[Baddychat]

This is an old thread which has not been updated in a while. :-) I had a query regarding the route that I should take for the Dalhousie- Delhi stretch i.e. while coming back. Has anyone does this stretch recently ?

[nitinralli]

Any recommendation for 3 nights stay in Dalhousie? Also hows the route from Delhi?

[filmaka]

There are some good stay options in Dalhousie including Private Villas Owned by the Kakkar's and Chatrath's in Upper Bakrota. The cottages are a good option for a large family or a group, Bakrota is 3 kms from Gandhi Chowk Dalhousie. You can Book through their direct websites dalhousiecottages.com and dalhousieretreat.com they are bit pricey though, You can try negotiating and sometimes if you book last minute you can get good rates. Bakrota is a very peaceful area for a walk but the noise in the valley from the Dalhousie public School is a spoiler sometimes.

Hotel Mountview and Indraprastha are good options in the city.

Aamod resort further ahead of Bakrota is another pricey option.

From Delhi you can reach Jalandhar via Karnal Ambala Ludhiana on NH-1, From Jalandhar you can turn towards Pathankot and from Pathankot towards Dalhousie, The Pathankot Jalandhar road has some patches of ongoing construction and you have to be cautious throughout this section it is an accident prone road. From Pathankot to Dalhousie the road is good but some patches are always under renovation because of seasonal water, Just maintain your lane and a safe speed and you will be good.

After your turn left from Pahankot on Dalhousie road around 1.5 kms, There is Mama's Rasoi you can take a meal break here, The owner's for this place have changed, It used to be very good food in the past, Cannot comment on the current food standards, Should be okay.

[senhyd]

There are several posts for travel between Delhi and Dalhousie, but all posts are 7 - 9 years old. So I need to get update from fellow travelers. Moreover no posts found covering this round robin trip.

I am planning to drive my Volkswagen Vento DSG automatic between February 18th and 25th 2018. There will be 4 adults (two couples all aged above 57).

The queries are:
1. How is the road condition now?
2. Will it be a good idea to drive an automatic Sedan that too with DSG gear box?
3. Will it be a good idea to drive to Dalhousie and Dharamshala during this season, I mean hill roads will be dry and not slushy with snow.

Thanks in advance any one gives me best advises with all the details for the trip mentioned above.

Sabyasachi Sen

[varoon9999]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Month end we will go to Khajjar.
I was googling around, and found an interesting place 20kms from Chamba. Its a village called saho, and is on a high plateau.
Any other offbeat places within 50kms of chamba/Khajjar?
Apart from regular Ravi, Kalatop etc., what else is to see in that area. We have never traveled to north himachal.
What is the traffic jam scene. For example Shimla road has Kalka which sees 4-5 hour traffic jams in rush hours. What about this section.
I presume this is 5-6 hours from Jalandhar, and north punjab, so it should be a favorite haunt during winters, esp Khajjar etc.,

any updates please

Dear senhyd,

Chamba being my hometown I have privilege to drive on this circuit 3-4 times a year without fail. My suggestions on the desired route are as below;

1. How is the road condition now?

Road conditions are really good, except few patches between Pathankot-Chamba and few from Pathankot to Dharamshala. These patches are only for 10-15 kms and yes any sedan or a hatch can happily sail through these rough patches. I have done this stretch numerous time on my Punto with 165mm gc.

2. Will it be a good idea to drive an automatic Sedan that too with DSG gear box?

Of-course Yes, driving down the hills with DSG GB will be an absolute pleasure.


3. Will it be a good idea to drive to Dalhousie and Dharamshala during this season, I mean hill roads will be dry and not slushy with snow.

Yes, there is no problem doing both Dalhosie and Dharamshala during winters, if you lucky enough you might get to see fresh snow en-route.

Roads will not be slushy at all if you drive during the day, however few patches from Banikhet to Dalhousie might let you encounter the "Black ice" specially when you drive during late night hours.

"Black-ice occurs when a small sheet of water freezes over the road and creates a smooth layer over it, making it hard for tires to grip the road". Best to avoid cornering on high speeds when you are driving uphill or downhill.

Route options that I can suggest, which I always use;

Delhi-Ambala-Ludhiana-Jalandhar-Pathankot-Dalhousie-Khajiaar-Chamba

Backward journey towards Dharamshala

Chamba-Banikhet-Dunera-Pathankot-Kangra-Dharamshala
or
Chamba-Bankihet-Dunera-Sulyaali-Nurpur-Kotla-Kangra-Dharamshala (Sulyali stretch is little screwed up at times, some 30 odd kms is little pain, pls check the current situation at Dunera, else take the Pathankot route. Dunera- Sulyali is shorter route and roads are well laid barring above mentioned Sulyali stretch).

Dharamshala to Delhi there are two routes;


Route 1. Dharamshala-Kangra-Debra-Amb-Una-Ropar-Ambala-Delhi. (Nice pure tarmac road and highly recommended).


Route2. Dharamshala-Kangra-Hoshiyarpur-Balachaur-Ropar-Chandigarh-Ambala-Delhi.


Do let me know if any other query you may have, would be glad to help.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by senhyd

There are several posts for travel between Delhi and Dalhousie, but all posts are 7 - 9 years old. So I need to get update from fellow travelers. Moreover no posts found covering this round robin trip.

You can check my travelogue, I did this trip last April,
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ali-chail.html