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In Tourist Destinations Revisited-The Himalayas

Khajjiar,Kangra and Billing-The Shiwalik Himalayas of India you can’t miss on!

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Khajjiar has beautiful green meadows with mountains as a backdrop. Kangra has a famous Jwalamukhi temple where hot springs flow and fire is naturally ignited underground along with Kangra Temple. A Baijnath Temple with a stunning Himalayan backdrop also falls on the way to Bir-Billing, where Bir is the base and Billing is the top for the start of Paragliding-the world paragliding championship took place in Billing once, and this place is worth a shot! You can cover all this with the Pathankot-Jogindernagar Railway(Narrow Guage) railway, which frequents daily on the Kangra route with beautiful views of forests and fresh air all along!

Wonder-la Reasons why you must visit Billing, Khajjiar and Kangra:

  • When paragliding comes to your mind-look, no further than Billing and Bir, the height is perfect for paragliding at Billing with Bir provides excellent snow-capped mountain views on clear sunny days.
The beautiful base for paragliding-Bir
The beautiful base for paragliding-Bir
  • Kangra’s Jwalamukhi Temple is known to have emanated fire from underground rock, which has been considered God’s blessing. This is one of the reasons to be here.  Fort in Knagra is also worth a visit due to its architecture and pleasant valleys that have been overlooked.
  • Kangra is the gateway to some scenic trekking spots like Kareri Lake, Indrahar Pass, Manimahesh and Triund, offering staggering Himalayan views of the Dhauladar range, not to forget Palampur in the near vicinity is known for its tea estates.
Kangra Fort and Kangra Valley
Kangra Fort and Kangra Valley
  • There are few notable monasteries in Bir and Kangra, like Gyuoti, Tashigong, Palpung and Tsering Jong, among many others, where you can attain peace and beautiful landscape.
  • Baijnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and hence is significant in Kangra. The bonus of viewing snow-clad Dhauladar ranges is more mouth-watering!
  • The meadows of Khajjiar and Khajjiar lake and Kalamuni top are must visit in Himachal. I had underestimated Khajjiar, but once you are in it, you will surely tell yourself you would have missed significant time!
  • Chamba is mainly known for many temples like Shree Hari and Chamunda Devi Temple, with a gateway to Sach pass of approximately 4500 metres of elevation, which serves as a gateway to Keylong or Kashmir.

Location: Chamba is 100 km northeast of Pathankot and Kangra is 85 km from Pathankot, and 80 km beyond Kangra is Billing

The Chamba Valley
The Chamba Valley

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Bir-Billing Paragliding spot, Chamba Devi Temple, Khajjiar, Dalhousie, Kangra Fort, Jwalamukhi Temple, Nagarkot Temple, Tashi Jong Khampagar Monastery

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

Shimla, Sach Pass, Bhakra dam, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Tosh, Manali, Kullu, and Narakanda are some of the places with 300-400 km to visit.

Billing -Heaven for Paragliding

Billing -Heaven for Paragliding
Billing -Heaven for Paragliding

Distance Charts:(Kangra-Himachal)

The beautiful Khajjiar
The beautiful Khajjiar

How to Reach Khajjiar,Chamba,Kangra and Bir-Billing:

Road Routes:

Pathankot-Nurpur-Chamba-Khajjiar-Chamba-Sihunta-Shahpur-Kanra-Ranital-Jwalamukhi-Ranital-Nagrota-Palampur-Baijnath-Bir-Jogindernagar

Mighty Himalayas,Shivaliks,Baijnath Paprola
Mighty Himalayas,Shivaliks,Baijnath Paprola

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)Khajjiar and Billing are two golden places you can’t afford to miss! Try paragliding once (1500 to 3000 INR) at Billing and spend some hours at the meadows of Khajjiar.

2)Public transport is 24/7 here, so hop in midnight and reach places by morning. Roads are pretty good too!

3)You’ll find hotels and restaurants regularly, so that won’t be an issue. Even vehicle repairs will do fine.

4)Temples are optional, but Baijnath temple shouldn’t be missed -the view of streams and mountains is damn awesome!

Himalayan Ranges from Bir
Himalayan Ranges from Bir

RAIL: The beautiful scenic rail for Kangra Valley is there from Pathankot Punjab to Jogindernagar, which you can drop at Kangra or Baijnath railway station. For Khajjiar, the road is a better option.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth it.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea!Do like and share if you find it worth…

AIR: Chandigarh/Amritsar are the nearest airports.

ROAD: A road from Pathankot bifurcates towards Chamba via Khajjiar and others towards Kangra. Best will be first to visit Chamba and Khajjiar, and state transport from Chamba will get you to Kangra Valley. Regular buses are available for Shimla, Bir and Dharamshala from Kangra. HPSRTC and private buses are aplenty to cater for your needs.

Map:

Chamba Kangra Bir Billing Map
Chamba Kangra Bir Billing Map

Time to Visit:

April-Early June; September to November

Baijnath mandir from a distance
Baijnath mandir from a distance

Spend Time With:

Family, friends, solo, couple

Food and Lodging:

Chamba and Kangra have no hotel shortages, just that peak season rates are on the higher side but available. Refer to Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, and EaseMyTrip if you want a booking. For food, you have lots of cheap and best hotels where you can have a good meal. Only towards Bir-Billing, you’ll need snacks with you.

Expense:

For a 3 day trip by state transport for Khajjiar followed by kangra and Billing:

Jwalamukhi Mandir(Temple) ,Kangra
Jwalamukhi Mandir(Temple) ,Kangra


Food: INR 100/person/day(3 times a day)X3

Transport: INR 600-800 max with public transport; more savings if commuted by train for Kangra only. A private vehicle will be required only from Bir to Billing(INR 1000)

Lodging: INR 700/day X2 at Chamba and Kangra (Check out on day 3 )

Entry Fees include various places (varies): No entry fees

Kangra Bus stand in the early morning hours of June

Total: 3900 INR(Can go upto to3200 INR if a shared car is availed for Billing)

Kangra Bus stand in early morning hours in June
Kangra Bus stand in early morning hours in June

Total: 3900 INR(Can go upto to3200 INR if a shared car is availed for Billing)

Nearby Attractions(Tso Moriri) (30-40 kmph is expected speed of vehicle)

Baijnath Temple-A view closer
Baijnath Temple-A view closer
Khajjiar Lake with beautiful Himalayas in backdrop
Khajjiar Lake with beautiful Himalayas in backdrop
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Pokhara
In The lovely Nepal destinations

Pokhara-The Gateway to Annapurna Trek and Muktinath-towards Beautiful tempting landscape

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Pokhara is the second biggest city after Kathmandu and is equally beautiful, with a better view of the Himalayas and more natural places to see. The view from World Peace Pagoda and Phewa Lake is simply astounding-snow capped mountains at Sunrise are something not to be missed.

Gorkha Memorial Museum and the International Mountain Museum are masterpieces of history. Check them out! Some other beautiful places are Mahendra Gufa, Cave, and Devi’s Falls.

Reasons why you must visit Pokhara:

  • Ready for an adventure like bungee jumping, paragliding and the longest zipline-Pokhara is there for your adventure sports anytime-take a day off and get some adrenaline rush!
Sarangkot Paragliding,Pokhara
Sarangkot Paragliding,Pokhara
  • Shanti stupa, also known as World Peace Pagoda, is a great place to meditate and observe peace watching over Pokhara city, Annapurna range and Phewa Lake on a clear sunny day.
The beautiful Pokhara City
The beautiful Pokhara City
  • Mahendra cave, or Gupteshwor Gufa, is known for Lord Shiva’s statue and beautiful cave views with streams flowing around. Worth a visit for sure!
  • Devi’s Falls is a prime attraction. It’s one of its kind and crystal clear and beautiful. The falls are more pronounced in rains.
  •  Seti River gorge is also a place worth a short trip, but nowhere close to these waterfalls.
  • The mountaineering and Gorkha museum arent to be missed. Both are vast and take time to explore and a lot to understand the history of warfare as well as the mountainous regions of Nepal.

Location: Pokhara is 200 km west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and about 190 km north of Sonauli-the border of India and Nepal.

Gurkha Memorial Museum
Gurkha Memorial Museum

Tourist Attraction on the Spot:

World Peace Pagoda, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave, Mahendra Cave, International Mountain Museum. Shree Bindhyabasini Temple, Seti River Gorge, Gorkha Memorial Museum, Chambre Gufa, Rupa Lake, Begnas Lake, Devi’s Falls, Phewa Lake

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

Kathamandu,Muktinath,Lumbini and Manang are few places that are great to visit in 6-12 hours of journey.

Seti River Gorge
Seti River Gorge

Distance Charts:(From Pokhara)

Devis Falls
Devis Falls

How to Reach Pokhara:

Road Routes:

Ex India: Lucknow-Gorakhpur-Sunauli(India-Nepal border)-Lumbini-Tansen-Putalibazar-Pokhara

Pokhara as seen from Peace Pagoda
Pokhara as seen from Peace Pagoda

An important note from my experience:

1)Visit Pokhara after monsoons, i.e. September to November, when skies are clear and the Himalayas are visible.

2)April to May should be avoided along with rainy winter seasons as the weather will be gloomy with drizzles and if not rain-the cloud cover is enough to spoil your mood.

3)Most tourist spots have an entry fee between 20 to 100 NPR.So be ready with some spare cash in hand.

4)Public transport is available, but if you expect a smooth buttery tour of Pokhara with public transport, nope-it won’t be. For a few places, taking a private car makes more sense which, have their rates depend on the destination,

Inside Gupteshwar cave, Pokhara

6)There is this problem all over Nepal. Some will consider Nepalese currency, and some Indian. In most cases, they accept both. Please make sure to ask in which currency they need to be paid. Usually, the higher price denotes the Nepali rupee. (1 INR is 1.6 NPR)

Inside Gupteshwar cave,Pokhara
Inside Gupteshwar cave,Pokhara

RAIL: Unfortunately, the rail network is not present in this region

You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth it.

You can watch the below video to get a better idea!Do like and share if you find it worth…

AIR: Lucknow in India and Kathmandu/Pokhra airports in Nepal are nearby to Lumbini.

ROAD: The easiest way to be in Lumbini is to ride from Gorakhpur(India) to Sunauli and a bus from Sunauli to Pokhara. From the Nepal side, you’ll take a shared car from Kathmandu.

Map:

Patna Sitamarhi Janakpur Kathmandu Pokhara Jomsom Muktinath Map
Patna Sitamarhi Janakpur Kathmandu Pokhara Jomsom Muktinath Map

Time to Visit:

The best time to visit will be around September to November. April-May may be considered but beware of gloomy rainy drizzles-not good for landscape sightseeing.

International Mountain Museum,Pokhara
International Mountain Museum,Pokhara

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple, Groups

Food and Lodging:

Hotels are readily available in a reasonable price range. Even food is cheap and easily available.No need to book a stay at Pokhara in advance. If you are still looking for one, you can book from Goibibo, Makemytrip or Yatra websites.

Expense:

For a 1 day trip to Pokhara,following is the expense:

Vindhyavasini Temple,Pokhara
Vindhyavasini Temple,Pokhara

Food: NPR 150/person/day(3 times a day)

Transport: Frankly, you need two days for the public transport scene- that too, not all places- assume NPR 1200-1500 for this -note 1 day of food and stay @1200 NPR gets added- in case you opt for a private vehicle -will cost you 4000 NPR/day.

Lodging: NPR 700/day at Pokhara

Entry Fees include various places (varies): NPR 500(all in all max)

Total: 4500 NPR(Public transport-2 days stay);5700 NPR for private vehicle and one day stay here

Nearby Attractions(Pokhara) :

Phewa Lake,Pokhara
Phewa Lake,Pokhara
Begnas Lake in late afternoon
Begnas Lake in late afternoon
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