Road trip to Himachal Pradesh from Delhi

Chandigarh - Kasauli

A mystical aura has always surrounded the Himalayan Mountains, and even today, regions like Lahaul and Spiti, lie hidden inside their mighty folds. They have been geographically isolated and shrouded in a veil of mystery for centuries, and every adventurous traveller should venture here to unravel the secrets of this 'land of endless discoveries'. Also Visit - Manali Volvo Packages

Most of your journey will be on NH 22, the Great Hindustan Tibet Road, immortalized by Rudyard Kipling in his famous book 'Kim'. This road is an engineering marvel and runs alongside the gorge that India's fastest flowing river, the Sutlej, has carved out for itself. It is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful roads in the world and part of it even follows the famed 'Silk Route'. But it's difficult and demanding and the landslide prone areas have to be tackled with care. The road closes in the winter when it is snowbound and after the rains, parts of it get reduced to a rough mix of gravel and mud. The lack of facilities also means that your vehicle has to be in top condition and you have to be well prepared. This is no place for unskilled drivers and ill equipped travellers. Acclimatization to the heights is also just as important as being in good health.

Leave Chandigarh, the capital of both Punjab and Haryana and join NH 22. It is worth stopping at Pinjore to see the Mughal style gardens that are replications of the gardens of Kashmir. Then drive through the congested town of Kalka to Parwanoo, which has several resorts including the famous Timber Trails that is linked by a ropeway. Just a little ahead leave NH 22 and turn left onto a road that gradually climbs up to Kasauli, the first hill station on your tour across the Himalayas.

Kasauli - Chail

Back down to the road junction and then onto Solan, which is known for its brewery. At Kandaghat, leave NH 22 and turn right. Now commences a most enjoyable drive on a twisty and traffic free road passing through some fragrant pine forests. Having driven on a road that used to be part of the famous Himalayan Rally's route, get to Chail, the small hill -station that is located on a forested slope overlooking the Sutlej Valley.  Also Visit - Dalhousie Dharamshala Amritsar Tour

Chail – Shimla

It's a short and sweet drive on an attractive mountain road that ascends via Kufri, the winter sports centre, up to Shimla, one of the biggest and most crowded hill-stations in India.

Shimla - Thanedar

It's a fantastic drive across farmlands and past apple orchards to Narkhanda, where you leave NH 22 and turn right. The scent of pinewoods soon gives way to the heady perfume of apple orchards and after a short drive you are in Thanedar, the hill town where India's first apple sapling was planted.

Thanedar – Sangla

The narrow mountain road meanders past apple orchards until it meets up with NH 22 that takes you into the higher ranges of the Himalayas. The road runs along the Sutlej, so drive carefully because one wrong move will send you flying into its turbulent waters. Rampur is big town with most facilities, so stock up here before leaving NH 22 at Jeori and turning right for Sarahan.

Sarahan - Sangla

Down to Jeori and back to running with the River Sutlej. The road moves along a high ledge above the river gorge and the drive is made more thrilling by the suspension bridges laid across the raging Sutlej, with the longest and most frightening being the one at Wangtu. The river truly roars here and its force not only shakes the ground, but also scares you as it carves grand canyons and gorges, bulldozes boulders and pulverizes stones with its thunderous passage reverberating through the hills.

The River Baspa catches up with the Sutlej at Karcham, where you leave NH 22 and turn right for Sangla, one of the most beautiful valleys in the Himalayas.

Sangla - Tabo

Join NH 22 and stop to refuel in Powari. The next filling station is in Kaza and this is the last place you want to run dry. At the check post in Jangi, you need to present your documents and foreigners their passports and permits, so ensure they are in order. Also check if the road further up is open. This is an extremely landslide prone region and road blockages, particularly near the Maling Nalla are very common. Also Visit - Shimla Manali Tour

All along the way you have fantastic views of the Kinner Kailash peak, and as you climb higher the change in altitude is reflected in the landscape. Green fields and conifer forests give way to a high altitude, barren and windswept desert that is devoid of any vegetation. In this harsh land, religion plays a major role in sustaining life and this is clearly evident by the piles of mani (mantra) stones, prayer flags and chortens, all urging you to chant the magic mantra "Om mani padme hum", or "Behold, the jewel is in the lotus". Reciting this mantra is said to bring good fortune and wash away all sins.

After one of the most amazing drives reach Tabo, the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India.

Tabo – Kaza

It's a steady uphill climb to Kaza and enroute you must take a diversion and visit the Dhankar Gompa. Before parking for the night in Kaza, make sure you have refueled at one of the highest filling stations in the world.

Kaza – Manali

Start early as it is a tough and fairly long drive. Head to Kunzum La, which at 4551 meters, is the highest point and pass on this route. The landscape at the top is simply awesome and chilling winds howl hauntingly through the desolate and bare desert. Travellers usually stop at the temple of Goddess Kunzum and pray for a safe journey.

Once you begin your descent, the landscape happily starts blooming and the green barley fields, meadows full of flowers and clusters of willow trees are a welcome relief after the starkness of Spiti. At Gramphoo, you join the Manali Leh road and proceed to Manali via Rohtang La. This is the last of the high passes at 3978 meters, and it marks your passage from a stark and uninhabitable world with basic facilities, to a green hill - station with all the luxuries of modern civilization. A concrete box restaurant may never look this inviting again and rarely will you have a better reason to celebrate life. Its time to shift from the Sutlej to the scotch. Cheers, let it flow!

Kasauli

Situated at a height of 1850 meters, Kasauli is a charming little town with dainty English cottages and with its pretty paths and quaint old-fashioned shops; it has the appearance of being frozen in time.

It surrounded by forests with a variety of trees that attract lost of birds. In April and June, wild blooms appear everywhere and these beautiful flowers along with the picturesque surrounding hills, are a sight to behold. Also Visit - Himachal Travel Package

One of India's finest public schools, the Lawrence School, Sanawar, is also located near Kasauli. And on weekends this otherwise sleepy town comes alive with parents coming here to visit their children.

Chail

Nestled amongst towering Deodhar and Pine forests at a height of 2250 meters, Chail is one of the smallest hill stations in the Himalayas. Located on a wooded spur, Chail was once the summer residence of the Maharajas of Patiala. It was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh's favorite holiday destination and being an avid cricketer, he built a cricket ground here, which is the highest cricket ground in the world. The Maharajas of Patiala also constructed the Chail Palace that is now a heritage hotel run by Himachal Pradesh Tourism. Spread over 28 acres, the palace complex has some pretty cottages set amidst the scented forest but it could do with better service and upkeep. In spite of this, it remains the best place to stay in Chail.

Thanedar

The forbidden fruit that tempted Adam and Eve, the apple, is probably the most widely cultivated and best known fruit of temperate lands. And it came to Himachal in a fascinating manner. An American, Samuel Stokes came to India in search of spiritual salvation and made Thanedar his home. He married a local girl, embraced Hinduism and became Satyanand Stokes. Subsequently in 1916, he brought the first apple sapling and propagated its plantation, laying the foundation that has earned Himachal the title 'Apple State of India'.

Situated at a height of 2212 metres, Thanedar is surrounded by apple orchards, and faces the magical snow-clad Himalayan peaks. And the Banjara Orchard Retreat provides a delectable home stay experience in Prakash Thakur's colonial style cozy bungalow that overlooks the deep valleys of the Sutlej. Also Visit - Manali Dharamshala Tour Package

Summer is a good time to be here as the heady mountain air is filled with the perfume of thousands of flowering fruit trees.

Sarahan

Sarahan is the 'Gateway to Kinnaur' and a heady mix of religion, architecture and natural beauty. Located at an altitude of about 2000 metres on a small tableland above the picturesque Sutlej Valley, Sarahan was the ancient capital of the princely state of Rampur Bushair and is revered as one of the 51 'Shakti Peeths'. It is known for the Bhimakali Temple Complex, which was built in the 12th century, and has been described as one of the finest examples of hill architecture.

Sangla

The Sangla Valley is where snow draped Himalayan peaks lose their heights in the clouds, while below them lie saffron fields, meadows of soft grass, lush green forests with a variety of flora and fauna, small jewel-like lakes, swiftly flowing streams, rushing rivers and deep valleys with small hamlets clinging to the steep slopes.

Sangla is a stunningly pretty place and one of the most beautiful valleys in the Himalayas. Kinner Kailash, the peak revered as the abode of Lord Shiva, dominates the divine landscape and the appealing Rolling Meadows come alive in summer with the blossoming of white iris, shrubs of rhododendron in varying shades of pink, and wild flowers in a multitude of colours. And situated amongst this spellbinding beauty, is the Banjara Camp at a height of 2700 metres. It opens a doorway to Sangla, the little paradise that gives you an opportunity to discover the joys of nature's bounty. You can sit or walk along the gushing rivers, trek high into the Himalayas, angle for trout, drive to Chitkul, the last village on the ancient Hindustan-Tibet road, or simply nurse a drink around the campfire in the evening.

Tabo

In his famous book Kim, Rudyard Kipling described the Spiti Valley as a ' World within a world' and a 'Place where the Gods live'. For centuries, a mystic aura has surrounded Spiti and its remote location has kept it isolated. And behind this veil of mystery and geographical isolation lie wonders that even today, are hard to comprehend. In Spiti, where faith is as deep as the rivers swift, is one such jewel - the monastery of Tabo.  Also Visit - Uttarakhand Tour Packages

In a region where monsoon rains cannot reach, where winters are long and summers short, where the landscape has an almost ethereal and. mesmerizing bleakness, is located one of the most sacred shrines of trans-Himalayan Buddhism. Situated at a height of 3500 metres, the Tabo Gompa was built in 996A.D and is considered next in .importance to the Tholing Gompa in Tibet. With breathtaking murals and stucco images. Tabo is also called 'The Ajanta of the Himalayas', and rightly so, because it is endowed with some of the greatest art treasures in the world. Another impressive monastery in this area is the Dhankar Gompa, which is placed high in the valley at an altitude of 3890 metres.

The Banjara Retreat is the best place to stay. It offers comfortable rooms and also overlooks the Tabo Gompa.

Kaza

Kaza is a good base to visit the Ki Gompa and village of Kibber. Constructed at a height of 4117 meters, the Ki Gompa is the oldest and biggest monastery in Spiti. It possesses priceless Thanka's (fabric paintings) and an array of ancient musical wind instruments. Kibber is located at an altitude of 4205 metres and has the distinction of being one of the highest permanently inhabited villages in the world connected by a motorable road.

The best places to stay in Spiti are run by the Banjara Group and the Banjara Retreat at Kaza is equipped with comfortable rooms.

For more information about road trip to Himachal Pradesh from Delhi and Himachal Pradesh tour packages contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.