Dalhousie-Dharamsala trip during Oct'2008

thanks for your pointer indranil.will be much useful when i tour himachal in may 09.

My Bro-in-law got in touch with Vinay Sharma from an agency based in PTK (Bedi Travels) few days back, and his contact info is +91.98884.54694.

We got a good service, which may not hold good for you for many reasons. Clarify the points before you finalize anything. Also see Vasuki's post about some other agency in the 1st page.

Hello,

Can you elaborate on the negatives?

Many Thanks!

Ahh, good to answer a thread that I created long back !

From my little HP experience (1 tour in the Shimla belt and another around Dalhousie), around Shimla, the booking is done at a comprehensive price (including driver's night charge, acco, fuel everything). They will tell you a max kilometer (200 km typically) after which they will charge extra.

But my experience with Dalhousie/Pathankot area is that you need to decide on points you want to go while doing the deal. Deciding the itinerary before you board the car, to me, is kind of less elastic - my purpose of hiring a car is lost. WTF, I have to pay some extra bucks to go a place I just heard at my hotel ?

Our driver took Rs. 600/- extra for the Jwalamukhi trip (which was in our itinerary but we didn't spell it out specifically considering that now the car is ours and we would not be crossing 200 kms anyway)!

At the end he got a Rs. 200 trip - I guess he wasn't happy, but my bro-in-law was dealing anyway!

Other issues can be a different mind set. I had a friend who didn't like at all that his driver was continuously talking about the places they were driving through, some chit-chats etc. I would have personally liked it though!

I spoke to Vinay. He told me that it will be Rs. 2500 per day flat for Innova + Rs.100 per night to the driver. Some extra taxes for the Jammu leg (2 days) which would come to 400 in total. All in all, seems like a decent deal to me.


However, given that we are a group of 7 we are contemplating Tempo Traveller.

Is that "2500 per day flat for Innova" means that it includes fuel charges or others like Toll etc.

Effectively, it's 2600/- for you, though the Rs. 100 you pay directly to the driver.

As per our deal last year, that includes parking fees, fuel, driver's food and acco. as well.

Thanks to all specially Indracal for providing such helpful info.I visited Dalhousie,Dharamsala circuit last week of Oct and it was a very good experience.

Chandraj, good to hear that our chit chats help, that's why this forum is for.

Why don't you scrible down your itinerary, hotel details/review etc along with transports taken for help of other travellers to that area?

Hi IndraCal,

Many thanks for your response.


The itinerary was as below:

25/10 - To Dalhousie from PTK and Dal locals
26/10 - Leave Dal for Khajjiar.Visit DainKund and Kalatop on our way
27/10 - Leave Khajjiar for Bhagsunag.Onway visited Laxmi Narayan Temple and museums at Chamba
28/10 - Local Mc Leodganj, Naddi and DharamSala
29/10 - Visit Chinmaya Tapovan,Kunal Pahadi and Char dham(Chamunda-ji,Kagra-devi,Jwala-devi and Chitpurni-ji).Back to PTK station

Just for info:
For renovation Dal lake has been dried up. It may take 1-2 months to restore it

We have booked an Indica from PTK itself. We had booked the Sumo from 25/10 morning to 29/10 night(4 nights/5days) from Pathankot stn to Pathankot stn. We booked it with the Travel co - Sagar Tour 94176-02979 – in PTK.
The deal was finalized at 5500/-. This charge includes toll/parking/Driver Acco etc.

Later on our way to Dalhousie the car broke down. They provided a different car from different company. This guy(Contact number : 09882164408/09417317153 Name: Lovely) as a driver was good and knowledgeable but as he was from different company so he asked for Rs. 1200/- for Jwalaji & Chintpurni temple, which we decided to pay(although it was initially agreed Jwala-ji to be part the tour).


So altogether, the experience was good.


- Chandrajit

I am planning to travel Dharamsala-->Palampur--->Khazier---> Dalhousie---->Amritsar in first week of Jan'10.I have three queries---
Q1) I have received a rate for SUMO/MAHINDRA MAX @1600/day inclusive everything for 7 days from Pathankot to Amritsar. Is it ok?
Q2) Hotel rate app. 500/day ( private hotels), is it ok?
Q3) What could be the rate at HPTDC TRH'S after 05/01/2010, any idea (considering winter discount, which is not available on the website?

Hello all and esp IndraCal,

I have a very similar iternary of the dhaluadhar circuit this Apr 11.

http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...rnary-t124671/

You could have a look on the same and please comment as er your experience in this region.

Also while going through your and other posts, there were some places i found that i had missed out. I might be able to add a day to cover as many of those. Please let me know of the one wirth of the below :-
Bharmour
DainKund
Kalatop
palampur
Baijnath

bear that i am going with my family, elderly parents and not looking for trek or that sort. Just enjoy a small & memorable trip

Hi Darshan,

Saw your post at http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...1/#post1107674.

It is anyway pretty hectic, as there are rarely places where you are staying for 2 or more nights - but if you (elderly people) can pull it off, it should be fine. Not that no one does this itinerary.

I would suggest not to add anything more to it, as you said you would probably not like to get into trekking or similar stuff.

Few comments:

• I'm unsure why one would like to see a cricket stadium which hosted IPL (not to offend you in any way, but it just struck me .
• The Kalatop forest bungalow is a 3+3 km trek (to & fro) - very easy one - but not sure whether your elderly team members can do it - as I'm unsure of their physical conditions. But any person with average fitness should be able to do it.
• Also you can think of staying at Khajjiar forest bungalow after you complete the Dalhousie points (frankly nothing much to see in the ones that you specify). AFAIK, in that case HP Forest Dept allows one to take the vehicle up. But you need to confirm this, because rules change - and this change would be for good!

hi indracal,

thanks for replying..

i just saw some post by a fellow indiamike member saying that the place around the cricket ground is worth visiting, so had thought of adding it...

hope the way up to kalatop is motor able or probably me and bro would need to head off there early morning, to cover it up.

could you tell me more about the below places in case if you have been there:-
Bharmour
DainKund
Baijnath
palampur

this is in a long time that i am visiting the north, so i guess you could understand my anxiety...

Sorry for the delay in reply!

Bharmour - fantastic temple complex, but road was in shambles when we were there (2008). We started from Chamba around 12 noon, and reached back at 7:30 in a sumo. I presume it would be quite hot in April.

Baijnath - Have not been there.

Palampur - Was thrilled to see the tea gardens and the snow capped peak - can't recollect the name right away. It was Nov 2008.

Dainkund: Nothing can beat the post made by Pintz at Stopping by Himachal on Snowy Evenings - Dainkund, Dalhousie etc., read on!