Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalaya Tours

Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalaya Tours

Himachal Pradesh

Spread five Himalayan mountain ranges across the northwestern state of Himachal Pradesh like fingers on an open hand (the Siwalik, Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal, Great Himalayas, and Zanskar), thread them with rivers, and dot them with lakes: This is Himachal Pradesh. Except for the capital, Shimla, and the overpopulated destinations of Dharamsala in the district of Kangra and Manali in the district of Kullu, Himachal is a state of villages. It's also the so-called Land of the Gods, with thousands of mainly Hindu and Buddhist temples and monasteries.

Various cultures inhabit this alpine region, including two distinct semi-nomadic tribes, the Gaddi and Gujjar, who still follow many of their most ancient traditions. The Gaddi, who travel with sheep, goats, and cattle, are Hindu and believe in evil spirits that are appeased by animal sacrifices and animist rituals. Gaddi men wear a chola (a white thigh-length woolen coat) over sutthan (tight woolen trousers), held in place by a dora (a black rope of sheep's wool) coiled around the waist. Women wear a luanchari (a long, colorful dress) with a woven dora tied around the waist and lots of jewelry, both for good luck and to indicate wealth.

The Muslim Gujjar travel with buffalo and make their living by selling fresh milk and ghee. Normally bearded, the men wear turbans and long robes. Women wear the traditional Indian Muslim salwar-kameez, a long tunic over loose pants tapered at the ankle. Often somber in color, this outfit is accentuated by paisley scarves and chunky silver necklaces, bracelets, and dangling earrings.

The peak tourist season in Himachal Pradesh runs from May though September. In April and November, while the nights may hover around 40°F in Shimla, the days can be sunny and suitable for short sleeves—and "shoulder-season" hotel prices approximate winter rates, half of what they escalate to in summer. June and September are the most comfortable months: dry and warm. July and August have the monsoon rains. Winter is chilly, with temperatures not much above freezing. Although some hotels do close from December through February, many stay open, and some even charge a premium for Christmas and New Year's Eve stays. Note that only a few hotels have central heating—if you come in winter, expect to sleep in your long johns.

If you hire a driver to tour Himachal Pradesh, consider combining the potentially hair-raising road trip with an Indian rail journey: Send the driver ahead to Chandigarh and arrange for him to meet you as you arrive on the Shatabdi Express from Delhi, which departs at 7:30 AM and arrives at 10:30 AM. You'll arrive safe and rested. The capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab, Chandigarh was built in the 1950s from a plan designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. If you linger here, visit the innovative Rock Garden built by Nek Chand, a visionary Outsider artist—it's a 6-acre maze of waterfalls and walk-ways through sculptures and figures made from discarded materials and oddly shaped stones. In Pinjore, 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Chandigarh, the 17th-century Mogul-style Yadvindra Gardens are laid out on a gentle slope, with seven terraces of pools and fountains.

Shimla

360 km (225 miles) north of Delhi

Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and is perhaps best perceived as a gateway to the newly opened district of Kinnaur. The charms of Rudyard Kipling's city have faded: paint peels on Victorian structures, and mortar is left to crumble. Shimla is generally packed with Indian families on holiday, and attracts a number of British travelers who have family history in India.It is surely one of the most popular hill stations with tourists exploring Himalayas.

Manali

280 km (174 miles) north of Shimla.

Until about 20 years ago, Manali was a small, relaxed place toward the top of the Kullu Valley. On one side of town was a settlement of Tibetan refugees, while on the other side, near the bus stop, backpackers smoked dope and swapped trekking stories in hippie restaurants serving apple pie and peanut butter. Then, in 1989, Kashmir descended into chaos following the kidnapping of the Indian Home Minister's daughter by militants. Most of the Indian and foreign travelers who would have otherwise headed to Kashmir detoured to the fast-growing village of Manali. The subsequent explosion of development has ruined the former pristine tranquility of this place; concrete hotels have come up cheek-by-jowl along narrow alleys now choked with garbage and motor vehicles, their horns blaring away.

All that said, Manali is still recommended for its location, deep in the stunningly beautiful and culturally rich Kullu Valley. The friendly people of this Himalayan strand are famous for their unique style of dress, including men's pillbox caps with a colorful style of geometric embroidery that's repeated on woolen shawls. In fall, when the valley's many apple trees bear fruit, the famous Perahera Festival (a local variation on the Hindu festival Dussehra, celebrated all over North India in October) is held: Ten days after the new moon, villagers bring their local temple deities—over 200 in all—down to Kullu town, at the head of the valley. Dragged by hand on palanquins or wheeled carts known as raths, the idols are brought to pay respect to Raghunathji, Kullu's patron god. For three nights people from all over the valley, including the descendants of local royalty, mill around a temporary market on the dusty fairgrounds next to the Beas River. Singing and dancing complete the festive atmosphere.

The Kullu Valley is also a place of great natural beauty. At the high end of the valley, near Manali, and farther up toward the Rohtang Pass, 20,000-ft peaks loom on three sides. Day hikers will find endless exhilarating paths to hike, often alongside Gujjar shepherds with their flocks of goats. Manali is also the origin and endpoint for many more-serious adventures into the Himalayan wilderness. From here you can launch trekking, driving, and rafting trips into the Lahaul, Spiti, and Kinnaur valleys. Heading west, more treks can take you toward the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Finally, the road through Manali and up over the Rohtang Pass is currently the only one on which travelers can drive to Ladakh. Manali now also has a short skiing season and adventure tourists flock the area in winters .