As a customary farewell every year, the year 2020 was bid adieu with a trip to Dharamsala. I always had Dharamsala and Himachal stay on my wishlist. And this materialized on 18 Dec 2020. Although corona was a dampener because the temples and monasteries were closed Temporarily but no one can shutdown the tranquil nature and thanks to corona that we could avoid the seasonal rush of tourists during this time of the year. Personally, I am not a fan of crowded places or crowd for that matter. To save time we booked air tickets from Del - Dharamsala. And what a view, from the flight as we approached Dharamsala. The aerial view mesmerizing, green , brown and white mountains with conical colorful houses. Breathtakingly beautiful view of the Himalayan range like a continuous running boundary wall.
The Airport is surrounded by the Himalayan mountains with the top covered with snow like an icing on the cake. We took a cab from airport to Naddi where our hotel was located. The drive was joyous , serene , watching the mountains all around covered with greenery. That’s the beauty of Himalayas. They are so different from the other mountain ranges, unpredictable, variety describes them. Sometimes lush, sometimes barren, and sometimes covered with thick snow and need not mention how tall they are. It took 45 min drive to arrive at Naddi, a small village but quite and peaceful. Our hotel Udichee resorts is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in . Can you picture this, the hotel had a direct view of the beautiful Himalayas. Such a beautiful view! Our room window too opened to the Himalayan view. The staff is very courteous and hospitable. The rooms have all the amenities required to survive in cold weather. They have arrangements for “ sigri” and bon fire too. As soon as we arrived, we could not stop but walked straight to the terrace which has a great view of the mountains. We were offered hot Kaadha as welcome drink , much needed for immunity while traveling.Our hungry stomach craved for some delicious food and we ended up eating aloo, gobhi , paneer paranthas, followed by chole bhature and hot tea. The chilly air and soaking in the warmth of the sun whilst admiring the beauty of nature, what a combination!
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| Udichee huts, our room. |
Post refreshments and freshening up, we walked through the mcleodganj market , lined by the traditional Tibetan shops selling Buddhist artifacts and other winter garments. We walked to the Bhagsunag Falls, stopped at the shiva cafe, again what a unique ambience to experience on the mountain top. And one of the best coffees to was
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| Morning view from cottage |
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| View from terrace, early morning. |
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| Reading room. |
More on the next blog
