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Take a chill-pill: Drive up to the hills
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Kufri is a small place that first appeared on the tourist radar as one of the first ski resorts in the country. The slopes are covered with snow from December to February and it is then that Kufri comes alive. Not only are the hordes of tourist come to watch the snowfall but it’s also a place for the serious skiing enthusiast. There is a skiing competition in December every year and I am told that it’s a rather serious affair with the best skiers in the country in the fray.
But first a word of caution: The snow here in certain years is not deep enough for it to hold. So, the skiing season comes to an abrupt end. But unfortunately you will not know this till you get there. So if you have skiing in mind, do obtain information about the snowfall before you pack your bags. Once you get there beware of local touts who would fleece you on the pretext of taking you to the slopes. What they actually do is take you on a mule through a dirty, slushy, stinking narrow passageway to a relatively small slope where nothing but a mela is going on. But no skiing. And the tourism department officials are nowhere to be found. So Kufri for ski enthusiasts does need a bit of fact finding and exploring.
Come summer and the place becomes even quieter as it’s devoid of its main attraction – skiing. But few years ago on a summer visit I really took a liking to this place. There are deep, thick pine woods that offer a nice walk. Also the place is quiet. The view around is charming as you can see some of the lower Himalayan ranges in the distance and the best part is that there aren’t too many people around so you can be alone for a while.
Chail is another small Himachal hill town that has come into prominence as a great place for a quiet getaway. The main attraction here is, of course, the cricket ground, which, at 7,500 feet, is claimed to be the highest in the world. The local Maharaja had a big presence here and most of the development that has taken place in the early part of the last century was attributed to him. But today there is ample presence of the Indian Army that looks after the cricket ground as well. Chail is tranquil place that certainly can be enjoyed for a few days.
WHERE TO STAY
In Kufri the best bet is the Himachal Pradesh Tourist Resthouse which has decent rooms at Rs 800. But if you are looking for luxury, then there are private resorts with prices starting around Rs 6,000 in the skiing season but most of them do include a skiing package as well. Skiing packages are available for around Rs 12,000 per person for 10 days. In Chail, the best place to stay is the Palace that has been converted into a luxury hotel. It’s nice with sprawling lawns and sits high enough to provide a panoramic view but comes with a steep price tag of around Rs 3,500 a day including meals. There are cheaper option including Himachal Tourism resthouses that cost a fraction of this.
