doesn't make sense if you plan to leave back for Delhi/Chandigarh in morning. If still there is some desire to explore more around Mcleodganj, go to Dharmshala and spend your night there. In case interested in staying at Palampur, there is a nice hotel by HPDTC- Tea Bud. btw Palampur is known as Tea City of North India. Next morning, if you leave early I strongly recommend to go via Masroor Temples and hit Una, which will be 25-30 kilometers extra. But this temple is worth seeing. There are some series of Monolithic temples which are carved out of a huge hill. Temple is located at a very isolated village. This overall plan share details about some of the main places. To know more options, check out links shared in this Photo Journey which have more detailed information about each places discussed here. Mcleodganj ( & Dharmshala) is easy to plan and a very different hill station as compared to Shimla & Manali. Mcledoganj is a small colony near Dharmshala with an interesting market full of lamas and foreigner tourists. The town is surrounded by snow capped Himalayan ranges of Dhauladhar. There are some interesting adventurous activities to opt around Mcledoganj. There are multiple things around Mcledoganj to explore. Few of them are - Triund, Naddi, Dharmshala Cricket Stadium, Chamunda Devi Temple and trek, Palampur, Baijnath, Bir Billing, Barot, Kangra Fort, Pong Dam Lake, Masroor Temple etc. Depending upon the time available, one can plan an awesome trip around Kangra Valley. There are direct Volvo buses for Mcledoganj from Delhi and nearest railway station is Pathankot. Una Railway station can also be considered, which depends upon the itinerary to be explored.  
Some of the wonderful photographs of Lahual and Spiti Distirct of Himachal Pradesh : By Munish Chandel : Posted by Munish Chandel on www.travellingcamera.com : Spiti valley - sand rocks : Baby Rocks at Spiti ValleyParagliding at Rohtang pass : Paragliding at Rohtang Pass. ..You can enjoy your ride over here, though the entire journey does not even lasts a minute or so.Battal Village on the way to Kunjam Pass : Battal is the last village having PWD resthouse on the way to Kunjam pass from chhota dara....Heaven for Animals, And ofcourse for Humen tooRohtang From the top: This is small town situated at top of Rohtang Pass. One can get enough to eat in these small shops, Pass is just another 3 KMs from this place.Long queue of trucks waiting for road to clear.. chenab's coming...Kaja & way to Ki / Kiber...Losar Valley, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh... Losar village is the first village after Kunjam Pass. It's known for Peas export in India...Chhatru, Chhota dara, Lahaul, HP ... Sunset view of Village Chhatru near chhota dara, Lahaul Distt. Himachal Pradesh Monestry at Nako Village : Buddha's Monestry at Nako lovely spiti valley - Kyato village : A pond side village near to Kaja on the way to TabboChhota DARA at LahaulPicture showing the HP PWD Rest house in Chhota dara village of District Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh. There is no other house surrounding 50KMs from this place.Chandra taalpeople taking bath at chandrataal lake, lahaul, himachal pradesh - 25 KMs from Kunjam Pass & 20KMs from Batal Village.Chenab all the wayroadside chenab river, spiti valley, himachal pradesh..On the way to Tabbo, Kajabeauty of Spiti valley... Green, Windy, Cloudy and various shades of life....lights and shadows..A play between light and shadow.... in Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh, INDIA..Entery to spiti valleyPandoh Dam...At Tannijubar Lake, Narkanda, Shimla, India...Symmetric water Reflections of the temple at Tannijubar Lake.. About Tanijubar Lake.. Tani Jubar is an artificial water fed lake located near to Narkanda, Shimla in the state Himachal Pradesh of India. It's a fascinating place to spend some picnic time over here. To reach this beautiful place one need reach Narkanda, then rent a taxi for Tanijubar. Place is 12KMs from Narkanda.Mystic clouds at Lahaul....Mysty clouds at Chhota dara, lahaul, himachal pradesh. Moon is hiding behind these cloudsNako Lake...Nako Lake is a high altitude (3,662 metres or 12,014 ft) lake in the Pooh sub-division of district Kinnaur. It forms part of the boundary of Nako village and seems that the village is half buried in the lake's border. The lake is surrounded by willow and poplar treeChandraTal Lake at Lahaul....Chandra Tal Lake is situated at a height of 4300 m and 13.5 kms away from the Kunzum Pass in Spiti and Lahaul district of Himachal Pradesh. Some of the wonderful photographs of Lahual and Spiti Distirct of Himachal Pradesh : By Munish Chandel : Posted by Munish Chandel on www.travellingcamera.com : Spiti valley - sand rocks : Baby Rocks at Spiti ValleyParagliding at Rohtang pass : Paragliding at Rohtang Pass. ..You can enjoy your ride over here, though the entire journey does not even lasts a minute or so.Battal Village on the way to Kunjam Pass : Battal is the last village having PWD resthouse on the way to Kunjam pass from chhota dara....Heaven for Animals, And ofcourse for Humen tooRohtang From the top: This is small town situated at top of Rohtang Pass. One can get enough to eat in these small shops, Pass is just another 3 KMs from this place.Long queue of trucks waiting for road to clear.. chenab's coming...Kaja & way to Ki / Kiber...Losar Valley, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh... Losar village is the first village after Kunjam Pass. It's known for Peas export in India...Chhatru, Chhota dara, Lahaul, HP ... Sunset view of Village Chhatru near chhota dara, Lahaul Distt. Himachal Pradesh Monestry at Nako Village : Buddha's Monestry at Nako lovely spiti valley - Kyato village : A pond side village near to Kaja on the way to TabboChhota DARA at LahaulPicture showing the HP PWD Rest house in Chhota dara village of District Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh. There is no other house surrounding 50KMs from this place.Chandra taalpeople taking bath at chandrataal lake, lahaul, himachal pradesh - 25 KMs from Kunjam Pass & 20KMs from Batal Village.Chenab all the wayroadside chenab river, spiti valley, himachal pradesh..On the way to Tabbo, Kajabeauty of Spiti valley... Green, Windy, Cloudy and various shades of life....lights and shadows..A play between light and shadow.... in Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh, INDIA..Entery to spiti valleyPandoh Dam...At Tannijubar Lake, Narkanda, Shimla, India...Symmetric water Reflections of the temple at Tannijubar Lake.. About Tanijubar Lake.. Tani Jubar is an artificial water fed lake located near to Narkanda, Shimla in the state Himachal Pradesh of India. It's a fascinating place to spend some picnic time over here. To reach this beautiful place one need reach Narkanda, then rent a taxi for Tanijubar. Place is 12KMs from Narkanda.Mystic clouds at Lahaul....Mysty clouds at Chhota dara, lahaul, himachal pradesh. Moon is hiding behind these cloudsNako Lake...Nako Lake is a high altitude (3,662 metres or 12,014 ft) lake in the Pooh sub-division of district Kinnaur. It forms part of the boundary of Nako village and seems that the village is half buried in the lake's border. The lake is surrounded by willow and poplar treeChandraTal Lake at Lahaul....Chandra Tal Lake is situated at a height of 4300 m and 13.5 kms away from the Kunzum Pass in Spiti and Lahaul district of Himachal Pradesh.Spiti Valley Spiti Valley is probably the most loved destination for folks who like to explore something special with least commercialization and great mix of culture & adventure. One needs at least a week in hand to plan for Spiti Valley. Spiti Valley has great landscapes with some of the most adventurous terrains in the world. Leh has become popular because of being a hot destination for bollywood to shoot movies but Spiti has lot more to offer for a true traveller. It's part of Lahual and Spiti district having Keylong as headquarters. This whole district has very interesting places, temples, monasteries, treks etc. The best experience would be - enter through Shimla-Kinnaur and come out of Spiti valley through Manali. 
Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh is one of the most beautiful places and a great place to explore natural beauty with amazing culture. Jitendra is sharing a Photo Journey from Kinnaur this time. Check out this awesome series of Photographs from different parts of Kinnaur region in Himalayan State of India.Whenever we visualize Kinnaur, the very first thing comes into mind is route beyond Shimla which takes us to Kinnaur region. Kinnaur is connected through roads at very high altitude with deep valleys on one side and rocky mountains on other side. One of the most adventurous road trips in India are planned to Kaza throug various parts of Kinnaur like Kalpa, Rekong Peo, Sangla, Chango, Chitkul, Kothi, leo, lippa, Murang, Naco, Pooh, Rakcham, Ribba etc. Most of the Kinnaru region has beautifuk architecture, where we see amazing wooden houses which lasts for hundreds of year and a very good option for these folks who have to spend most of the year in snow or chilly weather. Kinnaur is one of the districts among 12 districts in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaur district is split into 3 body areas – Pooh, Kalpa, and Nichar. The executive headquarter of Kinnaur district is at ReckongPeo. Kinnaur, enclosed by the Tibet to the east, is within the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, regarding 235 kilometer from the capital, Shimla. Sangla Valley is full of orchards of apricots, peaches, chilgozas and apples.Most of the folks in Kinnaur are dependent on the fruit exports. very fine quality of Apple is produced in Kinnaur region of the country.Most of Kinnaur enjoys cold weather due to its high elevation, with long winters from October to May and short summers from June to September. The lower parts of the Sutlej Valley and the Baspa Valley receive monsoon rains. The upper areas of the valleys fall mainly in the rain-shadow area. These areas are considered to be arid regions, similar to the climate of Tibet. Jitendra has spend good time in villages of Kinnaur to understand real culture of the region and how these people live their life. And in states like Himachal, villages are best way to know about a particular geography. This holds good for India as well. India remain unexplored unless you visit villages in different regions like Himachal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, kerala, North East etc.Zanskar which is a range of mountains and Dhauldhar is another one which enclose valleys of Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries. Kinnaur has beautiful landscape with apple orchards, forests, high hills with snow covered peaks and colorful houses. Spiritual Shivling lies at the height of Kinnar-Kailash Mountain. Hindustan-Tibet Road passes through the Kinnaur region on the bank of stream Sutlej and eventually enters Tibet at Shipki La passThese colorful landscapes with beautiful valleys and high mountains make Kinnaur a best place to spend summers. Climate is quite welcoming in summer, although seeing this place under white sheet of now during winters is altogether a different experience. Connectivity becomes of the issue during winters but it's worth planning fo it.Best way to explore Kinnaur is through own vehicle or hired vehicle, which gives you freedom of stopping anywhere anytime. but in that case, one needs to have control on stoppages as there are many beautiful landscapes on the way which my compell you to stop again n again and you may get late for better landscapes beyond the connectiing road. Road from Shimla to Kinnaur is quite adventurous. Usually tourists come to Shimla via Volvo or Train and then hire a local cab for further explorations.The present day Kinnauras do not constitute a homogeneous group and display significant territorial and ethnic diversity. For a better understanding of ethnic and cultural distribution, Kinnaur district may be classified into three territorial units. Lower Kinnaur comprise area between Chora at the boundary of the Kinnaur district with Rampur Bushahr and Kalpa including Nichar and Sangla valleys. The people of Lower Kinnaur are primarily of the Mediterranean physical type. It is difficult to distinguish them from the people residing in the adjoining Shimla district with whom they have some affinity. The people of lower Kinnaur are mostly Hindus though the ethno-historical factors have resulted in some Buddhist influence.The middle Kinnaur is the area between Kalpa and Kanam including Moorang tehsil. The people of middle Kinnaur are of mixed racial strain. Some have marked Mongoloid and others marked Mediterranean features. Many people have faith in both the religions.The upper Kinnaur comprises remaining north-eastern part of the district i.e. the area between Poo and Hangrang valley extending up to international border with Tibet. The predominant physical type of upper Kinnaur in the Mongoloid though a few persons with Mediterranean features are also seen in the area around Poo. However the people of Hangrang valley are almost universally Mongoloids. They mostly follow Mahayana Buddhist religionKinnaur has some very important rivers - the Satluj, which divides Kinnaur almost in two equal parts. The Spiti is the second major river of the district. Ropa divides the district Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti and merges with Satluj near Shiasu. The Baspa river rises on the North-Eastern declivity of the Dhauladhar range. The Yolong also joins the Spiti river.Kinnaur is another distant destination but quite lucrative for travellers who love to be around snow covered hills. This region of himachal pradesh has beautiful valleys and hills on the way. It takes approximately 12 hours to reach Kinnaur from Shimla. Recong-peo is administrative city of Kinnaur district and well connected with Shimla which is main entry point for this part of the world. Some of the beautiful places to be explored in Kinnaur are Kalpa, Chitkul, Sangla Valley, Nako Lake, Kaza etc. 

Kasauli is a an easy to plan destination which is just 1.5 hours drive from Chandigarh now and 7 hours from Delhi. This used to be a calm destination but over the time, lot of tourists have started visiting Kasauli now. There are plenty of hotels and resorts to stay. There is not much to do in Kasuali and that's the beauty of this place. It's a place for folks want to spend some peaceful moments with family and friends. 
Palampur is one of my favorite place to live and I visit this place at least thrice in an year. Here I am trying to share some of the photographs shot during latest trip to Palampur. Most of these photographs are shot from moving car, so excuse for bad quality, but I am sure that you will enjoy this Photo Journey around Palampur...Palampur is popular for it's natural beauty and beautiful Tea Gardens all around. Most parts of Palampur town has wonderful view of snow covered Himalayan Ranges of Dhauladhar Mountains. Above photograph shows tea gardens on both sides of road and this road connects Palampur with Baijnath. Baijnath is a very old town popular for an ancient Shiva TempleHere is a photograph of ladies plucking tea-leaves from gardens. Tea is then made out of these leaves after some processing. Leaves plucked during April are considered as best for tea. Green Tea of Kangra Valley is very popular among Teat Lovers.This Photograph is shot during evening while driving towards Chamunda Devi Temple near Palampur Town. This whole stretch shares wonderful views of snow capped hills of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges. This road further goes till Dharmshala/Mcledoganj and a very well maintained road. Generally roads in Himachal are well maintained, at least in Kangra region of the stateAgriculture is main occupation of folks in Himachal and above photograph shows stepped fields shining in front of snow covered peaks of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges in Kangra region of Himachal PradeshPalampur Town itself has some interesting colonial architecture and the area around is richly garnished with historical temples and forts... The stretch between Palampur and Dharmshala has most beautiful views of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges. Several trek routes lead out of Palampur, particularly over the Dhauladhar Mountains towards the town of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Palampur also has numerous Buddhist monuments and is famous for its Tibetan handicrafts.Behind Palampur stands high ranges of Dhauladhar mountains, most of the times covered with white shining snow, whose tops remain covered for most part of the year. There are various water streams, which keep flowing inside the city and this place has no problem with respect to natural resources. Many parts of Himachal don't get appropriate supply for water because of challenges in building good infrastructure in hills, but Palampur needs not worry about all those things.Apart from touristic attraction, Palampur has got some of the major educational institutions on road which connects Palampur with Baijnath/Mandi. An Agricultural University is already functioning near by, which is only Agricultural university in Himachal Pradesh. One Ayurvedic hospital is situated, also one Ayurvedic medical college is there in Paprola is about 10 km away from here some tea factories are also in operation Kangra valley is also known as tea capital of India this tea was quite famous among the British.On the outskirts of Palampur, Neugal stream is a thin streak running over stony ground far below the cliff. It offers great scenic beauty with snow covered peaks. A recreational spot, called Saurabh Van Vihar, is also located in Bandla, which gets its name from Capt. Saurabh Kalia who hails from Palampur... Photo Journey will keep sharing more photographs from Palampur to express our love for this wonderful town.Palampur is again a calm town near Mcleodganj. This was never a tourist destination and still not considered as a tourist destination. Palampur is beautiful places which has lot of  tea gardens all around and surrounded by snow covered Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges. There are quite a few hotels to stay in Palampur and one can choose to stay in Mcleodganj as well. A day trip to Palampur is enough. 



Tucked away in the remote recesses of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, lies the tiny town of Barot. To a large extent untouched by tourism, the town offers a peaceful getaway to travellers, away from the hustle-bustle of daily life. Surrounded by century-old, tall deodars, Barot is a time capsule and visiting Barot is like taking a peek into the bygone era when human beings still knew how to live in peace with their surroundings and with nature. The river Uhl runs through the town twisting its way amongst boulders and polishing pebbles till they glitter like silver and gold, and birds of all colours and sizes sing their various songs while flitting in and out of sight.Barot is one of the favorite place of Travellingcamera which is far from all the hustle bustle of big cities. It's a small village in Himachal Pradesh which is very beautiful with a river flowing through it and a dam with green water. It's least commercialized. There is no Hotel in Barot. There are few Home stays and government guest houses. The best place to stay is HPPWD guest house, but one needs to book it in advance. Drive till Barot village is tricky and it's recommended to be careful while driving towards the destination. Barot gets very cold during morning and evening, even in the month of May/June.


If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera, you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer. One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana. Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay, things to do and lot more. While compiling this post, old memories are coming to my mind. I started this blog in 2008 and never got a chance to go again to Kasol, but my only trip to this region was very exciting with college friends. We planned a trip to Kullu Manali from Shimla and thought of visiting Kasol/Malana as well. This was a week long trip and we spent 3 days walking & trekking around Kasol. When it comes to options of reaching Kasol from Delhi or Chandigarh, the only way to hit this region is by road. It's not connected by railway and flights are not very frequent to Kullu. There is an Airport near to Kasol, which is located in Bhuntar (Kullu) but flights are rare and would be a costly affair. In some of the portals, folks have quoted low rates like 2.5K but I could never find that. There is no rail line in part of Himachal Pradesh. Kiratpur Saheb in Punjab and Una in Himachal are two railway stations around this place. Both of these railways stations are more than 150 kilometers away from Kasol. There is another narrow-gauge line at around 100 kilometers, which is located in Jogindernagar, but it's not recommended except in a scenario when you have enough time and want to experience toy train, which starts from Pathankot and ends at Jogindernagar.So road is only good options to reach Kasol. Now transportation has improved a lot and you have multiple options. There are luxury buses by HRTC are available for Kullu from Delhi, Chandigarh & many other main cities. Even normal buses of HRTC are also quite good and cheapest way to travel. Luxury buses by Himachal Tourism are also available from Delhi. All Volvo buses by HRTC & Himachal Tourism start from Himachal Bhavan in Delhi, which is located in Mandi House near Connaught Place. All these buses go to Manali via Kullu and one needs to get down at Bhuntar to take local bus for Kasol or a taxi. Kasol is located at around 30 kilometers from Bhuntar. Kullu can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 which passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi towns. Kullu is 480 km from Delhi. There are various options available to stay in and around Kasol. Budget hotels, few resorts and luxury home-stays as well. And this place offers great atmosphere all around. Fresh air , blue sky, parvathi river, local folks, cattle grounds, green hills and lot more. There are various intresting treks around Kasol and Malana. There are various easy, moderate and difficult treks around Kasol village. Kheer Ganga is one of the main treks. Whole Parvati valley is very different and more beautiful from many surrounding hills stations of Himachal Pradesh. There is lot to explore in this part of Himachal, some can be discussed and some are not to be disclosed in public ! Kasol is a village in Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Parvati River flows through the village. There is a bridge in the village which divides it in two parts known as Old Kasol and New Kasol. Lot of Foreigners can be seen in the streets around this place. Holy place Manikaran is just 5 kilometers from Kasol. Malana is another popular village which is reachable after a moderate trek. We went till Malana and heard a lot of stories about the place. We also got to know that many of the foreigners have come to this place and living here for many years now. Lot of Israelies come to Kasol and one can see the hebrew language banners in parvati valley. Probably I will share another post only on Malana with some of the mind boggling stories associated with this place, the cannabis and local democracy. Kasol is one of the favorite places for backpackers and also a base for Himalayan trekking to SarPass, Pin Parbati Pass and Kheer ganga. Wish you a great trip to Kasol.Kasol is a popular destination among foreigner tourist coming to Himachal Pradesh and it's also a most visited place by young travellers. There are various reasons for folks to visit Kasol. Kasol village is located around a beautiful river and high deodar forests. There are some interesting treks around Kasol. One of the most popular and short trek is for Malana village. This is also a good place for folks who want to explore Pahari culture. Some of the other interesting places around Kasol are Manikaran, Kullu, Manali & Bijli Nahadev etc. 




Chail is again a calm and beautiful town near Shimla. This is a perfect destination for folks who want to have peaceful vacation with natural beauty all around. At the same time, it's a good place for Travellers/Tourists who also liked crowded markets, as a day trip to Shimla can be easily planned. Mall Road in Shimla is something that most of the folks like. So if you plan for Chail, plan a day tour to Shimla and surrounding places and have a peaceful stay in Chail. Chail also has world's highest cricket ground. There are some very interesting properties to stay in Chail. 

 Everyone liked bonus, so here are few more apart above Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh. Click on these and know more.

Jalori Pass,  Hatu Peak , Sirolsar Lake, Bir Billing ,  Parashar Lake , Kufri , Khajjiar, Chamba,  Triund, Naddi, Dharmshala,  Baijnath, Bir Billing, Barot, Kangra Fort, Pong Dam Lake, Masroor Temple , Bijli Mahadev Trek, Naggar Castle, Rogtang Pass, Solang Valley , Sarahan,  Rewalsar Lake, KamruNag, Naina Devi, Govind Sagar Lake 

Comments

Namita Mahapatra said…
Hill stations in Himachal Pradesh are the popular places to spend the holidays with family and friends. The fantastic locations of Himachal Pradesh attract visitors from all over the world.
July 8, 2014 at 12:17 PM
Unknown said…
I love to journey. So, I love your post. Sucharita
March 17, 2016 at 8:34 PM
preeti said…
i love Hill Station,s and i love to go there plese tell me best places in himachal.
August 1, 2016 at 2:56 PM
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How to reach Kasol/Malana and top things to do around this stunning hill-station of Himalayan State of India

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera , you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer.  One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana . Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay , things to do and lot more.  Related post -  Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
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