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A Himalayan Odyssey
A Journey to the Hill Stations of Himachal Pradesh.
OverviewThe hill state of Himachal Pradesh, sandwiched between Punjab and Tibet, encompasses the verdant Himalayan foothills, where we’ll find orchards and subtropical forests, deep gorges, pretty villages, roaring rivers and pine forests of the mountains. The cool, crisp mountain air and superb vistas made this once inaccessible area a favourite summer retreat for the British ruling government, whose legacy of colonial mansions, churches and remarkable railways sits comfortably alongside monasteries and temples.
Arriving in India, after our first visit to Delhi, we’ll take the train to the state of Punjab, to Amritsar. We’ll visit the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, with the chance to experience first light prayers. We’ll also see the ceremonial Sunset Retreat at Wagha Border, the only land crossing between Pakistan and India.
We move on, using SUVs, to Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan Government for over three decades. The town is split into two parts with the upper town of McLeod Ganj, named after the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, being nearly 1,000 metres higher in altitude. The Tibetan influence here is strong and we’ll visit the performing arts centre, medical centre and village school. Dharamsala is the starting point for our walks in the Himalayan foothills.
From both Manali, at the head of the Kullu Valley, and the hill station of Shimla, once the summer capital of the British Colonial Raj, we’ll walk in the surrounding hill country and experience Himachal Pradesh at its most idyllic, with its breathtaking landscapes, stunning views of snow capped peaks, pretty villages, raging rivers, fruit orchards and terraced fields.
We’ll take an exhilarating train ride on the narrow gauge railway from Shimla to Khandaghat, from here we’ll return to Delhi by train for a final visit before we depart for home.
Holiday Information SheetAll Holiday Information sheets are in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader or a similar program to view these. To download Acrobat Reader visit get.adobe.com/reader.
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Clive has been leading for Ramblers Worldwide since 1992, with over 210 tours on five continents. His regular destinations nowadays are Dubrovnik, France, Germany, Tuscany, and the Channel Islands.
