Shimla

 

Planning the perfect holiday in Shimla

If you are planning a holiday to Shimla, but unsure of what to do in Shimla, then this article is for you

Step into Shimla for a vibrant exposure of historical, cultural and architectural blend with a strong influence of Indian- British history. If you spend a few days wandering here and there, you’ll find plenty of things to explore from adventure tours to visit heritage sites, hill forests and knowing the local culture .You must embrace the summer ambience of Mall road, explore the spectacular views of hill forests, exhilarating bike riding on mountains, feel the bustling craziness of Bazaars and much more.

This article will assist you in every single step through to make your holiday in Shimla a total unforgettable experience!

What to wear-Pack your warm clothes to keep yourself really warm and cozy. The best clothes to carry are some layered ones so as to get you ready in the exotic snow land of Kufri. The other advice is to keep a beanie or a helmet for your head to keep you safer on the hills. Good gloves are must during winters as the temperature in winters can go down to below freezing point whilst summers are mild and sunny, sometimes. Therefore, it’s preferable for you to carry good warm clothes in summers as well.

Best season to go-The best time to visit Shimla is April to August during summers and December to January in winters. The winter months from December onwards are perfect for snow lovers to do skiing and ice-skating.

Culture and People- Shimla is full of life, local people are more popularly named ‘Shimlaites’ with a large population of cosmopolitan crowds coming every year to celebrate Shimla Summer Festival usually lasts from 3-4 days. The famous performers from India are the special highlights of the festive mood. The town celebrates Christmas and New Year in a very bustling style when snowfall is the highest around the area.

How to reach- There are a number of options to reach Shimla and the best and less exhausted way is to take a flight from Delhi as the Junnarhatti airport is 23kms from Shimla and flights are mainly from Delhi. This can be a little expensive, but reaching the destination more relaxed is money well spent. One can book taxi for a pickup service from airport and for travelling in and around the place. The other budgeted way is to opt for a train from Kalka, Chandigarh, and Delhi. The information for trains can be listed accessed from Indian-Railway website.

 

The road tours are best for families and friends. Either hires a taxi or drive into Shimla by choosing from Chandigarh to Shimla117 km, from Manali is 280 km, from Chail is 45 km and from Delhi is at a distance of 370 km. The last good option is deluxe bus coaches that can be hired from Delhi, Kalka, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Jammu direct to Shimla.

Places to visit

Stroll on the Mall road

One must visit the Mall in Shimla, a premier shopping precinct in the heart of the town featuring various sundry and souvenir shops to buy variety of clothes, carpets, pickles, jams whilst the bustling sound of lower bazaars is best to meet local people who are popular for selling, hardware, confectionery, spices, fabric etc. Once you are indulging in the exhilarating shopping experience you can see the echoes of ancient charm of British-India history in the hand-painted signs and portraits seen around the market. The unforgettable experience of going down the mall road is the best ever experience and if you want to explore more, you will discover some of the best food stalls on the Mall road to must try Shimla’s special Shepherd’s Pie and yummy Uradh dal served with steamed rice.

Experience the real snow

If you are a snow lover and would love to do skiing then half an hour drive from Shimla to Kufri will give you the real chilling experience of snow. Kufri is a major snow resort of Himachal Pradesh and a premier ski destination for adventure sports over from nation and across the nation and around the globe. You will experience the spectacular views as you whiz down the slopes on your snowboard or skis on this fascinating day trip. Pony riding to the top of the mountain is one of the highlights of the snow town. Kufri has everything you need for the perfect winter experience.

Checklist of essentials

♦ Waterproof pants with a jacket

♦ Extra warm clothes

♦ Ski goggles

♦ Waterproof ski gloves or mittens

♦ Head covers or helmets

♦ Warm jumper weaved with light wool undergarments/thermals

♦ Sunscreen

♦ Long socks - light/medium weight

♦ Lip balm

 

Explore the Ridge and Jakhu Temple

If you are religious or not, we recommend you not to miss this extraordinary temple tour of Jakhu Temple to review Shimla’s beauty from close. The best way to reach temple is from the Scandal point through the flat open area famously the Ridge sprawling east to Christ Church followed by a trail to the uphill in the mid of lush green forests reaching towards Jakhu temple. As you start the walking trip, the positive vibes can be felt in the soul which is just an experience equal to one hour yoga session. The grandeur is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is situated on the top of Jakhu hill at an altitude of 2455 metres above the sea level. Don’t miss out the healing experience of nature.

Reminisces of past

The best experience of heritage tour is to get a ticket to Viceroy Lodge. As soon you enter the grandeur building of Viceroy Lodge ,also known as “Rashtrapati Niwas’’ you will feel a connection with a past when India was under British. This majestic building was once the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin built in 1888.The ancient architectural style and designs are English Renaissance with light blue masonry made of limestone and sandstones used for making the wrought. The breathtaking six story building is now “Indian Institute of Advanced Studies”and surrounded by a splendid lush green garden area. The entry in the lodge is by ticket only. The gates are open for public on every Sunday.

Spend a day at Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri

If you are planning to stay more near Kufri then it is extra credited with the presence of Himalayan Nature Park in Kufri, around 16 kms from Shimla. Perhaps Himalayan Nature’ Park is best for children and nature lovers to untamed the world of nature .The park is relatively small compared to other attractions, however the site’s natural ski slopes are a natural habitat for about 140 species, including Snow Leopard, Yak, Ghoral, Himalayan thar etc. The park also boasts the endangered Himalayan Species ‘Monal’. This would definitely be a rejuvenating experience for a relaxing break in the lap of nature.

Things to do

Trekking

The trip is incomplete for adventure seekers without spending extended week trekking tour starting from Shimla and some of the popular trekking routes starts from Shimla to Kullu over the Jalori Pass (3300 m) Shimla to Kullu via Bashleo Pass (3250 m), Shimla- Rohroo- Sangla, and Sarahan to Sangla. Shimla to Hatupeak, Shimla  to the Shalipeak, Shimla to Churdhar, Shimla to Chail, Shimla to Junga and Shimla to Tattapanio. So stretch your legs and strengthen your soul for India’s best walking trails on the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas with a blend of low lying hills to giant slopes. If you are alone and very much interested for trekking tours, then this would probably be the best option to make friends and meet other people.

Mountain biking

The extra adventure is mountain cycling on the hills from Shimla to Kaza which includes Rekong Peo and Sumdoh, around 320 km long route features the very rough and tough slopes to experience the adventure ride to the cyclists with different types of riding is strictly used by the professionals on raw slopes. The 475 km long route is the Leh-Manali road linking Ladakh to the tourist town gives you the extra puffing experience inclusive of riding on very rough roads and cold desert of Ladakh, Spiti and Lauhaul. This expedition can last for 14 to more days.

 

Face the fear with Paragliding

If you want to win your fears, then go for a Paragliding experience from the sublime mountains and slopes of Kangra valley for gliding lovers or beginners. You need a car or a bus to reach the valley, as; it takes around 4-5 hour journey. This unique experience will jerk you to enjoy both Paragliding and hang gliding. The hot spots of gliding are on Bir and Billing in the Kangra valley and the Billing peak has been hosting international and five national hang gliding and Paragliding rallies. This is the best time to go for this wonderful adventure with friends.

Fishing

Shimla has something to offer much more for fish-lovers to do fishing activities. You can choose a good fishing site from Rohru, Tikri, Sandsu, Dhamvari, Seema and Mandil. All these spots are within 20 kilometres of Rohru. Uhl river near Barot and Baspa river in Sangla are also famous fishing spots. You can try your fish luck on a plenty of Rainbow and Brown trouts in the shallow water streams.

Never miss to visit Shimla for a perfect holiday experience.

 

Cheers!