No prizes for guessing that the ideal birthday celebration for a travel buff could be nowhere else but on the roads. But alas the pressures of adulting always put the heart and the mind at loggerheads. It was BAE’s birthday, so a trip was obvious. Abhishek and I braved the deadlines, client meetings, and pitches to pack our bags and hit the road with Shera- our beloved Safari.
Ever since Shera has joined our squad our life has turned so ‘wanderful’. BTW, we still were clueless about the destination. We stopped at Murthal and still were counting our options. Weighing the pros and cons we zeroed down on Palampur. Palampur is relatively unexplored and really underrated in the list of go-to places of Himachal. Nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh, the town is dotted with picturesque tea gardens. The best time to start a journey is early in the morning. But we were way past that time. It was 12 pm in the afternoon already. And by the time we reached Murthal, it was 2 in the noon. Consequently, we refrained to take another stopover. Thanks to darling Shera, he was at it for 11 long hours.
12 p.m.- What a terrible time to start with traffic and temperatures both torturous high.
2 p.m. Stopover at our favorite spot Murthal for lunch.
6: 40 p.m.- Ambala
9 p.m. – Anandpur Sahib:
10.30 p.m. – UNA
12 p.m. – Kangra
1.30 a.m. – Palampur
PS: We strictly don’t recommend taking the road at this hour as the highways are poorly lit and driving at this time might prove to be risky. The silver linings in the otherwise treacherous journey were the deer, rabbit and a hyena that we spotted on the road making their way into the wild.
On our way, we juggled between losing ourselves to the views and searching on the apps to find a suitable stay. Between hotels and homestays, we decided to go for the latter and settled down for a homestay-Sliver Oaks Mountain resort.
By the time we reached there, it was way past midnight. We were welcomed by the roaring streams which we thought was coming from the river in the vicinity, only to find out that we were happily mistaken. The staff was sweet enough to extend a warm welcome and even serve us sumptuous home-cooked dinner. Being exhausted and hungry we gobbled down every single morsel.
The room we checked into offered both river and mountain views, which we discovered only in the morning. As the rays of the sun-kissed our window panes, we pulled back the curtains. The sight in front was frankly way beyond our expectations.
It was the month of May, yet the mountains of Dhauladhar range were snow-clad. The majestic view of thin ribbon-like rivers flowing on the side acted as a soothing balm on our chaotic souls. As we stepped out of the room, we discovered the place was hemmed in by the gushing streams that cascaded through the rocks and greens hosting many tiny colorful birds who chirped around. We feasted on the scenic view along with the sumptuous breakfast and hot cups of tea.
It was one hour-long walk to the market and by the time we reached we were completely exhausted. Local stalls are always a delight to try, so we waited in the queue to try the lemon soda that came in many flavors. Divine was the word for its taste.
There are a number of places that you can visit around Palampur like the Neugal Khadd, Saurabh Van Vihar, Tashi Jong Monastery, Shiva Temple and the Tea Gardens. But on our two-day trip, all we could manage was Neugal Khadd and the adjacent Neugal Bridge. In the evening we did visit Neugal Cafe which is run by HPTDC. We ordered a plate of noodles and again our favorite drink- lemon soda. Both were decent in taste. The Neugal cafe offers a charming view of the hills and there’s also a stream flowing nearby. The sunset view from there is an absolute lit experience.
We ensured that we have our dinner at our homestay as the food tasted divine and fresh. And yes before I forget, BAE’s birthday saw some grand celebration with some oven-fresh cakes and party caps from the nearby market. It was a trip down childhood that saw confetti and balloons going up in the air.
Before we could realize, our trip was almost over and by next day noon, we checked out, hit the highway to get back our hustling life. But the birthday at this tea paradise will remain more than an Insta post on our handles.
