Alps Resort Dalhousie

Looking for stay in Dalhousie?

Here is luxurious Retreat in the Bakrotta Hills, Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. Alps Resort Dalhousie is one of the premium hotels in Dalhousie. Located just outside of Khajjiar, the Switzerland of Himachal Pradesh, the hotel offers travelers a comfortable haven to retreat after a day of outdoors relaxation. Guests will enjoy modern, recently-refurbished rooms with all necessary amenities, as well as superior local and Continental food, in the peace of the Bakrotta Hills.

How to reach Dalhousie?

By Air

While Dalhousie does not have its own airport, cities close to this hill-station do have one. The closest domestic airport is in Pathankot which is just 75 kilometres away from Dalhousie but is connected to New Delhi only. The second nearest airport is Gaggal airport which is in the Kangra district and is approximately 140 kilometres away from the town. The airport is well-connected to both domestic and international cities. You can hire a bus from Kangra to Dalhousie, which will charge a nominal fee of INR 150 only or take a private cab/taxi transfer.

By Bus

Though the drive might be a long one but the roads leading to Dalhousie or in and around nearby towns like Pathankot and Chamba are in good condition. Many deluxe, semi-sleeper, luxury and Volvo buses run from ISBT New Delhi covering a distance of approximately 590 kilometres. Most of the buses stop by the roadside dhabas and eateries. A lot of private companies, Himachal Road Transport Corporation and Haryana Road Transport Corporation run buses to Dalhousie.

By Train

The most cost-effective and convenient way to reach Dalhousie is by train. Pathankot’s Chakki Bank railhead is the nearest railway station from Dalhousie (approximately71 kilometres). Many superfast, deluxe and express trains are well linked with most of the Indian cities including Jammu, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhatinda, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur. You also have the option to take an overnight train and reach Dalhousie in the morning. You can hire a private or a shared cab from the railway station which will take 2 to 3 hours to reach Dalhousie. The second nearest railway station from Dalhousie is Delhi which is well-connected to most of the Indian cities but from where you have to take a train again.

Further to reach the hotel you can take a cab.

Best time to visit Dalhousie?

March to May: The summer season in Dalhousie starts from the month of March till May and it is generally the most-preferred time when tourists from different parts of India visit this hill-station as the weather is pleasant and the temperature is less than 30 degree Celsius.

June to September: The monsoon season in Dalhousie starts from the month of June and lasts till mid-September. While it does not rain that much in Dalhousie, you can expect some mild showers. During this time period, the town appears quite beautiful and romantic with lush-green forests gleaming with rainwater. This can also be a good time for honeymooners to visit Dalhousie as it is less crowded with just the right amount of rainfall.

October to February: While October and November might not be that chilly, the time period between December and February which constitute the winter season of Dalhousie is quite cold. Since the place is at a high altitude, the temperature is low. It ranges from 10 degree Celsius and can sometimes go down below zero degree as well. However, if you love to play in the snow, then winters is the ideal time to visit Dalhousie. Also, some hoteliers offer attractive discounts on accommodation during this lean season.

Things to do in Dalhousie

The town is famous for the walking circuits it has, you can walk around the town and enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains and the surroundings. One of the famous track is in a form of 8 which cover the Gandhi Chownk to Subhash Chownk and has some interesting views on the way. Don't forget to look for the Tibetan paintings on the hill walls in thandi sadak.

The town also offers good shopping varieties in the famous Tibetan market which has some interesting stuff from around the country.You can also pick up some local handicrafts from these shops which are actually made in Dalhousie itself and if you are lucky you can actually take a tour to see these places.

HISTORIC SIGHTS, LANDMARKS, RELIGIOUS PLACES

St Patrick’s Church Overview

St Patrick’s the largest church in Dalhousie located at the Dalhousie’s main bus stand on military hospital road. One of the major attraction in Dalhousie, it was built by the officers and ranks of the British Army in 1909.

Opening Closing Time7 am to 7 pm
Entrance FeeFree

Hariraya Temple Overview

It dates back to eleventh century is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and has idols of other deities, like lord Shankara, Aruna ,Surya , Uma and Nandi. Devotees of lord Vishnus should visit this temple and offer prayers to take his blessings.

Opening Closing Time6am to 12:30 pm and 2:30pm to 8:30 pm
Entrance Fee Free

St John’s Church Overview

St. John’s Church, built in the British architectural style, founded in 1863,this protestant church is one of the oldest structures of the town from the victoria era and is therefore carries an immense historical significance and receives frequent tourists. It also houses a library, with a rich compilation of books and some rare photographs accounting for the history and culture of Dalhousie.
Opening Closing Time: 7 am to 7 pm
Entrance Fee Free

 Alps Resort 

If you are someone who dreams of a vacation playing in the snow, in a beautiful resort, with your friends or family then this is the place that can convert your dream into a beautiful memory. Here is a clip of snowfall from the room of the resort.

Garden

The garden in green and well maintained. It has a beautiful tree-house. Chairs and tables are laid out for the travelers to relax. You will see a riot of flowers in various flower-beds, with butterflies fluttering around in happy abandon. Swings are provided for the children to enjoy in the garden.

Alps Resort

Garden

During winters

Rooms

Rooms are big and spacious. The categories are:

1. Standard Room
2. Deluxe Rooms
3. Deluxe Garden View Rooms
4. Suite Room

Standard Room

Budget double room measuring 32 to 35 sq ms. with (King bed/queen bed) have recently refurbished with elegant decor are fully en-suite with toilet, rain shower and toilet amenities. Also available in rooms are tea & coffee maker, satellite TV, 32 inch flat screen TV and comfort mattress.

Deluxe Rooms

Bright & spacious double room with quiet and modest view,measuring from 35 to 38 sq ms. in size, the rooms have attached modern bathrooms and come along with comfort mattress and LCD TV.

Deluxe Garden View Rooms

Premium double room with full view of garden , rooms measuring 38 to 40 sq ms. with (King bed/queen bed) have recently refurbished with elegant decor are fully en-suite with toilet, rain shower and toilet amenities. Also available in rooms are tea and coffee maker, satellite TV, 32 inch flat screen TV and comfort mattress.

Suite Room

Exclusive and elegantly appointed two room suite with a spacious living room/bedroom with king size bed with full garden view, measuring 55 to 60 sq ms.is perfectly equipped for comfort and convenience with modern amenities, en-suite with toilet rain shower and toilet amenities .Also available in room are tea and coffee maker , satellite TV with 32 inch flat screen TV.

We booked our rooms from http://www.alpshoteldalhousie.com/ and stayed in Deluxe Garden view room. It was an amazing experience. The view is beautiful from the room. You can also book from other sites such as goibibo.com, booking.com, makemytrip.com etc.

Service and staff

The staff is really friendly and helpful. The service is pretty good.

You will definitely enjoy the place. Everything including the rooms, food and the ambiance is just amazing. I am sure you will love the experience.

Don't forget to like, share, follow and comment :). Happy travelling

Kalpa, the Ancient Village

Kalpa, the Ancient Village

Kalpa village is located in the Sutlej river valley, above Reckong Peo,in Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh Northern India, in the Indian Himalaya. Inhabited by Kinnauri people and famous for its apple orchards. Apples are a major cash-crop for the region. The local inhabitants follow a syncretism of Hinduism and Buddism, and many temples in Kalpa are dedicated to both Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddesses. Kalpa is one of the biggest and beautiful village of kinnaur district.It is a famous tourist place world wide.

Best time to visit Kalpa

The winters beginning from October to May are long and freezing while summers are short from June to September. The village, however, faces very unpredictable rainfall during monsoon season. With summer temperature ranging from 8 degrees Celcius to 24 degrees Celcius, light woolens are sufficient, while the winters are freezing with minimum temperature dipping as low as -15 degrees Celcius to - 20 degrees Celcius. It is best to visit the town in summer months.

How to reach Kalpa?

By road

The best way to reach Kalpa is by road. The HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) have regular bus services from the neighbouring states like Delhi, Punjab, etc. Travellers can also take private owned bus from Delhi to Kalpa. There are several intra-city bus services you can avail from various neighbouring cities within the state.

By Flight

If you want to travel by fligh then the nearest airbase to the village of Kalpa is Shimla Airport (almost 276 km). The airport is connected to many major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. The cabs and taxis are easily available from outside the airport to Kalpa.

Nearest Airport: Dehradun - 138 kms from Kalpa

By train

If you want to travel by train then the nearest railway station to the village is again Shimla (244 km). It is one of the major stations connecting to several major cities including Delhi. Hire a taxi or take a bus from here for Kalpa.

We chose to travel by volvo which we booked from www.redbus.in. We took a volvo from Delhi to Shimla which took us around 7 hours. We stayed over in Shimla for a day and then decided to take a cab from Shimla to Kalpa which took us around 8 hours.

Where to stay in Kalpa?

Although there are many budget friendly hotels available in Kalpa, we chose to stay in Hotel Kinner Kailash. It is a government hotel which we booked from http://hptdc.in/ Himachal tourism website. It has the best location and you can see the kinner kailash range from the hotel rooms. The staff is really friendly and helpful. The food of the hotel is amazing. They have cottages as well, within the property. The cottages have their own ambiance and are cheaper than the hotel rooms. The room of the hotel and cottages are spacious. In front of the cottage they have beautiful apple orchards. We would suggest, if you are someone who likes to have your own space and if you don't like to spend much on the rooms then you must go for cottage. If you are someone who likes luxury, then definitely go for hotel rooms.

Hotel Kinner Kailash (July 2017) picture credit the_roving_feet

Things to do in Kalpa

 Sight seeing 

One can witness the beauty of Kinner Kailash which attracts the tourist to this place. The peak of Kinner Kailash range is covered with snow throughout the year and is surrounded by clouds, which keeps moving around this range. 

Beautiful Kailash Range (July 2017) Picture credit the_roving_feet

It is said that the range changes color over a period of time during the day.

We woke up early morning to see sun rise. It was a beautiful sight. The clouds were covering the range and we could see the snow peaks. We could see the sun rays coming from behind the range and the experience was flawless.

Sunrise (July 2107)  Picture credit the_roving_feet

In the evening around four you can see the sun rays on the range and it appears to be golden in color.

 (July 2017) Picture credit the_roving_feet

If you are someone who loves nature and you travel to relax then you can probably carry a novel and sit near the orchard and enjoy the view of Kinner Kailash  with your tea or coffee. The vibe of this place is magical and we promise, you wont regret. It totally calms you down.

 (July 2017) Picture credit the_roving_feet

Trekking  

The Chaka peak with an altitude of 15000 ft above the sea level is an amazing trek up the hill along the gurgling water channel. If you love trekking then you must go for it. 

A walk to sucide point 

As the name suggest, Suicide Point is a place with dangerous trench and vertical slopes. Situated near Kalpa, a walk to this point will take you through delicious sight of apple orchards.

Roghi village 

This is a place where you can witness and enjoy the ethnicity and traditions of people of Kalpa. A small village located at a distance of 6-7 km. from Kalpa, it is famous for its simple lifestyle and customs of Himachal.

Narayan Nagini temple

This temple is constructed in traditional Tibetan Pagoda style of architecture. Situated on the top of a hill at Chini Village, this temple is one of the major attractions of the village and a must visit.

Hu bu lan kar monastery  

It is a perfect place for history buffs! This extremely old monastery was founded by Rinchensang-po (950-1055 AD) and is very ancient.

Basteri

Situated almost 8 km from Sangla, Basteri Village is place where you can shop some interesting local handicrafts. Handmade shawls and Kinnauri caps are the most famous items in the village.

Kamru fort 

This fort is a perfect place for a glimpse in to the artistic legacy of past. Now converted in to a temple, it is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kamakhya Devi.

Kothi 

It is for people who appreciate art and architecture. Kothi is an ancient village near Reckong Peo where you can enjoy a unique form of architecture of a temple set with a magnificent backdrop of Kinner Kailask Peak and lush green forest.

Chitkul

If you have more time with you then you must visit Chitkul village which is two hours away from Kalpa. It is the last Indian village near Indo Chaina Border.

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 (July 2017) Picture credit the_roving_feet