Hill stations in India, and the first name that strikes you is Kashmir! Srinagar, the capital city of Kashmir is famous for its house boats, canals and Mughal gardens. ‘sri’ means beauty and knowledge, and ‘nagar’ means city, and when you reach Srinagar, it just personifies the name to a greater degree. Srinagar has three major lakes within the city – the famous Dal Lake, and the not so known Nagin and Anchar lakes. River Jhelum also flows through a part of the city. Most of the house boats are situated at the banks of the lakes, although some are situated in the interiors and a ‘Shikara’ is needed to access them. Shikara is a local row – boat. The city has virtual villages that are established on these lakes, and besides the lakes also have floating lotus vegetations and floating markets. The average tourist usually books a Shikara for the whole day and takes a tour of the Hazrat Bal, Nazim bagh, Nishat garden and Pathar masjid while cruising on the Shikara. The Moghul gardens at Kashmir are a fine treat to the eyes and follow a fixed pattern, wherein a central water channel carries the water through the gardens in a web of pools, canals and sprinklers. Other popular hill stations near Srinagar are Pehalgam, Patni top and Gulmarg. Pehelgam is 95 km by road from Srinagar and is a famous fishing spot and also has the world’s highest golf course. Patni top is a lesser known hill station near Srinagar, and is a perfect place to go if you want to get read of the hustle and bustle of the busy market place. Patni top is known for trekking and adventure sports like paragliding, skiing and bungee jumping. Gulmarg is also a beautiful hill station of Jammu and Kashmir, with its lush greenery and pine forests, it really leaves you speechless.
Himachal Pradesh is also a top tourist destination in north India when it comes to hill- stations. Shimla being the capital of Himachal Pradesh , attracts nearly 16 million visitors an year. Shimla was the summer capital during British rule, and therefore, is home to buildings built in contemporary British architecture. The most eminent spot of Shimla is the Ridge. The ridge was built by the British to store water supply of the city, and it’s a flat area atop a hill, where still, the water supply of Shimla is stored and kept. Just moving from the Ridge, towards the Mall road, you would reach a point where the road divides into 4 roads, this point is called the ‘Scandal point’ and is associated with the Maharaja of Patiala’s escapede during the British rule. Atop the ridge stands the cathedral of st. Michael, embracing authentic British architecture. This structure is visible from the highway, even when you are quite far away from Shimla.
From Shimla, you can go on a number of intra day trips to places like Kufri, Chail and Jakhu top, and even Kasauli. All these places are reminiscent of British architecture and remind you of the colonial days, besides offering a delightful natural back drop, the chilling wind and some ultimate food!
Another part of Himachal Pradesh is Manali. This part is known for some notorious rave parties, which more often than not, are underground. Hard feelings apart, it offers a beautiful setting none the less. You reach here from Chandigarh or Roop Nagar in Punjab by road, and in the process, you can stop at some amazing destinations like Kangra (famous for tea plantations), Palampur ( famous for sprawling gardens and apple orchids), Dharamshala and Mc.leod ganj. Mc.leod ganj is the capital of the exiled Tibetan government and is home to the Dalai Lama. Other parts of Himachal Pradesh worth a visit are Dalhousie, named after Lord Dalhousie, Lahaul and Spiti and the Kinnaur belt as a whole, which offers an insight into the Himachal culture. If you can afford it, then you can hire motor bikes from Shimla and roam into the interiors of Lahaul and Spiti to get a totally new look at the beauty of this place.
Final hill station destinations of north India would be those at the newly born state of Uttaranchal. Mussoorie, popularly known as the queen of hills, is a revered destination here. It is a beautiful city, with clouds running into your hair at every step, ultimate resorts and a good background of educational institutes, usually at the high school level. The crowd here is also young mostly, owing to the presence of schools and other places of interest here. Mussoorie also has a cemetery famous for its haunted places, the most famous being the Camel- back road. Another important place to be is the Gun-hill, where you can go through a rope-way, an experience in itself. From Mussoorie, the valley of Dehradun, also the capital city of Uttaranchal is visible. Dehradun also has a prestigious past and present when it comes to schools. The Doon school- arguably the best in India right now, is housed here. Dehradun also has many places of interest like Lachhiwala and Sasrat dhara among other places. The bakery culture of Dehradun dates back to the British rule and hence, you can really have a treat with some wonderful cakes and pastries, fresh from the oven, just walk in to any of the numerous bakery shops over here. The last destination would probably be a combined tour of Rishikesh and Haridwar, both famous as religious places of utter importance for Hindus. Some resorts and travel operators at Rishikesh also host white water rafting on the river Ganges during the season time, and this is something you just can’t miss.