Working from 9 to 6 every day for 5 days a week, we all needed a break. After much brainstorming on Whatsapp group, we agreed to head out to Dharamkot in Himachal Pradesh. It’s close to the exile home of HH Dalai Lama in Mcleodganj, which is one of the largest Buddhist settlements in the country.
At around 11 pm on a cold December evening, the sound of SUV horns blared outside my quiet house in South Delhi. My gang was here. It was my ex-office group, who till today remains my best travel buddies. We dashed through the empty roads of Delhi towards Kashmere gate, where 4 more members of our group were waiting to join us. A last-minute change of plan led to us meeting at Karnal Bypass. We took a cigarette break. By 12 midnight, we were roaring out of the city. Two SUVs- An Ecosport and a Terrano with 7 of us including 2 girls.
Note: Both public and private buses are available up to Dharamshala from Kashmere Gate in Delhi. It takes about 11-12 hours and would typically cost anywhere between 500 to 1200 Rupees. From Dharamshala, regular state buses ply till Mcleodganj.
At around 1 am, we stopped at Amrik Sukhdev for a post-dinner “Dinner”, comprising of parathas and chai. Breakfast happened close to Ranital at 9 am. The scenic drive starts from here. The road to Chintpurni is wide in most parts and mostly plain. There are hardly any uninhabited stretches up till here and the journey was mostly smooth.
Going further from Kangra the climb increases with a very gradual altitude. Beyond that is a series of steep hairpins and narrow congested roads in many parts. As we approached Dharamshala it was almost noon and the sun was shining on our faces. At the entry to Dharamshala, the road divides into two, both of them leading to Mcloedganj. While many may confuse you to take the one going downwards towards the left, it's safer to take the uphill road on the right. As with us, we took the downhill road just because someone said it was shorter. About 6-7 km down this road, another road diverged uphill that led to Dharamkot, where we’d decided to set our base for the next three days and the other road led to Mcleodganj. After 2kms we were facing a steep gravel filled road that looked totally unnavigable and seemed to lead nowhere. Fortunately, a pickup truck arrived behind us and the driver told us that a couple of kilometers along this gravel road was a gate that was in a private property and had to be opened on orders of the owner to enter Dharamkot. He seemed to be local and helped us by getting the gate opened. However, that 2km stretch was a real nightmare and by the end of it, both the powerful SUVs’ tires were smelling of burnt rubber.
The gate opens up to the Dharamkot main Square. From here, one cemented road leads up to the trek towards Triund and Snowline, one downwards towards Mcleodganj and another narrower road leads into the main village. One guy approached us asking if we were looking for a place to stay and that he could help us with it. Me and my boss half-heartedly followed him into the village through some narrow winding lanes. The lack of physical exercise clearly visible on my speed already. At last, we were facing a beautiful, secluded house with a small gated courtyard. It was called the “Yellow House”.
After negotiating and settling for 1300 for two rooms with extra beds, we parked our cars outside Shanti Guest House, picked our luggage and made our way again to the “Yellow House”.
Note: Parking space is scarce in Dharamkot, make sure you confirm with your guest house owner before arriving. There is also a small paid parking near the Main Square but it is usually already full. Taxi is available from Mcleodganj to Dharamkot at 100-150 bucks which can seat 4 people. There are a lot of stay options in Dharamkot if you go during the summer months and even until the end of November. Homestays are common and so are guesthouses. A typical room for two, equipped with hot and cold running water will range between 400-700 rupees.
After setting our bags we wasted no time in opening up a few bottles of Old Monk and setting up a bonfire. And all of us half drunk people went around in search of firewood. Within 15 minutes a fire was lit, someone managed to find a big vessel and placed it over the fire, water was boiled and we were making Maggi. After satisfying our hunger with 12 packets of freshly cooked Maggi over bonfire we lazed around for a few more hours.
In the evening we made our way down to the village to explore the most revered cafes. There is one main street from Main Square where all the cafes are lined up starting with Morgan’s Café. The air was quite cold by 6 pm and it was already dark. As the cold wind started blowing we sneaked into the first café we could find (also for the interest of young men in our group were two young firangis). We ordered some fresh pasta, bruschettas, omelet, and rice. While most of the cafes say “No Smoking”, none really follows it (I guess if there are families, smoking may not be allowed). We sat around and talked way after the two beautiful ladies had left and by the time we started back it was already 11 pm. The temperature outside truly felt like sub zeroes. We quickly made our way towards our guest house and lit a fire again to escape from the cold. After another round of Old Monk, we finally crashed on our beds at 1 am.
There are a few more cafes along the lane, the most famous ones being Morgan’s Café, Trek N Dine, and Moonlight Café.
Things to do:-
One can easily spend a week here just café hopping, reading and sunbathing.
You can trek to Triund from here, which is a 9 km of easy to moderate trek. Triund is a small hill which is surrounded by lofty Dhauladhar Ranges on one side and overlooks the towns of Mcleodganj and Dharamshala on the other. Further on this trek is a glacier called Snowline, which is another scenic place to be.
There are two more hamlets called Bhagsu and Naddi close to Dharamkot which are home to some beautiful waterfalls, temples, and viewpoints of the mighty Himalayas. The Bhagsu falls, Naddi Viewpoint is some major attractions.
There is a famous Vipassana center in Dharamkot for those of us seeking spiritual guidance and peace.
What to carry:-
Summer travelers –
a) Light woolens
b) Trekking Shoes
c) Powerbank (electricity is erratic in this region)
d) Torch
e) Cash (ATMs are not available beyond Mcleodganj)
f) Your own toilet paper (One roll costs 40 bucks in the villages)Winter travelers – (Apart from those mentioned above)
a) Heavy woolens
b) Gloves and caps
c) Some brandy or rum will always help
Additional Notes: -
Last petrol pump is at Mcleodganj.
Booze is expensive in the villages. There is only one shop in Dharamkot near Moonlight Café and 180 bucks Vodka cost us 400 there.
Medical shops are non-existent, but smaller shops stock important stuff like Sanitary Napkins, toilet paper, some basic medicines, and mineral water. Shops usually close here by 8 pm.
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