The Dak Bungalow Trail - Himachal Travelogue
Dharanghati PWD Rest House - 05/10/2015
If there is one Dak Bungalow that qualifies as being built in “The Middle of Nowhere,” it’s the PWD Rest House in Dharanghati. The whole of Dharanghati mainly consists of a tea shop, the PWD Rest House and a Devi Mandir, which is situated on a peak, a few kilometres up. That’s it.
The rest house is in a pretty good state, despite the remote location.
One thing I noticed was that the PWD Rest Houses were always better maintained than the FRH’s - perhaps it can be attributed to the fact that it IS the Public Works Department, after all…I guess they have an image to maintain.
The old kitchen of the rest house, now abandoned.
We tried taking the Swift up the road to the Devi Mandir, but it was too dangerous - the road has several white, slippery sandstone like sharp rocks and the tyres weren’t able to get enough traction, so we discarded that plan and continued back down, on our merry way.
View of Shrikhand Mahadev Peak, from near the Dharanghati Rest House. I’m not sure if I got the name of this peak right - everyone I asked had a different name for it, so I just wrote the first name that I remembered.
Sarahan - Maharaja’s Palace and Devi Mandir - 06/10/2015
Sarahan is famous for it's Devi Mandir and we happened to stop over here by chance - it was not a scheduled stop. But we visited the Devi Mandir and payed our respects, anyway.
If you are in Sarahan, make sure you eat at the Nepali Restaurant, near the Bus Stop. Good, clean, simple food, at very reasonable rates. Believe me, you shall not regret this.
The Maharaja of Himachal Pradesh (now CM), has his Royal Palace in Sarahan.
It is a beautiful building, built in the traditional style.
It’s not in use anymore - I wasn’t able to determine why it’s not being used anymore, but it’s still maintained pretty well.
We couldn’t go inside and took a few snaps of whatever we could from the outside - I guess, they’re not too keen on letting the riff-raff in, especially two dudes who looked like they hadn’t shaved (or bathed) for a while.
A random shot of the Sutlej River.
Highway Car Washing
After 4 days on the road, the car had gathered a LOT of dust - we stopped by at one of the many highway-side car washes and gave the Swift a good clean.
The exteriors were dust free for a grand total of 15 minutes after the wash, but it was worth it.
Luhri FRH - 06/10/2015
Luhri has a nice, well maintained forest rest house, 70 Km from Sarahan. Being out of the way, it gets little to no visitors.
Road to Luhri FRH
Dalash PWD Rest House - 06/10/2015
This is a new rest house that has probably been built about 30 years ago. Well maintained property, with plenty of rooms and a nice garden out in front.
Chowai FRH - 06/10/2015
Now this is a nice, old FRH, about 70 Km from Rampur. The Rest House is really well maintained and if you feel like staying in a remote location, bordering a forest, then this is it. I think it falls under the purview of the DFO Rampur, so you will have to apply there for permission to stay.
One of the older, abandoned buildings in the property.
Khanag PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
Now this is a proper Dak Bungalow. Really well maintained PWD building with 3 guest rooms.
It’s even got this beautiful Memorial Stone, dedicated to the memory of a British Lady, in the front lawn.
Here’s the inscription, in case you cannot see the wording clearly -
"In memory of, Penelope Valentine Hester Betjeman - writer & traveller, born 14 February 1910. Wife of John Betjeman, Poet Laureate and daughter of Field Marshal Lord Chetwode, Commander in Chief of the Indian Army (1930-33) and of Lady Chetwode. She died in these hills, she had loved so long.”
A quick google search revealed that this particular lady was very fond of the hills in North India and had actually traversed almost the same Dak Bungalow trail that we did (albeit with ponies and porters), several years ago. She died during one of her sojourns, in a place very close to this rest house, in 1986.
Some old barracks near the Khanag Rest House.
Shoja PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
This is another Beautiful PWD Rest House in a place called Shoja, after Jalori Jot and quite close to Khanag.
What I really like is that a lot of these Rest Houses are being maintained very well, keeping their original charm intact. Often times, it is the work of a single caretaker, who does not only does maintenance on the grounds and looks after the gardens, but also doubles up as the cook or Khansama.
The road from Khanag to Shoja is a nightmare - just as bad as the one which goes to Baga Saraun and then some.
Mom & Pop Eatery (Shringi Vatika) - 07/10/2015
A bit ahead of Shoja, we stopped for a very nice breakfast at a small restaurant called Shringi Vatika - it’s run by a husband-wife duo, who also operate a cozy looking home stay on the premises. Though I have to admit, that I found the prices to be a bit on the higher side; the plus side is that they give all the creature comforts that one usually does not find in such remote areas - cozy heated rooms, comfortable beds with clean linen, hot water in bathrooms and power backup too.
The food was excellent and they apparently have an arrangement for guests to sleep in tents, if they so desire - check it out if you are ever in the area.
I’d like to clarify that this is not a sneaky marketing trick - the couple were really warm and hospitable and I felt that their establishment certainly deserved a mention in my travelogue.
While at Shringi Vatika, we met up with another fellow traveller and hardcore Himachal enthusiast - Mr. Anshul Kaushik (pictured here in the middle between the owners of Shringi Vatika).
The badass Pajero belongs to Anshul and is actually the kind of car you need to tackle mountain roads in India and make those monstrous Sumo/Force Motors taxis give you some well deserved right of way - I think he’s a member of Team-BHP also.
Jibhi PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
Jibhi is a small hamlet, about 7 Km ahead of Shoja. The rest house is not very well maintained, but still liveable. It’s located right off the highway and probably does not see any visitors at all.
Saurabh Van Vihar, Palampur - 08/10/2015
After Jibhi, we reached Baijnath by nightfall and spent the night in the car, because we were unable to find suitable accommodation. The "Homestays” were just seedy lodges and in the interest of hygiene, we thought it would be better to spend the night in the car rather than risk a bedbug infestation by bunking in some dirty bed.
In the morning, we checked out Saurabh Van Vihar - The authorities could have done a better job. It’s littered with weird gazebos for families to frolic in and swings and other contraptions for children to play on. There’s also trash lying around, discarded by litterbug picnickers.
Pretty sad. With a bit more planning and initiative, this could be a really beautiful and unique park.
Dadh PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This is a well maintained Rest House, but it is a pretty busy place. There were scores of people going in and out of the premises and I think the PWD has some kind of an office located in the premises.
Kotla PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This is also a very quaint and decently maintained Rest House. It’s located in a busy town, so it sees plenty of visitors.
A shot of the verandah.
Dundara Bangla PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This PWD rest house is situated in an isolated location, off the main highway and close to Chamba.
It’s a decently maintained, big bungalow and sees the odd visitor every now and then.
The Khansama/Chowkidar is a pleasant, enthusiastic gentleman called “Girdhari Lal.”
Sundla PWD Rest House - 09/10/2015
This is another very nicely maintained bungalow, which sees plenty of visitors…mostly PWD officials.
This one looks like a proper Raj Bungalow, complete with cane chairs on the verandah.
The Accident - 09/10/2015
While on the way back from Sundla, towards Chamba, this happened.
I was on the left side, in my lane and just as I took a blind right hand turn, I saw a Sumo Taxi coming straight at me - it was in the wrong lane.
To my left, was a sheer drop, a few hundred meters deep and to the right was the mountain face. I turned to my right and the Sumo guy also turned to his left at the same time, in an attempt to get back in his lane.
We collided head on, but fortunately we had both braked and the speed was low enough to not cause any injuries to the occupants of either vehicle.
Everything was going great and this accident happened in exactly 2 seconds - I must add that I was well rested and totally free of alcohol or any other narcotics. I guess it was one of those things that just had to happen.
We had done about 1700 Kms over the last 7 days and I think it was nature’s way of telling us to slow down and appreciate the hills a bit more.
Nature’s plan worked out pretty well, because we were forced to wait on the highway for a grand total of 10 Hours, waiting for the roadside assistance from Myles, while they “Googled” stuff for a couple of hours - this was an ordeal in itself. I’ll save that experience for a later, more detailed post.
The saddest part was seeing the Swift lying wrecked. The Sumo also suffered a cracked oil sump and some ruined bodywork.
I wasn’t feeling too great after this, but apparently these accidents are very common in the hills - all the passers by, who stopped to take look and offer assistance said the same thing - “Gaadi toh theek ho jayegi, accha hua kisi ki jaan nahi gayi.”
So long, buddy :'(
The Aftermath - 09/10/2015 - 10/10/2015
I wasn’t willing to let the accident disrupt my schedule. So I got on the phone with Myles and managed to book a replacement Nano from Chandigarh for pick up at 0800, the next day.
We had seen several of these small shrines throughout Himachal roads - they’re built at sites where there has been a fatal accident. Almost all of them are built at blind turnings.
I chose to book a Nano, because it was the cheapest. I knew I’d have to shell out from my security deposit to Myles for the accident and I wasn’t in the mood to spend any more than I had to. Yes, I was being kanjoos again; I don’t learn my lesson that easily.
After 10 hours of waiting, the Swift was finally towed, and we hitched a ride to Chamba and then took a ST Bus to Pathankot at around 2300 Hrs.
“Buri nazar waaley…"
We reached Pathankot early in the morning and took a bus to Chandigarh, where I collected the Nano and packed my partner off to Delhi, by bus. He was pretty rattled after the accident. So was I, but since it was my money and time on the line, I was a lot more motivated to take the risk.
This ain’t over, yet.
Chandigarh to Rampur - 10/10/2015
On the road again.
I had seen some suitable locations near Rampur and wanted to go check them out. So, I just typed in Chandigarh - Rampur in Google maps and followed whatever the App said.
It’s not the best approach, but it worked out fine for me - I went past some really good roads, which I hadn’t driven down on my earlier trip.
I reached Rampur in the evening and checked into an MTDC Hotel over there.
You know what they say about that one rotten apple, right?
Rampur - Gaura - Shimla - Chandigarh - 11/10/2015 - 13/10/2015
The next three days were spent talking to authorities for the requisite permissions and gathering information about the sites that I had liked.
As I had mentioned previously, I don’t think the Nano is a car that is suited to extensive Mountain usage.
But it is pretty photogenic…or maybe, it’s the ‘baingani’ hue.
There were instances when trucks would overtake me and I would feel the whole car shake. Taking a turn above 60 Km/Hr is downright suicidal - the tyres frequently squealed in protest, the few times I did take somewhat high speed turns.
The good points were that the AC was really effective and the music system was surprisingly good. Also, it is really manoeuvrable and because of it’s small size, finding parking in Shimla was not a hassle.
I returned the car back to the Chandigarh Hub of Myles on the 13th of October and then took an AC Volvo to Delhi on the 14th.
With that, the trip ended.
All in all, it was a fruitful, interesting trip with several experiences and learnings.
Hope this travelogue makes for an interesting read - I’ll be posting a detailed review of my Myles Car experience also, so stay tuned.
Dharanghati PWD Rest House - 05/10/2015
If there is one Dak Bungalow that qualifies as being built in “The Middle of Nowhere,” it’s the PWD Rest House in Dharanghati. The whole of Dharanghati mainly consists of a tea shop, the PWD Rest House and a Devi Mandir, which is situated on a peak, a few kilometres up. That’s it.
The rest house is in a pretty good state, despite the remote location.
One thing I noticed was that the PWD Rest Houses were always better maintained than the FRH’s - perhaps it can be attributed to the fact that it IS the Public Works Department, after all…I guess they have an image to maintain.
The old kitchen of the rest house, now abandoned.
We tried taking the Swift up the road to the Devi Mandir, but it was too dangerous - the road has several white, slippery sandstone like sharp rocks and the tyres weren’t able to get enough traction, so we discarded that plan and continued back down, on our merry way.
View of Shrikhand Mahadev Peak, from near the Dharanghati Rest House. I’m not sure if I got the name of this peak right - everyone I asked had a different name for it, so I just wrote the first name that I remembered.
Sarahan - Maharaja’s Palace and Devi Mandir - 06/10/2015
Sarahan is famous for it's Devi Mandir and we happened to stop over here by chance - it was not a scheduled stop. But we visited the Devi Mandir and payed our respects, anyway.
If you are in Sarahan, make sure you eat at the Nepali Restaurant, near the Bus Stop. Good, clean, simple food, at very reasonable rates. Believe me, you shall not regret this.
The Maharaja of Himachal Pradesh (now CM), has his Royal Palace in Sarahan.
It is a beautiful building, built in the traditional style.
It’s not in use anymore - I wasn’t able to determine why it’s not being used anymore, but it’s still maintained pretty well.
We couldn’t go inside and took a few snaps of whatever we could from the outside - I guess, they’re not too keen on letting the riff-raff in, especially two dudes who looked like they hadn’t shaved (or bathed) for a while.
A random shot of the Sutlej River.
Highway Car Washing
After 4 days on the road, the car had gathered a LOT of dust - we stopped by at one of the many highway-side car washes and gave the Swift a good clean.
The exteriors were dust free for a grand total of 15 minutes after the wash, but it was worth it.
Luhri FRH - 06/10/2015
Luhri has a nice, well maintained forest rest house, 70 Km from Sarahan. Being out of the way, it gets little to no visitors.
Road to Luhri FRH
Dalash PWD Rest House - 06/10/2015
This is a new rest house that has probably been built about 30 years ago. Well maintained property, with plenty of rooms and a nice garden out in front.
Chowai FRH - 06/10/2015
Now this is a nice, old FRH, about 70 Km from Rampur. The Rest House is really well maintained and if you feel like staying in a remote location, bordering a forest, then this is it. I think it falls under the purview of the DFO Rampur, so you will have to apply there for permission to stay.
One of the older, abandoned buildings in the property.
Khanag PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
Now this is a proper Dak Bungalow. Really well maintained PWD building with 3 guest rooms.
It’s even got this beautiful Memorial Stone, dedicated to the memory of a British Lady, in the front lawn.
Here’s the inscription, in case you cannot see the wording clearly -
"In memory of, Penelope Valentine Hester Betjeman - writer & traveller, born 14 February 1910. Wife of John Betjeman, Poet Laureate and daughter of Field Marshal Lord Chetwode, Commander in Chief of the Indian Army (1930-33) and of Lady Chetwode. She died in these hills, she had loved so long.”
A quick google search revealed that this particular lady was very fond of the hills in North India and had actually traversed almost the same Dak Bungalow trail that we did (albeit with ponies and porters), several years ago. She died during one of her sojourns, in a place very close to this rest house, in 1986.
Some old barracks near the Khanag Rest House.
Shoja PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
This is another Beautiful PWD Rest House in a place called Shoja, after Jalori Jot and quite close to Khanag.
What I really like is that a lot of these Rest Houses are being maintained very well, keeping their original charm intact. Often times, it is the work of a single caretaker, who does not only does maintenance on the grounds and looks after the gardens, but also doubles up as the cook or Khansama.
The road from Khanag to Shoja is a nightmare - just as bad as the one which goes to Baga Saraun and then some.
Mom & Pop Eatery (Shringi Vatika) - 07/10/2015
A bit ahead of Shoja, we stopped for a very nice breakfast at a small restaurant called Shringi Vatika - it’s run by a husband-wife duo, who also operate a cozy looking home stay on the premises. Though I have to admit, that I found the prices to be a bit on the higher side; the plus side is that they give all the creature comforts that one usually does not find in such remote areas - cozy heated rooms, comfortable beds with clean linen, hot water in bathrooms and power backup too.
The food was excellent and they apparently have an arrangement for guests to sleep in tents, if they so desire - check it out if you are ever in the area.
I’d like to clarify that this is not a sneaky marketing trick - the couple were really warm and hospitable and I felt that their establishment certainly deserved a mention in my travelogue.
While at Shringi Vatika, we met up with another fellow traveller and hardcore Himachal enthusiast - Mr. Anshul Kaushik (pictured here in the middle between the owners of Shringi Vatika).
The badass Pajero belongs to Anshul and is actually the kind of car you need to tackle mountain roads in India and make those monstrous Sumo/Force Motors taxis give you some well deserved right of way - I think he’s a member of Team-BHP also.
Jibhi PWD Rest House - 07/10/2015
Jibhi is a small hamlet, about 7 Km ahead of Shoja. The rest house is not very well maintained, but still liveable. It’s located right off the highway and probably does not see any visitors at all.
Saurabh Van Vihar, Palampur - 08/10/2015
After Jibhi, we reached Baijnath by nightfall and spent the night in the car, because we were unable to find suitable accommodation. The "Homestays” were just seedy lodges and in the interest of hygiene, we thought it would be better to spend the night in the car rather than risk a bedbug infestation by bunking in some dirty bed.
In the morning, we checked out Saurabh Van Vihar - The authorities could have done a better job. It’s littered with weird gazebos for families to frolic in and swings and other contraptions for children to play on. There’s also trash lying around, discarded by litterbug picnickers.
Pretty sad. With a bit more planning and initiative, this could be a really beautiful and unique park.
Dadh PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This is a well maintained Rest House, but it is a pretty busy place. There were scores of people going in and out of the premises and I think the PWD has some kind of an office located in the premises.
Kotla PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This is also a very quaint and decently maintained Rest House. It’s located in a busy town, so it sees plenty of visitors.
A shot of the verandah.
Dundara Bangla PWD Rest House - 08/10/2015
This PWD rest house is situated in an isolated location, off the main highway and close to Chamba.
It’s a decently maintained, big bungalow and sees the odd visitor every now and then.
The Khansama/Chowkidar is a pleasant, enthusiastic gentleman called “Girdhari Lal.”
Sundla PWD Rest House - 09/10/2015
This is another very nicely maintained bungalow, which sees plenty of visitors…mostly PWD officials.
This one looks like a proper Raj Bungalow, complete with cane chairs on the verandah.
The Accident - 09/10/2015
While on the way back from Sundla, towards Chamba, this happened.
I was on the left side, in my lane and just as I took a blind right hand turn, I saw a Sumo Taxi coming straight at me - it was in the wrong lane.
To my left, was a sheer drop, a few hundred meters deep and to the right was the mountain face. I turned to my right and the Sumo guy also turned to his left at the same time, in an attempt to get back in his lane.
We collided head on, but fortunately we had both braked and the speed was low enough to not cause any injuries to the occupants of either vehicle.
Everything was going great and this accident happened in exactly 2 seconds - I must add that I was well rested and totally free of alcohol or any other narcotics. I guess it was one of those things that just had to happen.
We had done about 1700 Kms over the last 7 days and I think it was nature’s way of telling us to slow down and appreciate the hills a bit more.
Nature’s plan worked out pretty well, because we were forced to wait on the highway for a grand total of 10 Hours, waiting for the roadside assistance from Myles, while they “Googled” stuff for a couple of hours - this was an ordeal in itself. I’ll save that experience for a later, more detailed post.
The saddest part was seeing the Swift lying wrecked. The Sumo also suffered a cracked oil sump and some ruined bodywork.
I wasn’t feeling too great after this, but apparently these accidents are very common in the hills - all the passers by, who stopped to take look and offer assistance said the same thing - “Gaadi toh theek ho jayegi, accha hua kisi ki jaan nahi gayi.”
So long, buddy :'(
The Aftermath - 09/10/2015 - 10/10/2015
I wasn’t willing to let the accident disrupt my schedule. So I got on the phone with Myles and managed to book a replacement Nano from Chandigarh for pick up at 0800, the next day.
We had seen several of these small shrines throughout Himachal roads - they’re built at sites where there has been a fatal accident. Almost all of them are built at blind turnings.
I chose to book a Nano, because it was the cheapest. I knew I’d have to shell out from my security deposit to Myles for the accident and I wasn’t in the mood to spend any more than I had to. Yes, I was being kanjoos again; I don’t learn my lesson that easily.
After 10 hours of waiting, the Swift was finally towed, and we hitched a ride to Chamba and then took a ST Bus to Pathankot at around 2300 Hrs.
“Buri nazar waaley…"
We reached Pathankot early in the morning and took a bus to Chandigarh, where I collected the Nano and packed my partner off to Delhi, by bus. He was pretty rattled after the accident. So was I, but since it was my money and time on the line, I was a lot more motivated to take the risk.
This ain’t over, yet.
Chandigarh to Rampur - 10/10/2015
On the road again.
I had seen some suitable locations near Rampur and wanted to go check them out. So, I just typed in Chandigarh - Rampur in Google maps and followed whatever the App said.
It’s not the best approach, but it worked out fine for me - I went past some really good roads, which I hadn’t driven down on my earlier trip.
I reached Rampur in the evening and checked into an MTDC Hotel over there.
You know what they say about that one rotten apple, right?
Rampur - Gaura - Shimla - Chandigarh - 11/10/2015 - 13/10/2015
The next three days were spent talking to authorities for the requisite permissions and gathering information about the sites that I had liked.
As I had mentioned previously, I don’t think the Nano is a car that is suited to extensive Mountain usage.
But it is pretty photogenic…or maybe, it’s the ‘baingani’ hue.
There were instances when trucks would overtake me and I would feel the whole car shake. Taking a turn above 60 Km/Hr is downright suicidal - the tyres frequently squealed in protest, the few times I did take somewhat high speed turns.
The good points were that the AC was really effective and the music system was surprisingly good. Also, it is really manoeuvrable and because of it’s small size, finding parking in Shimla was not a hassle.
I returned the car back to the Chandigarh Hub of Myles on the 13th of October and then took an AC Volvo to Delhi on the 14th.
With that, the trip ended.
All in all, it was a fruitful, interesting trip with several experiences and learnings.
Hope this travelogue makes for an interesting read - I’ll be posting a detailed review of my Myles Car experience also, so stay tuned.
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