“Let’s visit next month”.

 

I said, pausing for a moment. It was the 16th day since the war had begun, sparked by the shocking Pahalgam attack. The entire country was on edge, and so were we. Every news update brought a fresh wave of anxiety, and there was a lot of uncertainty. In the middle of this chaos, we sat with our tickets to paradise in hand—those printed confirmations of a dream we had long cherished.

 

We were torn—hopeful, yet deeply sceptical. After a lot of back and forth, countless “yeses” and “no’s,” we finally made a decision. We were going. United by a common dream to witness the mighty Himalayas, we packed our bags with just the basics: flight tickets, warm clothes, and open hearts.

No hotel bookings. No plans. Just hope.

 

Landed at the Amritsar airport, and that’s where the magic begins –

 

Amritsar

We had arrived in the holy city of Amritsar — eyes tingling with excitement, hands restless, and hearts full of hope to finally witness the city we had long dreamt of.

 

“Bhaiya, pehle Golden Temple dekh lete hain,” we eagerly told our chauffeur. Skipping our breakfast, we set out early, ready to fill not just our stomachs, but our souls — with what lay ahead.

On our way to Sri Harmandir Sahib — lovingly known as the Golden Temple —we were blessed to witness one of the world’s largest community kitchen — the divine Langar,(Also displayed in the National Geographic’s “Mega Kitchens of the world”) where food is served as prasad, cooked with love and humility, and served without any discrimination. To sit among hundreds and share a meal from the grace of God — it was nothing short of spiritual.

We also visited the historic Jallianwala Bagh and witnessed that dreadful day, with history in writings and some brilliantly and thoughtfully made videos that express and tell what happened…

What an experience it was. Post that we did some street shopping, Amritsari Chole Kulche was mandatory, and then we decided to leave the same day for our next destination….

 

In our caravan, as we drove ahead, the green fields turned into tall pine trees, and the beautiful lands turned into stunning mountains

I always had a picture of how Incredible Himachal would be, but to witness with one’s eyes, rather than Google images or your friend’s Instagram stories, is a different level of beauty, everyone should experience at least once.

No high-powered cameras can capture the beauty of nature, thank god for our eyes, not just pixels.

 

Dalhousie

We left Amritsar that very day to chase yet another spectacular dream — the breathtaking hill station of Dalhousie, named after Lord Dalhousie, the British Viceroy of colonial India. (A fact I surprisingly didn’t know until we arrived.)

 

As nostalgic as the journey was becoming, we did something bold — we booked our stay on the very day we were heading to Dalhousie. After a series of rejections and near-hopeless searches, we finally found four walls willing to embrace our desperation for the next two nights.

It’s in the mountains that you truly understand the meaning of light and darkness. With pitch-black roads ahead, every turn we took felt like we were inching closer to something unforgettable and Breathtaking. We reached our hotel, and post our dinner started to plan how our next day was going to look like.

The next day, En route to Khajjiar aka “Mini Switzerland of Himachal” and the Mahadev Ji temple. Tourists were at every angle we looked, the valleys, watching people do paragliding, and imagining the kind of view they were getting from the top of the world (Quite literally!). Damn, only if words could truly express what the heart feels.”

​

After the fun-filled day, we moved forward to our next destination...

​

Dalhousie Venture: Beeji’s Park, Dalhousie Public School, Shiv Ji Mandir, and the stunning Mini Switzerland — Khajjiar.

​

Dharamshala & McLeodganj

Dharamshala, or as we know “Little Tibet”, is the hillside city which is also home to the Greatness Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile.

 

The moment I laid eyes on the majestic mountains behind the stunning Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Why didn’t I come here earlier?” The view was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

What made the journey even more delightful were the curvy yet wonderfully constructed roads—making travel smooth and scenic. A heartfelt thanks to the Himachal Pradesh PWD for that.

 

One experience I’ll always cherish was Kalatop—a bird sanctuary nestled in nature’s lap. Just a 10-minute walk through the forest, and your lungs will be singing with gratitude. Those slow and beautiful trails, lined with towering pine trees, taking us all through dense woods, felt like we were walking through the soul of the Himalayas.

After the stroll, we relished a plate of hot Maggi, crispy pakoras, and of course, the unbeatable OG “chai”. We sat there soaking it all in until dawn slowly crept in, and it was time to head back to our stay.
If there’s anything called love at first sight, this was it.

​

Dharamshala Venture: The Dharamshala Stadium, The Dalai Lama Temple, Cable Car, Kalatop.

Stay : D’polo Club Spa & Resort

 

Palampur

The very next day in the morning, we had to drive till Palampur, another awe-inspiring hill station destination waiting for us to behold….

 

“So army join kar sakta hai tu” (A dialogue from the film Shershaah), remember that scene and the iconic bridge from one of the most loved army films, where the protagonist actor Siddharth Malhotra is completely not convinced with the idea, but his friend asks him to do so.

Yes, that’s the Palampur bridge, where the beautiful shot was taken. We could witness the bridge and behind that was the picturesque view of the mountains, covered with the glacial grace. Hardly a 10-min walk was the Saurabh Van Vihar – a majestic garden & aquarium with greens all over.

Our hearts were filled with breathtaking views and the purest form of air, but our minds were disheartened as it was the last destination of our trip, which was rather a totally unexpected journey for us……

 

Palampur Venture : Saurabh Van Vihar, Palampur Bridge, Tea Estates,

Stay: Sterling Hotel (Google says 4-star, but I’d say 5-star for the view)

​

 

A journey of mere 7 days becomes memories of a lifetime- captured by our cameras but settled in our hearts forever. Every trip makes me one step closer to my beloved country. How truly Incredible India is! If you look deeply, every mountain, every valley, every stone, and every drop of snow has a story to tell. Nature does not need us, but we need nature, and it is a joint responsibility to take utmost care of it. I really thank the people of Himachal Pradesh, the Government, and the Indian Military for making the state a paradise to live in and continuing to do it despite the calamities and challenges faced….

 

Legends say it, “You don’t go, it calls” – meaning - You don’t visit the place, the destination is calling you...and that’s what made this trip even more thrilling, that even in the midst of uncertainty and little to no pre-planning, we still got the best of stays, tastiest of foods, noblest people, breath-taking views, fresh and most purest form of air, amazing services and yes a sneak peak to ‘The heavenly Himalayas’

 

Do visit and enjoy !!

 

CHAL #HIMACHAL

​