Mesmerizing View of Himalayas
Dalhousie is a small town, but one of the famous hilly areas in Chamba district, state of Himachal Pradesh built on and around five hills: Kathalagh, Potreyn, Terah, Bakrota and Bhangora. It is one of those serene, quiet hill stations which has retained its colonial culture, set up by the British Empire in the year 1854. The name was given after Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor during those times. It was mainly established for the British bureaucrats for summer vacation. One should come here to enjoy plunging pine-clad valleys and distant mountain views. The best activity one likes to do here is to stroll around the place, appreciating the crisp air and mountain views.
Dalhousie is at a height of 6000-9000 ft. above sea level. Tall Oak, pine and deodhar trees, serene atmosphere, cool weather, sparsely populated are a few of the fascinating features of Dalhousie hill station, Himachal Pradesh. It has charming architecture, including beautiful churches and Hindu temples. Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh is one of the ideal hill stations which can sure rejuvenate your mundane daily life.
How to Reach Dalhousie
As Dalhousie has no airport of its own, it is connected to Gaggal (135 km), in the Kangra district. One can also take a flight to Delhi and then drive down via Pathankot or Ambala. Amritsar (195 km) and Jammu (180 km) are the other nearest airports from where one can travel to Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh.
Roads to heaven
The nearest railway station is Pathankot, (78 km). Bus, taxi and private cars are easily available to reach Dalhousie. Dalhousie is also connected by buses to Chamba, Dharamshala and Shimla. It has excellent bus service, offered by state transport departments and private tour operators and has well maintained roads and one gets the feel of the scenic beauty of the place while driving down to Dalhousie.
Best time to visit Dalhousie
Dalhousie is a place which pleasant in all seasons. It has something to offer throughout the year. If you want to beat the heat during Summer time, you can head towards Dalhousie between March and June. Visit to Dalhousie from the month of September to November is also a very good time. The weather is cool and very pleasant at these times. You should try to avoid visiting this place during peak rainy season.
The scenic beauty of the place during Winters is splendid. You will find snow even on the roads. Commuting gets bit difficult, but Dalhousie is very pretty at this time of the year. You can simply engross yourself in the snowy peaks and experience peace and calmness inside you. It’s pure heaven!
Places to visit in Dalhousie
There are quite a few tourist destinations in and around Dalhousie. Local buses are available to Kangra, Dharamsala, Khajjiar, Kalatope Forest and Chamba. Ponies are used for local travelling. You can also hire jeeps or private cars for local sightseeing. Khajjar is an amazing picnic spot. It is considered as one of the most serene beautiful place because of the meadow landscape. You can visit the British-era churches of St John (1863) and St Francis (1894), set among the pines at opposite ends of the ridge. You can also visit the market areas at Subhash Chowk and Gandhi Chowk which are linked by lanes – Thandi Sarak and Garam Sarak. The latter lane receives more sunshine. Tibetan market is also one of the places to look around and enjoy the local delicacies, talk to the localities to understand the sanctity of Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh.
Where to stay in Dalhousie
In Dalhousie, tourism is one of the important sources of revenue for the localities. You have quite a good number of well maintained hotels. One can also stay in Hotels & Resorts maintained by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. They have good rooms at reasonable rates. With its plunging pine-clad valleys and distant mountain views, Dalhousie is one of those cool hill retreats left behind by the British which has been well maintained till date.
What to do in Dalhousie
A walk on the snowcovered roads
Dalhousie is a place where nature leads and man follows. The place does not have much of adventurous sports, but is known for its great valleys and high mountain ranges. An activity which one should do is trekking in the valley of Panchpula. The best activity you can do is to soak yourself in nature, sit down and relax, just look at the waterfalls and experience the beautiful colours of nature around you. There is Kalatop wildlife sanctuary 11 km from Dalhousie, where you can walk along the 3 km gradual sloping upward path to the Kalatop forest guest house. This guest house is made up of log woods and present a very quaint view of cottage nestled amongst lush green forest all around. The walk through the pine forest to the guest house is an experience which will tread on inside you even after your journey is over. And at night, you can simply gaze at the stars with your binoculars/telescope, the sky is exceptionally clear in Dalhousie.
