We have experienced that European guests
visiting Himachal and staying at Manali/ Shimla/
Dharamsala apart from normal sight seeing tours
are also interested in undertaking some walks
around the destination.
In Shimla we have a few options of walking tours
which would also give a guest introduction to
the heritage & natural beauty with which Shimla
is associated. The suggested walks would be
found interesting specially by the British
guests.
All walking tours are based on an assumption
that the guest would be staying at The Cecil
(normally all of your guests stay at this hotel
only). If the guests are staying at hotel other
than The Cecil, transfer by vehicle can be
organized. Please also note that although the
tours are known as the walking trails but still
the guest would require services of a vehicle
for drops/ pick ups from certain points and
hence, also suggest keeping services of a
vehicle at disposal for the specified time.
Option I - Colonial
Miles Full Day
Packed with history and architecture – and
enlivened by delightful anecdotes and shopping –
this walk is designed to provide you with a
distilled experience of Shimla.
A half hour drop by vehicle from The Cecil
leaves one on the top of Mount Jakhoo, the hill
that towers over Shimla at 2455 Mts. A temple
dedicated to Lord Hanuman crowns the forested
hill. After spending some curious moments with
the monkeys that crowd the temple, a sharp
descent brings one on the famous Mall, a walking
promenade that offers some exquisite samples of
colonial architecture as well as a plethora of
shopping options. The thirty-minute walk down
the western end of the Mall through some
historic buildings of the Raj Era, such as
through splendid visits to Band stand, Gaiety
Theatre, Scandal point, Conny Cot, Telegraph
office, Bantony, Bantink’s Castle, Catholic
Church, Kalibari temple, Imperial Bank, Railway
board Building, Knokdrin, Kennedy House, The
Retreat, the Cecil meanders.
After a quick spot of lunch at The Cecil, the
walk continues to the former Vice regal Lodge
atop Shimla’s Observatory Hill, fifteen minutes
from the hotel. Even today, colonial grandeur
and nostalgia for a long-gone way of life can be
experienced here in a single morning. Built on
the ripples of Shimla’s western arm, this was
the official residence of the British Viceroy of
India. After a tour of the imposing interiors
and the expansive lawns of the Lodge, step out
for a visit to the State Museum perched on
Inverarm hill, a display of Himachal’s heritage,
culture and history. After a detailed tour of
the artifacts on display, a quick descent leads
one back to The Cecil where the walk ends.
Tour Duration: 7 hrs. Walking Time: 5 hrs.
Maximum Descent: 30˚
- 35˚
Maximum Ascent: 25˚
- 30˚
Option
II - Suburban Heritage Walk Half Day
A charming walk traversing three hills of Shimla
richly endowed with the colonial grandeur of
British Shimla. After breakfast at The Cecil,
starts the climb to the State Museum perched on
Inverarm hill, a display of Himachal’s heritage,
culture and history. After a look-see, a short
trail leads past Peterhoff, the initial sight of
the viceroy’s residence in an expanded
English-country cottage. A tiny bird – park
below houses the resplendent Monal, Himachal’s
State Bird. Beyond Inverarm lies the former
Viceregal Lodge atop Observatory hill. The
building now houses the Indian Institute of
Advanced Study, and even today, colonial
grandeur and nostalgia for a long–gone way of
life can be experienced in a single morning.
This was the official residence of the British
Viceroy of India. Within its walls were marked
some of the most momentous events of Indian
history – including the decision to partition
India. A trail past the Viceregal Lodge leads to
Boileauganj, a tiny Shimla suburb and a steep
climb from the bazaar leads to the top of
Prospect Hill, the peak houses a tiny temple and
offers a panoramic view of Shimla and its
surroundings. From here we retrace our steps
back to Cecil through the bazaar and past a
cottage in which Nobel Laureate Rabindranath
Tagore had once stayed. Return to The Cecil for
lunch.
Tour Duration: 5 hrs. Walking Time: 3 hrs.
Maximum Descent: 30˚
- 35˚
Maximum Ascent: 25˚
- 30˚
Option
III - Himalayan Forests & Streams Full Day
A memorable day trek that traverses through lush
Himalayan forests and valleys. The trail crosses
two chattering mountain streams, one with a
waterfall and offers a glimpse of a few
traditional Himachali villages. In all, a
delightful and comprehensive introduction to the
Himalayas, packaged into a six-hour experience.
The trek starts at Potters Hill, a twenty-minute
drive from The Cecil. From here, we descend
through resplendent Oak and Rhododendron groves
to Chadwick Falls, a waterfall trundling over a
cliff in the Summer Hill gorge. A level walk
from the falls and a stride across a ridge at
the village of Sanog starts the sharp descent to
the tiny hamlet of Chamoh, an ancient village
situated amidst picturesque terraced fields at
the beginning of the Glen valley. Here we meet
the Glen rivulet and trace it upstream through
some enchanting forests and breathtakingly
beautiful glades, the silence only being
punctuated by the constant chattering of the
stream or the calls of the plethora of bird-life
found here. The enchanting beauty of Glen
entices one to halt and savour a well-deserved
picnic hamper accompanied by some delightful
bird watching. After lunch and some rest starts
the ascent back to the Hotel. A short up hill
climb from this “little valley of paradise”
connects to the Annandale road ascending to The
Cecil where one can either be picked-up by
vehicle or continue the thirty-minute climb to
the hotel.
Tour Duration: 6 hrs. Walking Time: 4 hrs.
Maximum Descent: 35˚
- 40˚
Maximum Ascent: 35˚
- 40˚
Option
IV - The Forests of Glen Half Day
A charming walk deep into the Glen Valley that
lies hidden amidst the lush-green northern
slopes of the ridge that The Cecil is perched
on. A short walk (or drive) down the road to
Annandale brings one to the bifurcation on a
spur that descends through dense Rhododendron
and Pine forests to a beautiful mountain stream
that gurgles through the richly forested gorges
and ravines of Glen. Along the stream are some
enchanting picnic spots that invite one to spend
a few hours spotting the beautiful Himalayan
bird-life that this valley abounds in and enjoy
a hearty hamper in the woods. Walk back to the
spur to continue the climb back to Cecil or pick
the option of a drive back to the hotel.
Tour Duration: 3 hrs. Walking Time: 2 hrs.
Maximum Descent: 35˚
- 40˚
Maximum Ascent: 35˚
- 40˚
Please also note that guide cost for above
walking trails would not be same as our normal
sight seeing costs.
We hope that you would find the above walking
tours interesting and would be promoted among
your various guests. For any more clarification
and rates on above please feel free to contact
us (Team Indo Vacations)
Written by Mr.
Ritesh Sood
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