If a town set amidst pine, deodar and oak forest, with charming architecture still exuding a colonial air, graceful churches in which you can hear the past whisper and a gentle pace of life, sounds appealing to you, head to Dalhousie, a popular hill station in western Himachal Pradesh.
Compact and self-contained, Dalhousie, spreading over the hills of Kathlog, Patreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Balun, covers just 14 sq km. From its high-altitude setting, Dalhousie offers lovely views of the plains below, through which the river Ravi meanders, a silver thread in a blue-green vista. The snow-covered Pir Panjal range provides a dramatic backdrop.
Slow down, leave your city stress behind and explore the gorgeous town. Begin at its ancient churches --St. Andrew's Church and St. Patrick's at Balun, St. Francis Church at Subhas Chowk and St. John's Church at Gandhi Chowk. Go to Panchpula, three km from Dalhousie, where a gushing stream feeds a series of limpid pools. The Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the ghoral and Himalayan black bear, is well worth a visit. From Dalhousie, you can visit Khajjiar, another splendid hill resort. A glade, it lies surrounded by thick forests of deodar with the snow-line above these deep woods. At Khajjiar, you can also visit the 12th century Khajji Nag temple, famous for its life-sized wooden images of the five Pandavas. Chamba, sitting by the banks of the Ravi and rich in architecture, makes for another engaging getaway from Dalhousie.
Reach: It's just under 600 km from Delhi to Dalhousie and a longish, but utterly enjoyable, drive. Break it up with a mid-point stopover if you wish.
Stay: Splurge and check into the JK Clarks Exotica which sits amidst dense, green woods.
Eat: For affordable food that hits the spot, try Kwality Restaurant in Dalhousie. Here, you can try a variety of dishes --from Chinese to Continental and Indian.
