trip log - vaishno devi, dalhousie, dharamsala

Hey Folks,

Me back after completeing a honeymoon stretch to Vaishnodevi, Dalhousie and Dharamsala. Thanks to all o fyou who helped (Simla esp).

Heres an updtated info log incase someone might find it useful.

Reached Jammu on time by Swaraj Express from Bombay. Came out of the station and it was like any other indian town/city. There was a prepaid taxi booth where depending on the cab you took, the charges were levied. The minimum was about 700 bucks for a maruti van -one way. For a next day return it was a couple of hundred bucks cheaper. there is no bus stand outisde jammu station so please dont even think of taking a bus to katra. I looked around and spotted 2 couples who found the fare too steep so i asked if my wife and me could join them. And then we were off in a sumo (800 bucks divided by 6)...worked fine with us....then on the jammu sringara highway (NH 1), the guy stopped at a roadsided dhaba for some excellent paneer pakoras. Saw a lot of monkeys on the way and finally reached katra after an hour and a half. Drove straight to the registration counter and bought 2 tickets (free ofcourse). had to be used within 6 hours and it was only 18 30 hours...since we would hardly be staying at any hotel, decided to go in for a cheap option...next to hotel sahil just before the bus stand...there ar e a lot of small hotels/lodges...got a room for just 200 bucks, refreshed and by 9 30 we were walking towards banganga after dinner...there is a nice restaurant outisde hotel sahil ..good food....took a rick for 20 bucks to banganga....crossed over and began the walk....good arrangements if you compare any temples in south india (and this was my first visit to the north) except that the horses and the horse dung was a BIG NUSICANCE......the kilometer signages along the way need to be re done..its surely more than 12 kms cos it always seems that its near yet so far....finsihed darshan withing 15 minutes and started the walk down at 5 am....took us 4.5 hours wtih a 45 minutes break to climb up. a word of caution...never never take the stairs up....they are big and difficult and within 5 minutes you start panting (MY WIFE STILL WOULD BE CURSING ME for taking one of them along the route).
stopped on the way back at cafe day for some frappe....an dthen made it back to the hotel with great difficulty...the heat will kill you in this weather...only climb up at night !!
next tried getting a bus to pathankot to reach dalhousie...the guy at my hotel was honest in saying the 2 buses he had only had the last seats which we didnt want...i went to another travel agent an dthis guy offered me 27 and 28 and said it wa s a 40 seater bus..we were happy but after 45 minutes of waitin gat the bus stand for the bus, when it finally came, it wa sa 35 seater....so we were almost in the last seats !!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.....after 4 hours of driving, by 6 30 we were dropped off at pathankot on the main road itself where a lala type offered us taxi service to dalhousie at 1100 bucks !!!! i told him that it was to omuch ...again luckily we were met iwtih another couple who decided to share the cab....5 minutes 5 minutes only turned to 45 minutes wehre the tata indica finally arrived and then we all piled in...the route to dalhousie was excellent and it was almost past sunset....i was next to the driver and being a driver myslef, was shitting in my pants as the guy took blind curves on 50 plus speed...whoaaaaaaaaaaa......on e stretch of about 12 kms on the hills has been SCREWED UP BY THE government on the pretext of repairing it.....someone should note this or give me details of HP Govt....reached dalhouse by 10...checked in at kumars hotel next to the busstand....1000 bucks plus 10 % taxes .......ordered beer to be told that its a hill area and a bottle of beer costs 80 bucks !!!!!!! daylight robbery !!!
walked around next afternoon and reached subash chowk just 10 minutes from bus stand..took pictures and ate at a restaurant called preet which was cheap and clean and good food....then walked up to gandhi chowk....thats a bit above subhash chowk....another 20 minutes......sat there and watched kids from school etc..returned to the room to have antoher beer and slept off....next day we went to prince tours and travels just opposite the bus stand....they organise same day bus tours to khajjar and chamba....150 bucks per person....good deal as compared to 1000 bucks for a taxi !!...also booked 2 tickets to dharamsala by a 7 am bus.....took the tour to khajjar and chamba.....very very narrow and steep roads and its a wonder how these guys drive so confidnelyty and fast..my heart was always in my mouth 1!! khaajjar is nothing great to talk about...a dirty lake in the middle of a big park....visitied the musieum and temple at chamba......got down at the river beas....in ice cold water...my feet were like frozen !!!! excellent climate in dalhousie...there was a cultural program at subhash chowk which is to be held every weekend now...had fun there !!!!
were sad to leave the place and took the dirty bus to dharamsala...DISAPPOINTED..... bad climate and an even bad place...nothing in dharamsala at all ...totally comercialised.....lots of shops and people around...though you can see the snow topped mountains on the backgreound...biggest mistake....resreving at kashmir house hptdc......looks like a ramsay movie haunted house..no phones in the rooms, rooms are like a congested house boat...curtains everywhere....shit shit shit !!!!no bar...and the restaurant has 2 tables !!!! can u beat that ?? went to dauladhar...5 mintutes away...wow !! looked like a hotel, decent staff and had a bar too.....chilled out there ! and though to fmoving in from kashmir house to dauladhar....WORD OF ADVICE....PLS NEVER STAY AT KASHMIR HOUSE.......GO FOR YATRI NIVAS WHICH IS FAR OFF...OR THE BEST IS DAULADHAR.......took a cab ride 3 hours for 375 bucks to mcleodgang...went to the tibetan temple, church, an anicnet temple...walked upto the waterfall, naddi..which is the highest point and a dirty lake !!! dal lake i think its called...was happy to leave dharamsala in 2 days taking a bus to chakkibank/opathankot for my train to lucknow.....its crazy...from dauladhar hotel to the bust stand whihc is 5 mninutes by walk, the taxi fare is 50 bucks !!!!! robbery daylight !!!!!!!!!!!!
and heres the biggest sensation...according to the indian railways website, my ticket was booked for 5098 amranath express from chakkibank to lucknow...as poer the website, the train departs only on wednesdays from jammu...but my ticket showed as 25/05 : hours...luckily my wife saw the ticket and realised it was for tuesday midnight and not wednesday midnight.....i kept arguing that the train was only on a wednesday and it wasnt possible so we called up all the people we knew but all confirmed it was for tyuesday midnight...gave up one days room rent at the hotel and came to chakkibank where our names were on the reservation chart...i demand an explanatyino fron indian railways for this !!!! be carefl next time your ticket is booked on a train after midnight !!
anyway good trip overall with no major freaks.....sorry to bore you al lbut thought would share with you omy experience !!

cheers
vij
9821449747

Thanks for the trip log. It's good to have latest, first hand information on H.P.

You're right about Hotel Dhauladhar - its superb.

Interesting to read your views on Khajjiar and Dharamsala; only goes to show that things change pretty fast.