Himachal trip in April'12

Hails that sounds exciting. We experienced snow fall on 2 days when I was at Narkanda on 8th April

that's great! We couldn't reach the peak as it started raining hails... entire road and valley was covered in white... that was fun... we enjoyed heavy snowfall in Gulaba & Solang Valley

Even we couldn't made it to top; there was lots of snow (ice) after the lake.

yeah... same here... but it was heavenly!!

Hi tarun,
It was wonderful reading your posts. You must have done some extensive research work before finalising your trip. That is why the result was so sweet.

Anyways, I am planning to make a trip similar to that of yours in mid August alongwith my wife.
I from Kolkata. So, please let me know as to whether I need to start my trip from Ambala as you did or would Chandigarh or Kalka would be a better option for me.

Please suggest me an itinery.

Also, let me know about your experiences staying at various hotels during the course of your trip.

How was the service of Bobby, your driver ????

Thanks in advance.

Hi Souradipta,

Thanks. Yes the research was fun... thanks to IM members. They have been really helpful...


This depends on how you are travelling from Kolkata. I was travelling in Paschim Express from Mumbai and the only reason we started from Ambala was to save time as the train halts for more than half an hour at Ambala and 15 mins at Chandigarh.

Which places are you planning to visit and for how many days?

Shoghi - We stayed at Sunrise Villa, 1200 per night. All the rooms are facing east, it offers best view of sunrise The rooms were neat and clean, food was homely. It's far away from the hustle and bustle of Shimla

Shimla - Hotel Kapil, 1500 per night. This hotel offers great value for money. Rooms are smaller but they are clean, nicely done, hygienic and cozy. The only concern is the uphill walk to the Ridge which is hardly for 10-15 minutes. You can check my review on tripadvisor.

Manali - We stayed at company guest house.

1600 per day for Swift D'zire is an unbeatable price... but the catch is that it's private car and not a Taxi
If you are dealing with Bobby, you must share the detailed itinerary with him on e-mail and be very clear about the places you want to visit. After all it wasnt so bad dealing with him... the price matters

Hope this helps

Tarun

P.S - sorry for replying so late