India Travel Guide >Himachal Pradesh Travel Guide > Dalhousie Travel Guide

Compared to other hill stations, Dalhousie, 80 winding kilometers from Pathankot, is markedly different and off the beaten track. Spread over five hills, Dalhousie has a serenity with its own distinctive flavor. Attractive cottages and villas cling to the deodar and pine mantled hills of Dalhousie. Here at Dalhousie, nothing seems to matter except the beauty and the moment. Pink and red rhododendrons are in bloom. The trees are dressed in different shades of green.
Binsar hills known as Jhandi Dhar, rising to a height of 2412 m, offer an excellent view of Almora town, Kumaon Hills and the greater Himalayas. From the complex, a walk through dense oak and rhododendron forest leads to a vantage point at the summit, which affords an uncluttered view of the Himalayan range and the surrounding valley.

There is no swirl of traffic. The shops are small and trim. Whistling softly to himself, a shopkeeper arranges embroidered Chamba shawls in his showcase. Tourists appraise Chamba chappals embroidered with gold thread, cane baskets, colorful woolens, and life-like Chamba dolls - all specialties of the region. Piles of walnuts and red, black and green Chamba chilies adorn many shop fronts. We pass children joyfully picking strawberries from a hillside decorated with alpine flowers. Lined against the railings, several people admire the exquisite views that are a special feature of Dalhousie. The clouds come skimming down and dally amongst the mountains for a moment. The next moment, they begin playing hide and seek with the Dhauladhars, changing the shape of the skyline with astonishing rapidity. Soaring up to 21,000 feet, the Dhauladhars themselves are constantly changing color - smoky blue, gray green, orchid blue, violet.

On the nearer hill slopes, every tree stands distinct and green and lordly. In the valley below, the rice fields glint in the sunshine.