Valley of the Gods via Queen of the hills

May the month of May never come again is the wish we make every year & yet it does come back with seemingly more power. The power we know we can only hide from - behind walls cooled by ACs/coolers or inside airconditioned cars. Staying out becomes bare minimum to save our skin but there comes a point when we miss the feel of the outside world & that makes an excellent excuse for a trip to a cool hill station.

The wanderlust in me has become so overpowering that having no savings at all couldn't stop me from planning a summer escape away from the scorching heat.

After the dull group tour of White desert, costly disappointment of Nainital-Corbett solo tour & distressing Jaisalmer group tour, I was extra cautious to avoid any fiasco this year. So the professional help & doubling of the budget was the right decision after all as the trip turned out to be a memorable one.

May 7-9, 2025

Mock drills were the talk of the town all day & it was obviously the day one of regretting the plan of north India trip in such circumstances. Just like everyone around me, all over India & also our neighboring country, I saw the war coming in a few days. And few days was all I needed to enjoy my summer vacation.

The regret turned into shock the next morning as the attack happened in the night & the war which seemed some distance away, suddenly knocked at our doors. The tour operator was ready to go anyway so it was up to me to decide whether to risk it for 40 thousand Rupees or not.

Now having lost almost all savings for the love of options, I was in no position to cancel the trip & lose money again.  Now almost everyone around me thought it was foolish to go out but Shimla-Manali were safe in the tour manager's view & so the trip was on.

Day 1 - Delhi to Shimla

First day was marked for a long road trip starting from busy Delhi roads ending in the cool hilly city of Shimla. The journey & the day both ended at the same time & the only activity remaining was to enjoy sleeping in the chilled atmosphere of once the summer capital of India. 

The very first sign that this trip was going to be a good one came in the form of the cease fire declaration . Now we were going to reach the hotel well past the dinner & drinks time so the vodka was enjoyed in the running car.

Day 2 - Shimla sightseeing

The early morning walk was very refreshing & almost compensated the need of the usual cup of tea. There being no other customer at the breakfast table, I felt like a royalty with all of the hotel staff making breakfast or serving me.

New Kufri

Kufri is the main sightseeing attraction in Shimla & also the only one where you can spend some good money.  A thrilling Jeep ride on the dangerous hilly roads & the breathtaking views at New Kufri are very much if not completely worth the money. There was nothing for me at Old Kufri so I had a nice cup of coffee & moved on.

Next was the Rashtrapati Niwas at Mashorba - the official summer retreat of the President of India - surrounded by nature & completely at peace. The serenity of that atmosphere will stay with me for a long time.

Rashtrapati Niwas, Mashorba

After saving the delightful memories of President's retreat, I retreated to my humble hotel room.

Town hall

Shimla

The very famous Mall road of Shimla was visited in the evening. Sadly, I wasn't feeling very well so I couldn't shop or even enjoy it much. Anyway, I did manage to capture some picturesque places.

Day 3 - Shimla to Manali

Another day of long drive but this one not so boring as there are activities on the way. I chose to go for river rafting in the Bias river. I was charged a little extra - which I later on realized - but still rafting along the beautiful Bias river with the sublime background of Himalayas was an experience that gets you thrilled whenever you recall it.