INDIA

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Deities of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh (HP) is a North Indian state known for its beauty, culture and colorful attire. The state is tucked in the lap of Himalayas with five mighty rivers flowing through it. Himachal is famous for its scenic beauty, apple orchards , innocent people (well...what can i say, its very subjective), International Fairs and beautiful women (I'm a himachali too..hehe). The pace of life here is slow..just how I like it :-). For anyone who is looking for some serious adventure, there won't be any dearth of virgin (favorite word of Indian men...pun intended) locations. State is well connected by road and air and not so well connected by rail/train.

Khajiar, Chamba

People flock to Himachal for adventure sports like white water rafting, snow skiing , rappelling, hiking and also for camping. Many foreign tourists also come down to HP to seek spiritual answers in Buddhist monasterys. Kullu, Dharamshala and rewalsar are the key locations of famous buddhist monasterys.

Chandertaal Lake, Spiti

Triund,Mcleodganj, Dharamshaala

Triund, Mcleodganj, Dharamshaala

 There are 3 airports in the state, Kullu-Manali Airport (Kullu, http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/kullu_generalinfo.jsp), Gaggal Airport (Dharamshala, http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/gaggal.jsp), Shimla Airport (Shimla, http://aai.aero/allAirports/shimla.jsp). You could also book bus tickets from the state roadways website (http://hrtc.gov.in/hrtc/default.aspx). Himachal is a mountainous region and roads are zig-zag. So some of you may suffer from travelling or altitude sickness. I would advice you to keep plastic pouches, napkins/tissue paper, water and anti-vomiting medicines etc handy. Afterall you would not want to embarrass yourself with puke all over your co-passengers (YUKKKKKKK). 

The closest place from himachal is Chandigarh. So you could plan your journey for himachal from chandigarh. Direct buses are available for almost all the locations of HP from Sector-43 bus terminal in Chandigarh. Once in  HP, you would find ample places to stay from Hotels/Motels to these budget accommodations called Dharamshala. (There is a town called dharamshaala too..Dont confuse). Do not expect these type of dharamshalaas and cheap hotels/motels to be hygienic, rather be ready for hell (My experience). Indians still have some tolerance for not so hygenic places but foreigners spare yourself the horror and opt for some good hotels. If you are travelling in the winter season i.e., from Nov-Feb, you should make all the  bookings well in advance. That is the peak tourist season here, so advance bookings would be a great thing to do. 

10 Places I would recommend:

1. Shimla

2. Manali

3. Kasol (Paradise for Israelis)

4. Manikaran

5. Kheer ganga

6. Parashar

7. Chandertaal

8. Dharamshaala

9. Chamba

10. Bijli Mahadev

I would write a detailed blog about individual locations soon..I hope

Shimla

The Ridge, Shimla

Kullu

Parashar, Katoula, Distt: Mandi

Parashar, Distt:Mandi

The Mall, Manali

Manali

FESTIVALS

Festivals are an integral part of himachali traditon and culture. When it comes to celebrating festivals himachalis know how exactly to do it. Festival's are celebrated as Fair's. Almost every district has its own fair once a year. And fair means a week long official vacation, alcohol, dance and yummilicious food. Two of these fairs that i've been to are Dusshra (Kullu) and Shivratri (Mandi). Below are the pictures from those two fairs. Fascinating..isnt it? It would give a beautiful insight to you people into himachali culture. Caution: If you plan  on to attend any such fair , do it only if  a 100 zillion people at one place are not a problem for you (Just an advice).

Traditional music instrument, Dusshera, KUllu

Shivratri Fair, Mandi

FOOD

I LOVE HIMACHALI FOOD (Yes, I do..I do..I do....and i'm married to food now..I'm Mrs Aditi Food, woooooohoooo. Leave your comments down below to congratulate me..hehehe). There is a wide variety of food in himachal pradesh. Unfortunately, there are not many restaurants where you can try the authentic himachali cuisine. Good news is,  there are atleast some. Ill do a detailed blog on these traditional restaurants too..soon..again, I hope. If you want to try the real goodness, get hold of some himachali and ask him/her to take you to a Dhaam. Dhaam has it all my friends...all of it...trust me..From sour meat (called khatta meat, indigineous to kangra dhaam) to black daal& jhol to meethe chawal (My mouth is already drooling). Dhaam basically is white rice with a variety of vegetarian and meat curries. People sit on the floor, eat on leaves with hands. In manali there is a restaurant called Dham and one in kullu called Sapna sweets where they serve traditional food..a must try folks.

Baabru and Bhalle, Traditional himachali food

Momos

Quintessential Dhaam

DO's & DON'Ts

DOs

1. Do keep some food always in your bag: Roads might get blocked due to landslides sometimes..and you'll be stuck for 10 hours with nothing to eat
2. Do keep a jacket with you: weather is quite playful here
3. Do wear the most comfortable shoes
4. Do keep your load light
5. Do keep a check on what you wear (women especially)
6. Do keep a small knife with you (Safety first... also you can use it to cut some fruits...hehe)
7. Do keep your camera ready all the time
8. Do keep your first aid box when you pack your travel bag
9. Do haggle (It'll take you a long way)

DON'Ts

1. Don't carry alot of cash with you
2. Don't drink unbottled water (is unbottled even a word?)
3. Don't hesitate to try new food (It'll be worth it)
4. Don't trust people (People in mountains are usually good, but as a traveler you need to be careful)
5. Don't travel to remote areas in night (It might get difficult, unless you have a local to guide you through)

And ttttaaadddddaaa!! You are good to go.

COST OF LIVING/TRAVELING

1. Bus ticket (Luxury bus/Volvo, from Chandigarh to most of the destinations in HP): INR 1500-2000 ($23-$30)
2. Taxi (Local travel, 5 Km): INR 100-200 ($2-$5) 
3. Food/person (Roti/Naan & curry in a roadside restaurant): INR 60- 100 ($1-$2) 
4. Food/person (Roti/Naan & curry in a upmarket restaurant): INR 800- 1200 ($12-$18) 
5. Hotel/Motel/Night (An avegare place): INR 500-2000 ($12-$30)
6. Beer (Budwiser): INR 110-160 ($2-$3)
7. Rent/month (2 room set): INR 2500-3000 ($38-$45)

A foreign traveler can travel across the state in ~750-1000 USD (50,000-65000)

An Indian traveller can travel across the state in ~380-500 USD (25,000-35,000)

Difference in the travel expenses could be primarily attributed to food and accommodation. Moreover it depends on traveler to traveler.

Let me know if you have any plans to travel to Himachal Pradesh and if you want any more information. Leave a comment if you want to know more about the state and follow the blog.

***Love is the absence of Judgement ~ Dalai Lama*** Go ahead and fall in love. Start with yourself first

Happy travel  folks!

Much love

Aditi