Fast facts
State: Uttarakhand
Location: In the Tehri Hills at 6,500 ft, a steep 59-km climb up from Rishikesh. Alternatively, a 67-km drive from Mussoorie
Distance: 283 km N of Delhi
When to go: The best times are between March-June and October-December. The views are best in April and November
Tourist Office: GMVN, 102, Indraprakash Building, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi
Tel: 011-23350481 STD code: 01376
Getting there
Air: Nearest airport: Dehradun (77 km/3 hrs).
Rail: Nearest railhead: Haridwar (84 km/3 hrs)
Route: NH58 to Rishikesh via Meerut, Roorkee and Haridwar; NH94 to Chamba via Narendranagar
It is hard to believe that the scenic, unspoilt and beautiful hamlet of Chamba is only nine hours from Delhi. Why isn’t Uttarakhand’s Chamba as celebrated as Himachal’s, you ask? Perhaps because this is a relatively unknown destination and they have not worked too hard on publicizing it. Lack of exposure has retained in Chamba what most hill stations have lost or are fast losing – the air of remoteness, of being somewhere else, somewhere special. Chamba is a getaway in a very real sense. When you come here, you manage to escape most of the things that you want to get away from in a metropolis – crowds, traffic, pollution, noise, the relentless pace and the mundane routine.
Things to see and do
Chamba isn’t much of a town, more a junction en route to higher and better-known destinations in the Tehri Hills: Gangotri, Yamunotri, the ancient and vanishing town of Tehri itself. After the completion of the Tehri dam, the displaced from the aban-doned Old Tehri town resettled in New Tehri and Chamba. The haphazard influx hasn’t done Chamba any good; but then, you don’t go to Chamba to stay in town. You look for higher, quieter nooks in the surrounding hills.
On clear mornings, the Langtang range lies burnished on the northern skyline a dozen or more snow-capped Himalayan peaks etched on the horizon like a fantastical painting. And on a moonlit night, rare because of Chamba’s daily twilight trysts with clouds, the skies are sometimes so clear and low, you would think you could touch the stars. Then, of course, there are the peaks of Langtang by lunar light, like another overdone madness from a tripping painter.
Chamba is still a relatively pristine and protected world; the hills are fairly well forested and unbreached. You will often see or hear furtive hares and jackals, darting about in the bushes. The best thing about getting away to a place like Chamba is that there are no existing prescriptions on places to see or things to do. Do nothing and you’ll have done what you came here to do. And for eager beavers in the habit of making a holiday more of a rush-about than the city, there are walks – endless prospects of meandering in the thick cedar and pine forests, interminable little hill trails to explore.
Where to stay and eat
The best option here is Classic Hill-top Resort (Tel: 01376-255837, Cell: 09412074108, Delhi Tel: 011-65292650; Tariff: INR 6,500-8,500; www.classichilltop.com), located in 7 acres of verdure. There’s a pool for grown-ups and one for kids, a spa, a video parlour and a glasshouse. The resort also arranges treks and camping trips. GMVN’s Tourist Bungalow (Tel: 255245; Tariff: INR 590-1,240; www.gmvnl.com) is a decent budget option.
Around Chamba
Kanatal (35 km)
Some of the best walks are to be had in Kanatal, whose pine and deodar forests are far removed from the city. About 15 km down the winding road from Chamba to Dhanaulti, Mussoorie and finally Dehradun, is a little spot abutting a lake from which the place gets its name. But Kanatal has suffered natural reverses and the lake doesn’t hold enough water to qualify for that title these days. Even so, Kanatal is enchanting for its deep woods and the proliferation of moss and lichen.
Step off the road and, within two minutes, you are in the middle of forests so thick, sunlight barely gets through. You will find a richness of birds, butterflies and an abundance of silence; and in the monsoons, a profusion of brooks and streams. Should you wish to stay overnight in Kanatal, The Hermitage (Tel: 01376-283014; Cell: 09917674830; Tariff: INR 5,999-8,999 for 3D/ 2N; www.kanatalhermitage.com) is an excellent option. The hotel arranges guided treks and has a restaurant built on a ledge overhanging the forest.
Club Mahindra Kanatal (Cell: 08393011166; Tariff: INR 6,500; www.clubmahindra.com) is also a good choice. They have a bar, a spa and a gym and arrange sightseeing.