Palampur or other similar places in Kangra distt.

Tentative plan:
Reach Chandigarh 28/11
30/11 Chandigarh to Palampur?? or anywhere else in Kangra district but not Dharamsala/McLeodG.

2 days in or around Palampur: What to do? Not particularly interested in temples other than to see the rock cut structures at Masroor.
What is the Bir Billing area like?
Any possibility of nature oriented activities like easy walks through forests etc.
Mountain views?
How are the HPTDC hotels here? Or any other mid range hotels in quiet areas?

Suggested good road route from Chandigarh to Palampur, or is it better to stay at Kangra? Hotels in Kangra and what to do there?

Ive gone through the threads and posts here about Palampur etc so have some vague idea.

4th day to Dalhousie:
Best road route from Palampur/Kangra to Dalhousie.
6/12 to Amritsar.

I had earlier posted a separate thread for Dalhousie/Khajjiar so will follow that there.

Is there enough to enjoy from a nature point of view in the 1st week of Dec in the Kangra region itself i.e. skip Dalhousie altogether? Eventually we must go to Amritsar so please bear that in mind.

Thanks in advance

Not sure why you haven't considered the train option but the Kangra railway route from Kangra to Palampur
is said to be very scenic.

Thanks for the link Niknik, but we are not interested in the train ride. Isn't the road journey scenic? On Google Earth the road appears to skirt the Dhauladhar range.


Basically the stay at Palampur or anywhere in Kangra distt. is to break the journey from Chandigarh to Dalhousie and eventually to Amritsar.

Hasnt anyone here been to Palampur?

hi synonymous,
The rest of the guys on the forum may not agree with me, but i personally didn't really like palampur as compared to the rest of the places in himachal. If you are any way planning to go that side then its worth staying a day there. But I would definitely prefer Dalhousie and Khajjiar over palampur..I would rather spend more days in dalhousie/khajjiar just chilling out than spend time travelling to palampur etc.. Again, i would like to point out thats becoz i'm not the kinds who needs too many activities in the day. I don't mind just staying in a beautiful place and walking around aimlessly.

Snonymous,

Very good trek possible from Bir to Billing if there is no snow fall in Billing - I think about 4 hrs going up. There are other day trekking options around Bir. At Bir Tibetan colony, you can find low cost clean stay options. A room in a hostel run by some monks in the Tibetan Village cost us Rs 150 or 200 in Feb this year. You can find fancier places also. There is also a beautiful cross country walk from Bir Tibetan Colony to Baijnath via Sherab Ling monastery. Walk is through tea gardens, fields and a forest. Alternatively, you can walk on a country road - beautiful scenery, no traffic ...Would also recommend a ride in the Kangra Valley train - very scenic. Will refer you to my blog for more details on what you can do in Kangra Valley.

Thank you Tweety and Writersblock

Tweety, it is too long a journey from Chandigarh to Dalhousie, that is why we chose Palampur as a sort of mid way break. From whatever I have found on the net so far and through Outlook Traveller's Himachal guide, it appears to be very scenic with lots to see and do. Secondly, I came across a lot of posts both here and elsewhere saying that Khajjiar is also over rated, Dalhousie is not so good and so forth.

Writersblock, thanks for the link.
Excellent blog and lovely pictures giving me a lot of ideas for the Palampur region.
Barot also looks so scenic
Is this pic of yours at Barot


We have sort of narrowed down on the HPTDC hotels, they are offering winter discounted rates from 15/11 onward.

I also found out from someone on Flickr that the road from Bir to Billing is through dense forest and in quite good condition.

Anyone knows about Bundla, Neugal Khad and the Masroor temples? I read a bit in Madri's thread but was looking for more info.

Thanks

Yes, the picture is of Barot. There is a road from Bir to Billing but also a shorter trail which may be better for walking. All the best.

I'd say Bir & Billing are much better than Palampur for nature, or better still Mandi & Rewalsar Lake.KK

Thanks Kullukid for the suggestions. I looked up Mandi & Rewalsar lake in Outlook's Himachal and also did a little searching on the net. It seems to be more known for its surrounding temples from what I could find out, though Im sure you know better.

Are there no forests and rivers around Palampur?

Not really it's a big sprawled out town by Himalayan standards, & is mainly surounded by tea plantations,like you say the views of Dauladar range are good from there,but you'll see them on your journey west anyway,the road sort of skirts along the bottom of the Mountains.
It sounds like you want to be in nature, the forests above Bir seem to fit the bill & if you want rivers then Mandi's the place & yes it's a Temple town, but the Temples there are very old & of interesting archicture. IMHO some of the best views looking down into the very deep very green Kangra valley are just North West of Mandi & there are lot's of nice peaceful touristy places with great viewpoints.
Rewalsar is a bit in the wilderness & surrounded by forests, the lakes grreat & verreee peaceful, but if you want the best experience go 30 mins uphill from Rewalsar to PadfmaSambhava's caves, it's a verreeee Shanti place & the long distance views of the snow capped peaks above Manali are amazing.
See my pic's; http://picasaweb.google.com/kullukid...nhj9aztKvw1gE#

Thanks again and very nice pictures Kullukid but it all looks very built up, and Im not that keen on these temples, having recently had my fill of really ancient and exquisite Dravidian architecture.

Anyway, it may be worth driving from Chandigarh via Mandi to the Palampur area since we will have a car, Im sure the drive is scenic. Based on our trip to Narkanda in April, I expect that road distances are really meaningless in terms of how long it takes to get from A to B. Any idea about the roads in this area?

I see that the temperatures are already in the 15C max range, by the first week of December it should be substantially lower?

Anyone been to Neugal Khad and Bundla?