My Shoe String Backpack Adventures through Himachal!

Himachal derives its name from the Sanskrit words hima (snow) and chal (land), which says a lot about how this landscape looks, especially in the cooler months. With its beautiful valleys, rugged mountains, and free-flowing lakes, this state is the best destination for those who love adventure.

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A few friends and I decided to explore the beautiful scenery for ourselves. In total, six of us set out from our home city of Mumbai – joining me were Neelam, Karina, Ishita, Swapnil and Suneha, as well as four-year-old Aarna, the daughter of Swapnil and Suneha.

For our trip, we wanted to keep our costs as low as possible. This was not going to be a luxurious retreat, but instead, a true adventure that left us with great memories and a still-intact bank balance!

To help keep our costs down, I stocked my backpack with some essentials that we’d need during our travels. My carefully selected items included a sleeping bag, an electric kettle, a power bank for charging electronics, a few warm clothes, some packets of Maggi noodles and, of course, multiple coffee sachets (I can't go without my coffee!).

To get the best deals possible, we didn't book anything in advance except for our transport to Himachal. We planned to book other things, like accommodation and activities, once we were in Himachal, so that we could bargain and save some money. In the end this was an excellent idea, as prices were significantly cheaper once we were on the ground than they had seemed on the internet.

With our backpacks full and a rough of idea of what we wanted to see and where we wanted to stay, we headed off for our big adventure. We left Mumbai, for Amritsar, with a four hour stop over at Delhi.

When we landed in Amritsar, it was pretty early and we had already pre-booked an Innova car for INR 26,000 to take us from the airport to Dalhousie, which is about a 4.5-hour drive. 

Once we arrived in Dalhousie, we easily found a place to stay – the Hotel Shangri La, a charming hotel with an incredibly beautiful view over the treetops and across the mountains. The price was pretty good, at just INR 850 per room.

One of the best things in Dalhousie is the food, and we took every opportunity to enjoy it. Here, we had lots of tasty and pocket-friendly street food including momos, Maggi and bread omelette.

During our day, we also stopped at the local markets of Gandhi Chowk, Subhash Chowk and the Tibetan Market, looking at all the beautiful items for sale including jewellery, shawls and rugs. We also visited the beautiful St. Francis Church, that was built in the year 1894.

The next day, we set off to Khajjiar via the Raizada Hansraj road. On the way, we stopped in at Kala Top, a wildlife sanctuary that is home to many kinds of wildlife, including bears, leopards, deer and jackals. After lunch, we arrived at Khajjiar. The place was an adventure lover's paradise – full of fun adventures from hiking to horse riding.

From Khajjiar, we headed onwards to Dayan Kund, a peak located not too far for Dalhousie. The area is beautiful, and one of the most famous spots for hiking in all of Himachal. Along the way there are various stops, including a man named Aatma Ram selling Maggi cooked over a wood fire, in case you are hungry!

After trekking for about 1.5km, we reached the top of the peak, which had a glorious view. From there, not too far away lies Pholani Devi, a modest but fascinating temple. It is a rather unique temple in Himachal and in fact all of India because there are no images of any particular deity. We were especially lucky while we were there as we got to see a beautiful wedding that was taking place – what a gorgeous backdrop for a wedding!

The next day we started our journey onto Dharamkot, which is about a four-hour drive. At first, we found it difficult to find a good hotel for us to stay in, but luckily we stumbled upon Paul's House, a clean and tidy hotel that had rooms for just INR 600. Best of all, it had its own kitchen, so we were able to cook some tasty meals including a delicious chicken curry.

From Dharamkot, we continued on for about 15 minutes to spend the day exploring McLeod Ganj, which is sometimes known as 'Little Tibet' because it has so many residents of Tibetan heritage and because it is the residence of the 14^th Dalai Lama. Because of this, there are many beautiful Buddhist temples to explore. We visited a couple, including the Tsuglagkhan temple complex which was very beautiful. 

After a good night's sleep at Paul's House, we got up very early to enjoy a tasty breakfast at Mohan's Cart. Our favourite was the coconut milk chai which was beautiful and very tasty. 

After our chai, we headed to a nearby eatery with a friendly owner, Anil, and binged on paranthas, pancakes and other bakery items.

For the rest of the day, Neelam and I hired a bike to explore nearby areas. Some of our favourite sights included the beautiful St. John's Church and Dharamshala Stadium, the home of the Himachal cricket team, that has also hosted several big international matches.

We then visited Naddi, a beautiful village which sits at more than 2,000 kms above sea level and has stunning views. Not too far away is Dal Lake, a sacred spot with a pretty shrine on its banks.

We also stopped at a tea garden, where we learned more about the production of tea and bought some fresh batches for back home. It was raining when arrived and the bike ride amidst the clouds was really memorable, with occasional stops for a warm cup of tea as the scenic beauty of Dharamshala stretched majestically before our eyes.

The misty mountains of Dharamshala were a soulful treat and while we wanted to stay there forever, it was unfortunately time to head back home to Mumbai, via Amritsar.

We had plenty of time in Amritsar, before our flight home, so we decided to visited the Golden Temple, a gorgeous square shaped temple that was built in the 16^th century and is considered to be among the holiest sites for the Sikh faith.

Next, we visited Jallianwala Bagh, the site of the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre by British forces. Today, there is a beautiful and peaceful memorial located in the garden. I also tried to make the most of the time I had to try the different Punjabi food on offer. Some of the famous places we tried included Kesar da Dhaba, Bharawan da Dhaba, Makkhan and Brothers. 

One of our last stops was at the Wagah Border, which separates India from Pakistan. I cheered myself hoarse during the lowering-of-the-flags ceremony, moved by the display of patriotism that I saw. I got quite a sunburn too but it was all totally worth it! 

After that, it was off to bed to catch an early flight back to Mumbai. Our vacation was over but the memories we had collected, would last us a lifetime.