My Trip to Dharamshala and McLeodganj | Places to Visit, Transport, Cafes and More

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I travelled a lot in past few months...this one is another walk down the memory lane. I travelled to Dharamshala and McLeodganj knowing nothing of it and with friends who share the same love for mountains as I do.

Transport:

As most of my trips so far, this one also was through public transport, we took a bus from Delhi to Dharamshala, an overnight journey and by the morning we were at Dharamshala bus stop. If you are going as a tourist, you will be taken aback as you enter Dharamshala because by the first look of it, places are far and transport during morning hour is less. Don't be dis-heartened, switch on your GPS and walk towards Dharamshala City, just few minutes away from the bus stop. There you will see hotels, lanes full of shops and accommodation.

In transport we opted for bus(to reach Dharamshala), taxi (to reach McLeodganj), rented bike (to commute around town) and on foot while exploring cafes.

Funds:

For this trip thanks to my friend as it was funded mostly.

Places to Visit:

We stayed one day in Dharamshala mostly because of the heavy rainfall, then moved up to McLeodganj from there we rented a bike for 2 days and visited:

• Bhagsunag Waterfall
• Church
• Tea Garden
• HPCA Stadium
• War Memorial
• Naddi and Dal Lake
• Chinmaya Tapovan
• Karmapa Gyuto Monastery

I would suggest to make plans for Triund as well, ours was ruined due to rainfall and mostly we were bound to sit in our rooms.

Places to Eat:

Dolma Chowk in McLeodganj offers some of the best restaurants and cafes serving some of the best cuisines I have ever eaten. The 2, I am listing here are my best experience plus momos from the small shop in front of café Anonymous (I didn't like Anonymous that much) and fish fry plus bhuna chicken as street food from the same lane

Hotels and Accommodations:

We stayed in hotels, lodging is not that cheap in Dharamshala but in McLeoganj you get fair options and good deals. I am giving out the number of hotel we stayed in McLeodganj as it was nice and at considerable price with the cutest café on the ground floor(try their chocolate or banana desserts and don't try lemon-curd pie).

Plus I am attaching the visiting cards of taxi service we hired(he was a friendly guy) and cafes, make sure to try those as they serve really nice food plus Tibet Kitchen is doing good deed serving free of cost to ones in need and offers the best Tibetan food plus generous servings is another ad-on.

My Experience:

My experience of Dharamshala and McLeodganj was full of rainfall, dessert in cafes, sitting for hours at some cosy location, enjoying lemon tea at Dolma Chowk(you should try it, it's a small counter shop which only serves tea and you will see monks sitting on the seat infront sipping on their tea, that's what inspired this chai lover) and near death experience with our confidence of bike riding. This place has so much scenic beauty to offer along the roads, I would suggest you to rent a bike(if you are pro as riding on mountains is a risky business and bikes on rents are really roughly used so it would take quite a skill to safely ride along the roads, we switched from Bullet to Scooty in a jiffy after almost escaping the fall into the valley) and then from McLeodganj come downhill to Dharamshala exploring places and uphill enjoy the scenery in every nook and corner. People here are friendly to talk to, mind your business and they will mind theirs.

Even though rainfall was really taking our case but whatever we explored, I enjoyed every bit of it. I could sit at Bhagsu Falls for ages(it was a feeling that clock stopped ticking and take every ounce of the location in), Church was a serene place as the route to it builds up the expectation wild and the church doesn't disappoint, Karmapa Gyuto Monastery was also a calming experience, so was scenic beauty of the location of War Memorial and Naddi.

I sat by the roads for the longest time enjoying the scenery, rains, watching clouds doing all kinds of crazy things, riding along the green mountains and this place didn't disappoint me at all.

My Suggestions:

There are many hotels available near Bhagsunag in McLeodganj but I would suggest you stay near Dolma Chowk as nice joints to eat are accessible and shops are open till late. For the roads if you are not a rider full time, avoid renting a bike as roads are steeper and curves are dangerous but if you are get your hands on the bike you are comfortable with and roam the hill station. If you are on the money crunch, spend most of it exploring eating joints as they really are worth it. Plan a hike to Triund and night camp there, have heard it's an amazing experience of which I was devoid due to heavy rainfall. Check for the weather reports prior to your plans as in McLeodganj, it pours crazy (I went in July end). If you are visiting in rain or snow season, you can buy those plastic overalls you get in shops there, its cheap and if worn/handled carefully lasts long. Mine saved me through my Agra trip and is still kept folded for the next season.

Don't underestimate the power of mountains, rest if you are going with friends and family or solo, this place will be worth in every aspect. McLeodganj has so much to offer, don't go for the norms but go for the extraordinary as it offers that if you know where to look. Enjoy nature in it's full glory.

Share you trip stories in the comment or have any query regarding trip to Dharamshala and McLeodganj, ask me. I will try to solve it or provide you with the alternatives.

Read more "My Trip to Dharamshala and McLeodganj | Places to Visit, Transport, Cafes and More"

Declutter Or Clean|Empty Spaces Create Void

Even if you are totally fantasised with the idea of MINIMALISM and wish to make a start somewhere in your life, don’t go around following the trend of de-cluttering, selling, emptying your spaces right away. Build on it slowly.

Am I a minimalism pro…. NO

I am learning.

Learning that falling for the trends instantly may not always lead you to the desired output. 

Learn through the trends and if that idea fits your criteria then only go for it. People whom you are following like crazy have learnt through the span of time and hence they give you the advice (catering to their needs). You only hear their journey, they have lived it and that is why they make it look so easy.

 In my opinion, sudden change always has a shelf life. If you are not totally swept away by the results of it, there are chances that you will fall back to your older pattern. 

If you are trying to simplify your space, go room by room, item by item…and not all at once because that will only  annoy and devoid you. Don’t follow the set pattern of someone but make your own FORMULA. The formula based on your wants and needs as no two human souls are exact alike but do take inspiration for simplification.

If you will de-clutter all the not worn clothes, not all required items, not much used décor pieces at once, there may seem the need to buy more. You might think that now you will buy according to what you are gonna use more often and the saga begins.  

Just sit back, relax and remove items from your life one at a time to create the positive ambience for yourself.

Read more "Declutter Or Clean|Empty Spaces Create Void"

Celebrate Your Colour

Being an Indian, I am always surrounded by multi-colours. From my wardrobe to my functions all are jazzy, bright and colourful (You all know what I mean 😉). With time if I look into my style, I do not find myself loving the browns or whites as much as I love the splash of colours. 

This blog is inspired by Reading My Tea Leaves’ blog which is mostly about finding your colour and Mr. Kate’s rendition of any minimalist style where former has neutral colours in her kitty and later has tons of colours even if it is minimalist style. 

At one place I love the wise words of former, I will like to add my own insight to it. When I enter the room, my eye starts finding pop of colours be it the minimal tone of pink, blue, magenta any. Hence, when I go for styling any area…

I would always love to incorporate colours in it. 

My idea is not to shy away from your choice but to celebrate it in all honesty.

I will not succumb to the minimalist idea of mostly browns and neutral. I wish to keep my style simple and minimal but I can never let go of my other colours.

I lean more towards the pop of blues, pinks and oranges whereas my base is mostly neutral and earthy. Like if my wall colour is pastel pink, then my furniture will be white, dark or earthy brown but there will be a huge bold blue painting framed in black on the wall, a pop pink or magenta flower vase on the mantle and a multi tone pot with some greenery. 

I like to differentiate between the neutrals and brights… and giving them there perfect spot. I would never shy away with the use of pop pink if I feel there is a need but for me the overdose kills. I guess the love of texture and colour for me comes from variety India has in terms of clothes and culture. 

The key is to celebrate your choice and not fall the victim of trends. These days there is so much content floating that when you come to narrow it down, it becomes really difficult to pin point that one star colour which you need to work on or it becomes difficult to assess your style. 

My suggestion is to arrange various clothes, colours and textures of your choice and narrow it to form your pallete. Before creating your oasis, you need to create the mess. Don’t shy away from using the colour you love, just because it is not someone else’s choice.

Celebrate your colour whatever your style is.

Read more "Celebrate Your Colour"

Gain from this Social distancing + Stay at home Casual Look

It’s a time of great emergency and we all have been facing this Pandemic for quite some time now. This time at home reviewing the human behaviour, I planned to write something on the same. What kinda humans are we and what world have we created for our mental health. All time working in office or our particular fields, we only craved for some extra time for ourselves or our family but now when we are getting it, we are fighting equally hard for this time to get over. 

Many of us are in a good place financially and blessed to help others in need too. If you are finding it hard to stay at home, get out helping one or two but with necessary precautions. This is the time to reflect upon our doings, our approach, not to do the big talk just for now but to stick by it when this all gets over.  As one thing is evident, we are capable of doing what we fix our minds on.

It not has to be a rule but for a bigger cause.

Aren’t we staying home for our own health. Similarly, once Corona leaves, our practice to indulge in daily home chores, hobbies, taking some time for yourself should not stop.

You can only make your big dreams come true if only it is not eating you alive. 

We are the built of nature- soil, water, air and everything around, preserve nature… preserve yourself.

In India, amidst this chaos we blew SHANKH for the positive reinforcement, we lit the DIYAS for ensuring that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. Similarly, with this post I am ready to believe that we all will come out as a better self of us too after this.

Keeping it SIMPLE-

With all this being said, how can I not post something related to what is usually on this blog. Here are few deets of what I am upto these days, keeping my style minimal like most days. I am actually following what I preach in terms of mental health. Keeping my fuss to the bare minimum, hope this look inspires you too.

 

If you like the content, COMMENT and SHARE it with your friends.

Read more "Gain from this Social distancing + Stay at home Casual Look"

DIY Watercolour Holiday, Christmas and New Year Cards | Youtube Tutorial

Here is What Happened when I played with colors😅. So, did I update that I am teaching these days and for  the holidays I planned to give my students a reminder to enjoy to the fullest (though they do not need any). These are few DIY cards made on a glossy sheet with some vibrant watercolors and paintbrush.

Hope you find some last minute inspirations for your loved ones from these. I sneaked in few for my beloveds too. For more help there is YOUTUBE TUTORIAL by the end of the blog.

Supplies:-

• Glossy Sheets
• Black Gel Pen
• Paintbrush
• Water Colors
• Sparkle

Enjoy the HOLIDAYS and a NEW YEAR with your loved ones. Spread Love and Warmth with these beauties. Subscribe to the blog for more ideas like these and why keep this goodness to yourself, spread the word by sharing the content with your friends.

Read more "DIY Watercolour Holiday, Christmas and New Year Cards | Youtube Tutorial"