Shimla!
Its one of the most eminent tourist destination in the country. Set amidst beautiful hills and mystical woods.Town's captivating natural beauty, and the atmosphere are bound to leave any tourist overwhelmed. This town has colonial-style buildings alongside the historic temples and the amalgamation of the worlds leaves everyone visiting this region spellbound.
Within this city, one must visit the Mall Road, The Ridge, Institute of Advanced Studies and Jakhu Temple. Shimla is also used as a base to cover other nearby places like Chail, Kufri, Naldehra, Mashobra, Tattapani and Narkanda. The toy train to Shimla from Kalka passes through beautiful hills and valleys and is one of the most beautiful train routes in the world
The Mall is situated in the main street of Shimla. The Mall Road also has all major hotels, restaurants and recreation centers of Shimla. The Mall road is full of shops that sell woolen clothes, branded clothes, handicraft items, pottery items, jewellery, books, etc.The Mall Road is also famous for its wooden furniture shops that sell exquisite wooden articles, which look like antiques.
The region around Shimla including Kufri was once a part of the Kingdom of Nepal. As Shimla gained importance, Kufri also began to be recognized as an important place to visit. An annual winter sports festival is organized every year in the month of February in Kufri, when skiing enthusiasts and adventure seekers participate in this festival. Through thick cedar woods one can walk upto the Mahasu Peak, or visit the little zoo. At Kufri, National Snow Statue Competition is held in the month of January. From Kufri, a fascinating drive leads on to Chail. 6 kms from Kufri, along the Hindustan-Tibet road, is Fagu. It presents breathtaking scenery.
Chail was a sleepy little mountain village till its transformation in 1893. It was founded by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh. Banished from entering Shimla for eloping with the daughter of Lord Kitchner, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army, the Maharaja resolved to build himself a new summer capital better than Shimla. Chail, along with Kufri and Shimla is called the Golden Triangle of Himachal Pradesh. Despite being located close to Shimla, this hill station is free from the crowds that throng Shimla and consequently allows travelers to enjoy the scenic beauty and charm of the place in relative peace.
Mashobra is a lush green expanse in Himachal Pradesh, tucked away at a height of about 7700 feet, ensuring minimal human obstruction in the course of nature to provide you with the most pure and liberating experience of your lifetime. Mashobra's proximity to Shimla makes it a perfect alternative for people who are looking for a peaceful little hill-station. With just about enough resorts and enchanting natural bounty, come to Mashobra if you have a for a lazy weekend outing or a week long vacation.
About an hour's drive from the main city, Naldehra is everything that Simla is not - serene, green and ever so fascinating. But since visiting offbeat destinations come with the onus of choosing a promising place to stay, I needed a place to stay that added its crucial bit to the experience. Inspired by the magnificent Swiss chalet architecture, The Chalets Naldehra is a home away from home, where every room overlooks independently spectacular views - the misty morning clouds, the patch of forest with imposing cedar trees, and the immaculately manicured lawns.
Its awe-inspiring view of the snowy peaks is the fact that it is located on the ridge of the last watershed before the Himalayan range. Below Narkanda, to the north is the Sutlej Valley and beyond it is the snowy massif. The ridge on which Narkanda stands is the watershed between the Sutlej on the north and the Giri river. The sleepy town of Narkanda sits astride the watershed between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The best season to go to these mountains is autumn. The setting sun offers a spectacular sight with red, crimson and orange lines on the clouds and the snow. A better view is obtained from the nearby Hattu peak, which is nearly 2,000 feet higher than Narkanda, and just over an hour's trekking distance from it. The area around Narkanda is also the orchard region of Himachal, where cherry, apple etc are grown. One can see empty and packed crates of these fruits on the roadside, at various points on the way.
