Himachal Pradesh - In the lap of the Himalayas

Hey there beautiful people! This is my first post in the travel blog and I hope all my readers enjoy it. Please don't forget to leave your love and comments. 

Do stop by my INSTAGRAM account for more picture of the trip

INTRO

I remember telling my mother as a child that one day when I grew up I would travel the world. She would always laugh and tell me how I had an entire life time to do that. Honestly, now that I've started travelling, I feel a life time is less for seeing every corner of this beautiful world out there. 

I've traveled around few places in my country (India) in last few years, among which few to mention are : Bhopal, Sikkim, Indo-China Border, Sandakphu Trek (India'Nepal border, 14000ft, Himalayas), Kodaikanal, Himachal Pradesh, Kanha National Park (chattisgarh), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya. 

And all of them had their own wonderful experiences. 

I've discovered how resourceful I can be when I'm exposed to new places, people and experiences. When you've successfully completed a trip, you know you've experienced something unfamiliar and leave with new skills and knowledge. 

Another reason why I love to travel is because it opens my mind, which makes me realise that there's no one way to live life. Meeting people from different parts of the country or the world, shows me that our world view isn't the same as everyone else's.

In this post I'm going to share my trip to Himachal Pradesh. Now, most of you guys must have already visited the place or maybe planning to visit it, and few might not be familiar with the place as well. So just sit back and enjoy the experience I had, because like my dad says, every experience is unique. 

TRIP EXPERIENCE 

Kasol-Tosh-Kheerganga

So, I took a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi (INR 3300/-). One of the most important thing about travelling with minimum expenses is that I generally pre-plan my entire trip in order know the exact itinerary. That helps me sort my priorities into sections. For example, I usually don't spend much on the travel part, rather I spend comparatively more on the hostels and homestays. 

So yes, I took a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi, which I had prebooked, and then a bus from Delhi at night 9 PM that dropped me to Bhuntar (himachal pradesh) at morning 7am (INR 950/-) It was a smooth 12 hours journey and I remember sleeping like a baby. From Bhuntar I took a local taxi (INR 150/-) to Kasol.  Kasol - A picturesque village in Kullu, stretched along river Parvati, is perfect and relaxing getaway for backpackers and explorers. The serene little village is 42 km away from the Bhuntar Airport offering a treat to mind and soul. It is on the way as you tread towards Manikaran, a holy place for Sikhs best known for its hot water springs. There are abundant treks and mini hikes that can take you to tremendously beautiful villages. I stayed there for a day, in a beautiful cozy homestay, Deep forest (INR - 1200/-) on the hill top and enjoyed the peaceful evening after the long journey. Kasol is the place to stir up old hobbies that get lost in your urban routine. I sat by the fire place, reading my book, "I am the mind" by Deep Trivedi, sipping in coffee and the my favourite Italian Cuisine, Lasagna. 

Next day, it was a bright spring morning, I got up at the sun rose and sneaked in through my window. I had my english breakfast in The Rainbow Cafe. Now Rainbow cafe is comparatively a higher end restaurant in Kasol  because of it's location and interiors (INR - 1000/-) but the food is remarkably delicious. Later I headed towards my next destination, that was Tosh. Tosh is a village lying at the height of 7900 ft on the top of the hill surrounded by mountains from all side. Tosh offers breath taking view of Parvati Valley. I took a bus from Kasol to Manikaran (INR 50/-) and then proceeded to Barshaini, from where I trekked around 7 kms to reach this place called, Pink Floyd cafe. As the whole village is located in the hilly terrain and there is no motorable roads, the places are easily accessible walking around. Pink Floyd cafe is one of the oldest and most famous cafe/homestay in Tosh and the owners are super friendly. (Overnight staying cost - INR 1000/- for double occupancy, view room). I got ready, picked up my camera and got lost in the nature. I met a group of girls in the trip, one with a guitar. I joined them and listened to their stories and sang through the night. Tosh being pretty cold, we all slipped into our blankets in the bed very soon. 

And then came the big day next morning, when I along with the other group of girls, headed to this beautiful trek to Kheerganga. It is a 12 hours trek, up and down and is about 28 kms up hill and down hill from Tosh. It is 13,050 ft above the sea level. We passed through various hot water springs and waterfalls. A trek so beautiful that physical workout felt like a picnic. A destination so picturesque where it felt like I was in the land of Heidi. A dream like natural pool surrounded by snow but warmed by hot springs. Was I dreaming? Maybe! 

We slept in the tents (INR - 400/- per tent), only to wake up in the lap of the mountains and nature. I had my garma garam maggie for my breakfast. Also, this strange thing about having Maggie in the mountains is that it tastes completely different from the one we make in our houses, lol. Anyway, after feasting on Maggie and chai , I trekked down to Tosh. I took a taxi this time (INR 250/-) from Tosh to Kasol, my legs had given up on me after the trek. I went back to Deep forest homestay again, and spent my night there.

Tirthan valley

From here began the second part of the trip, when I took a local bus (INR 70/-) to Banjar from Kasol busstop, and from there headed towards Tirthan valley via cab (INR 300/-), as the buses dont go any further than Banjar. 

Tirthan is a complete offbeat place and not many people know about it. It is located 50km south of Kullu at an altitude of 3500ft . The scenic locale derives its name from the river Tirthan, a tributary to the Beas river in Himachal. Tirthan Valley falls under the great Himalayan national park (GHNP), a UNESCO site, and has a huge flora and Fauna, that resembles a picture perfect painting, that is sure to appeal to nature lovers, trekkers, bird watchers, adventure enthusiasts, and just about anyone who wishes to disconnect from the mundane. 

I decided to stay back in this beautiful resort named "Trishla Resort", which stood on the bank of the river, offering a great view of the mountain on one side and river on the other. And it turns out that  Trishla is the main attraction of the this place, surround by apple and cherry orchards on three sides and by the Tirthan river teeming with trout, on the fourth, it set a typical of the idyllic Himalayan lifestyle of the yore, and takes one back into the time and civilization. Trishla Resort is the oldest and the well maintained resort one could ever find. It being the only resort in that area, and because of the high maintenance, was a bit expensive (INR 3500/- per room/ per night, including breakfast and dinner). Also they only accommodate couples, families and solo travelers in it. One can find other camping sites and hostels in and around Tirthan Valley that ranges from INR 800 to INR 2000 per night. 

 I spent my evening fishing with two other old couples, who turned out to be a travel enthusiasts since their early twenties. The 62 years old man said, that he was a colonel, and that after retirement he decided to continue with his passion for paintings and selling them online, which now has a worth in dollars. Such an inspiration! 

The next day I woke up to another blissful morning, starting my trek to Jalori pass. I took a cab (INR 1000/- up & down) from Trishla to the trekking point, from were I had to walk for another 5 kms till I reached the Serolsar lake. At the height of 10,821 ft, with no population or village around, Jalori pass has a small and beautiful Mahakali temple and few shops offering basic food. Studying in a Medical college, I asked one the shop holders how did they reach for medication if someone fell sick, because there was a chart that read that the doctors just visited once in a while. To which he laughed and answered, "being surrounded by such serene, peaceful and beautiful mother nature, who would fall sick on the first place." Which is a shocking true fact. I sat there for a while sipping coffee, before I headed towards Serolsar lake. It is a 5km easy trek from Jalori, at an altitude of 3199m, surrounded by thick vegetation of alpine Forrests. There is a myth about this particular lake, which says, even if a small leaf falls into the lake the birds around take them out of the lake and keeps the water crystal clean. The water of the lake is believed to have medicinal properties. I spent sometime, clicking pictures of the serene beauty, and then headed back to Trishla, to treat my stomach with Delhi's famous butter chicken and phulka Roti. 

The day after was a day to rest and pack things up before I started my journey back to hyderabad. I spent my day roaming in the near by village named Gurshaini which is around 2Km from Trishla. Later that evening I sat by the river side, with the bonfire lit at one side. I was accompanied by my new four legged friend Bhalu, a German shepherd that belonged to the owner of trishla. 

Eventually the night fell darker and soon it was the day when I had to leave Himachal. Taking in all the memories and experiences, I heartily thanked Aman Bhaiya (owner of the place) for his humble hospitality, and told him that there was no place like tirthan and that trishla was the heart of it. 

I took a bus to Banjar,  and then headed towards Bhuntar and from there to Delhi. I had my train tickets confirmed in rajdhani express, which directly brought me back to Hyderabad. 

Spurred by the writing of this blog, about my days on the road, I find myself wandering the halls of memory reminiscing about my days on the hills. 

I smile, as my heart whispers to me, "Until next time."