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Chail
Altitude : 2,150 m (7,054 ft)
Languages : Hindi, Himachali, Garhwali, English
Best time to visit : May–July and September–November
STD Code : 01792
The clouds, the hills, and the sprawling greens—all these
signify Chail, a honeymooners’ paradise. It turns you poetic,
transforms your honeymoon into dream and a piece of land on
earth into paradise. Located in the northern state of Himachal
Pradesh, the small hamlet called Chail is a place where time
stands still. Nature is at her exuberant best and words like
pollution and deforestation have never entered the dictionary
of a person living in Chail.
Chail and its surrounding areas is a delight for tourists
in every season. It is charming in summer, fascinating in
autumn when the fields and the forests are covered with a
cloak of russet and gold and, of course, in winter it is nothing
less than paradise. Everything about this place is as perfect
as perfection can possibly be. The air here is crisp, invigorating
and there is some kind of warmth in the snow.
REACHING THERE
Chail is about 86 km from Kalka via Kandaghat (roughly 380
km from Delhi). The approach of Chail is along the Kalka–Shimla
route. One has to take a detour from Kandaghat. From Kandaghat,
it is an hour and a half’s journey by road to Chail. The ideal
way of covering the Kalka–Shimla track is by the toy train.
It takes five hours from Kalka to get to Kandaghat. These
five hours mark the beginning of this sojourn into the world
of make-belief. The toy train with a maximum of half a dozen
bogies chugs through the most thickly forested tracks, breathtaking
bends, deep ravines and never-ending tunnels.
There is always the option of flying to Shimla. This flight
operates only when the weather is favorable, but that will
be like fast forwarding a wonderful beginning and landing
yourself in the middle of a story.
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
Chail is a very small town on the hills with barely five to
six hotels. Chail’s Mall is worth walking down on. It has
precisely twelve shops and half a dozen hotels on one single
stretch and that is the end of it. Commercialization seems
to be still knocking at Chail.
There are, however, various categories of accommodation to
suit every kind of pocket ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 6,000
per day during the tourist season (which is primarily the
summer months). Each type of accommodation has a specific
name. There are Maharaja suites, Maharani suites, Rajgarh
cottages, Woodrose cottages, Monal cottages, Himneel cottages
and log huts.
The log huts can be a fascinating experience for those who
love to live amidst nature. They are situated about a kilometer
away from the main building and overlook a valley. From within
these huts one can watch the clouds settle down on the valley,
the lights shimmering at night and the cold seeping right
into your bones. One can also experience total silence and
quietude.
The Chail Palace Hotel is spread over 75 acres of land. It
appears endless with vast stretches of land neatly manicured
along cobbled pathways. The whole garden is yours and if you
go when there are not too many tourists, it is more therapeutic
than any medicine on earth.
The gourmet need not fear. Amidst nature, the hotel authorities
offer a wide variety of food and a satisfied burp is not out
of place. A curio shop panders to your other desires. For
still other desires, Chail offers its best—from dewdrop at
dawn break to thick lush deodar forests and many a dreams
woven within.
Places of Interest
With the majestic snow-capped Shivalik peaks in the background
and the beautiful Orchards and sylvan pine valleys around
reminding one of the many wonders of nature, Chail is sure
to cast a spell.
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh developed the highest cricket field
in the world in Chail. Well-kept and scrupulously maintained,
more than the excitement of the game, the pitch offers a picturesque
view of the surroundings, with tall forest trees all around
it. Chail has everything that Shimla doesn’t. The proud ruler
made sure that Chail matched Shimla in every respect.
Located on a spur, on a clear day, Chail offers a magnificent
and splendid view of the valley. It is an out-of-this-world
experience to look down and see the River Sutlej winding its
way between the mountains, overlooking at the same time both
Kasauli and Shimla (45 km) further via Kufri. It is an even
more splendid view in the night, with the distant lights of
the surroundings creating its own magic pattern on the horizon.
One has to see to believe what poets and writers have been
describing the Himalayas as since time immemorial. One is
awestruck to see the massive Himalayan ranges, their snow-capped
peaks spectacularly gleaming in the sun. It is definitely
an out-of-this-world sight and one can spend hours and hours
together, admiring the magic it creates in the mind. The snow
remains there until the beginning of the spring when the flowers
come out in full bloom. This is the time when the meadows
are filled with hyacinth and celandine, while the carmine
and rhododendron trees are surrounded by solemn forests of
deodar and towering pine trees.
A must see in this place is the palace of the maharaja. Built
on three hills, the palace is on Rajgarh Hill, while the Residency
Snow View, which was occupied once upon a time by the British
Resident, is on Pandhewa Hill. On the third hill, Sabba Tibba,
is the township of Chail. The maharaja had planned this palace
as a retreat, replete with all necessary things he’d need
for relaxation, and therefore, he built hunting and fishing
lodges, which are open to the public.
ADVENTURE
Take a walk and you’ll see what Chail is all about. There
is everything that is dear to a sportsman’s heart. If one
is interested in angling, the Gaura River is rich with mahseer
fish. If one is an ardent trekker, there are a number of high-attitude
trekking routes that will put your adrenalin to test. These
treks include the Kandaghat to Chail, Chail to Rajgarh and
Chur Chandni, and the Chail to Shimla via Junga. And if nothing
else, the long pine scented walk with the Utopic beauty of
the place is there, something you always crave for in a city
dwelling.
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