Saturday 24 December 2016

Shimla - Queen of Hill Stations

Last month, it was a wedding season and I had to visit Shimla to attend my friend's wedding. Considering the onset of winters and the upcoming weekend I planned to convert it into a wedding vacation ...Yipeee ... 2 hours and the tatkal bookings and hotels were all checked, bags packed and we were ready to explore Shimla !!


Day 1 - 19 November, 2016
With the much excitement on, we left New Delhi on Saturday morning in Shatabdi and arrived at Kalka around 11:50AM. Boarded a sharing cab to Shimla and off we were on the zig zag trails. The weather was super pleasant, chilly winds and little sunshine welcomed us to the crowded mall road of Shimla. We trekked onto our hotel which was near to the ridge - Hotel Shiwalik regency, pretty average one, we got a good deal though :P. Tired and exhausted, we crashed onto our beds for almost 3 hours. Post the evening snacks we strolled at the ridge, sneaking the Shimla's dazzling night view. Had a light dinner at the Sher-e-Punjab restaurant at the mall and we walked back to our hotel.


Day 2 - 20 November, 2016
Rising with the morning sun is fun when you are at a hill station. The cool breeze and the sounds of the winds is a heaven to experience all together. We had our breakfast at the Wake and Bake Cafe (near the Ridge) and strated to explore the Shimla Heritage Walk. With a total distance of 2.5 Km one way, it was fun to experience all the major attractions of Shimla. Listing them for you below. Pics of each attraction would be followed by the end of the post.

Top 5 Major Attractions -

  • The Ridge
  • Rashtrapati Niwas
  • Jakhoo Mandir
  • Christ Church
  • The Mall Road

Heritage Walk Points -

1. Scandal Point
2. General Post Office
3. St. Andrew's Church
4. Bantony
5. Grand Hotel
6. Kalibari temple
7. State Bank of India
8. Railway Board Building
9. Gorton Castle
10. Vidhan Sabha
11. Knockdrin
12. Command House
13. Shimla Sanitarium
14. Oberoi Cecil
15. Chauramaidan Post Office
16. Inverarm - The State Museum
17. All India Radio
18. Peterhof HPTDC Hotel
19. Armsdell 1939
20. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies
21. Holcombe
22. Artrac
23. DC Office
24. Central Telegraph Office

After a long tiring day, we had covered almost 90% of Shimla's attractions. And off we slept after a sumptuous dinner accompanied with a hot ginger tea.

Day 3- 21 November, 2016
The wedding day, it was. We had almost half of the day prior to the wedding and we decided to start the day by visiting the famous Jakhoo temple. It was a uphill climb and we took a taxi to and fro. After the darshans and exciting encouters with monkeys we planned to stroll along the mall road, lower bazaar and the lakkar bazaar. Hopping at different eating joints and with some shopping as well we came back to our hotel at 6PM. Got decked up for the wedding and off we went to the New Shimla. This place is about 30 minutes away from the main Shimla and is more residential with no attractions around. We were back from wedding around 12 in the night and it was absolutely silent night with winds blowing amongst the trees, giving such a spooky feel. ;)

Day 4 - 22 November, 2016
The check out day. We packed our bags, had stuffed paranthas and took the famous toy train back to Kalka. With 103 tunnels on the way, small station breaks, tall deodars on both the sides, breathtaking valley views, sun shining at its best, we reached Kalka railway station around 4PM. Hopped onto our next train shatabdi and we reached New Delhi at 10PM.


It was a lovely trip with lots of kickass moments, funny incidents, spooky night feel, destination wedding and the two of us-Enjoyed the 4 days to the core!

Happy tripping !!!

Rashtrapati Niwas
Christ Church
Jakhoo Mandir
Gorton Castle
Vidhan Sabha
Command House
Standing Tall !!
Scandal Point
Valley View - Simla

Shimla Railway Station

6 comments:

  1. This is the enthralling post which has been shared by you in the best possible manner. I like this very much because it provides many basic information in all the ways. This will be more useful for the tourists too.
    http://www.shimlakullumanalihoneymoon.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pareek .. Glad that you liked the post ...
      Feel free to share any suggestions or any topic that you would like to read.

      Delete
  2. Want to know why Shimla and Manali attracts most honeymoon couples and tourists in India ? A lot of tourists from Bhopal comes here to know this secret.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Rama, loved your question and apologies for delay in responding. Manali and Shimla are quite close to nature and best described as honeymoon destinations. People feel that they are in nature's lap and one of the best places to unwind and romance is in air!

      Delete
  3. I have heard about Shimla and the explicit beauty is holds but, the pictures that you took during the vacation made me go in awe. The actual beauty can be clearly seen through the picture and how the sky is shining so bright in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Aarya and glad that you loved the pics. Indeed it was an awesome experience and one must enjoy this nature's beauty. Do share your experience whenever you visit the place.

    ReplyDelete

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