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:
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Beautifully written I was there in 2016 and it was a beautiful experience.
ReplyDeletehttps://duibaat.blogspot.com/2016/12/Gurgaon-to-Mcleoadganj.html
Sure it was :) and thanks for the praise
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