Another very popular “Colonial” holiday destination tripp.in would recommend is Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh. The regular hotels remain crowded in the summer months, which one can skip and head up the hills to Bakrota which is nature and luxury redefined.
Developed by the British in 1854 and named after Lord Dalhousie, the erstwhile Viceroy of India, Dalhousie is a beautiful hill resort located in the western Dhauladhar/Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas in India. Built around 3 main hills and surrounded by snow mountains and forests, Dalhousie is situated between 6000-9000 ft above above sea level.
Dalhousie Retreat is a quaint stone and log cottage homestay built with a lot of love by Onkar and Myna Kakkar.
dalhousie retreat
What you get:
The Cottage sleeps 4+2 between 2 bedrooms and a den with a pull-out bed. There is a lovely fireplace in the living area, a dining area and a kitchen, a patio and a front garden with a barbecue and a back orchard with apple trees. Good vibrations and a nice ambience. It is fully furnished with beddings, Cable TV, DVD, fridge, gas range, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, microwave, water filter etc. Help is available on request.
dalhousie retreat cottage
stone log cabin - living area
dining area
misty valley view lawns
The Cottage can be rented for Daily/Weekly or on a Monthly basis :
Short Duration Stay – Rs. 7,500 / US$185 per day for the Cottage.
Long Duration Stay – Rs. 6,500 / US$155 per day for the Cottage.
Things to do apart from chill 🙂
- Visit the forest reserves of Kala-tope (5km) – beware of bears.
- Switzerland meets Himachal in Khajjair – the meadow resort with Zorb rides(12km)
- Holy trek to Dain-kund – a ridge trail at 9,000 ft en-route to a temple shrine (7km)
- Many exciting forest and mountain walks around the area.
- Spotting vintage british era holiday homes along the walks of upper Bakrota
forest-walk-dalhousie
khajjiar
When to visit :
– Summer – 12 to 18 C – Peak season during May & June.
– Fall – 8 to 14 C – Between September to November
– Winter – Snows from January to March.
Come prepared to unwind with or without a book, some malts & wine and your walking shoes for at least 2 major walks a day. A light sweater or jacket is recommended or can be bought at the tibetan section of the market which is 3 km downhill. The closest restaurant/take-away is a 4 min walk with a good home delivery service.
The locals have stories to tell about bears and leopards sightings in the forest/wilderness areas.
Getting there:
It is a 4 hour mountain drive away from Dharamshala, the Headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Kangra valley, resplendent with its many old temples and streams. On the north of Dalhousie is the famous state of Jammu & Kashmir and en-route, the famous Shrine of the mother Goddess Vaishno Devi, a five hour drive away.
By Road –
– Approx 550 kms from Delhi with a 10-12 hour drive time.
– Approx 180 kms from Amritsar with a 4 hour drive time.
– Approx 200 kms from Jammu with a 41/2 hour drive time.
By Train –
From Delhi to Pathankot – overnight, and a 2 hr hill drive thereafter.
First Class AC is available on Jammu Mail, Puja Express etc.
By Air –
– Daily Service from Delhi to Pathankot on Indian Airlines
– Daily Service to Jammu on various Airlines
– Daily Service to Amritsar on various Airlines
Reservation & Contact Nos :
Onkar Kakar    +91 98300 12725
e-mail: okakar@vsnl.com
Myna Kakar    +91 98310 12725
e-mail: mkakar@vsnl.net
Location: Aftab, Upper Bakrota, Tagore Road, Dalhousie-176304