One of the loveliest spot in the Himalayas, the Kulu Valley is very beautiful - a lush green valley with the sparkling Beas River running through it and the snowcapped Himalayan peaks forming the background. It is known as the valley of gods. Evidence of this are the numerous temples. It offers a variety of scenic charms, from wooded glades to barren rocks with snow above the tree line.

Kulu is famous for its apple orchards, wooden temples, folk music and dances and their handsome hill folk. There are number of places for hunting at Kulu.

Shimla at an altitude of 2,130 m is a beautiful hill station in India and has been a fovourite since British troops set up camp here in 1819. With the Mall and Ridge being main attractions, climbing beyond Scandal point and Ridge beyond Shimla a 2 kms walk takes you to the Jakhoo hill, with a panoramic view of Shimla and Hanuman temple.

16 km from Shimla at 2,622m is this mini hill station. It has long been famous for its ski slopes, and panoramic views where deep valleys and forests rise towards the lofty Himalayas, surrounded by un-melting snows. Through thick cedar woods one can walk up to the Mahasu Peak, or visit the little zoo. From Kufri, a fascinating drive leads on to Chail.

A summer hill resort par excellence, founded by Lord Dalhousie in the British days in 1850 as a sanatorium. It is situated 563 kms from Delhi and lies on the outer slopes of the Dhaulodhar Range of the Himalayas. Apart from its own considerable scenic attraction, it is the gateway to Chamba; the valley of milk, honey, springs and streams.

A beautiful little hill resort, Dharamshala is 90 kms from Pathankot, lying on the other side of Chamba. It is the headquarters of Kangra district. The town is built on a spur of Dhauladhar range. and varies from 1,250 m to nearly 180m. The waterfall of Bhagsunath is within walking distance. Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism, who fled Lhasa in 1959 has lived in refuge in this hill town.

17 km away from Dharamshala, Kangra is one of Himachal's beautiful valleys, rolls down the southern edge of the magnificent Dhauladhar range in gentle slopes covered with forests of pine, orchards, green tea gardens and teraceed fields. The Dhauladhar-the white ranges, rise upto 14000ft. from the valley floor. Once the ancient capital of a powerful hill state, Kangra was known for its magnificent temples and as a centre of the arts. At Kangra itself, a fort and some temples are the only remnants of its glorious past.

77 km from Shimla and 35 km from Kalka, at 1,927 mtrs., is a quaint little town that seems to live in time warp that belongs to the last century. Its colonial ambience is reinforced by cobbled paths, tiny shops, gabled houses with magnificent facades and scores of neat little gardens and orchards. Kasauli is encircled by a mixed forest of Chair pine, Himalayan oak and huge horse-chestnut.

Bhuntar gives access into the adjoining valleys of the Parvati and Sainj. The Parvati Valley named after the consort of Lord Shiva, is well known for Manikaran which is revered as a place of pilgrimage by Hindus and Sikhs. It is famous for hot sulphur springs. Kasol, on the Parvati river, is an angler's paradise.

At the end of the Kulu Valley, 32 km from Manali is the famous Rohtang Pass (3978 m) which offers some of the most spectacular views of the awesome Himalayas. For centuries,the Rohtang Pass has been the gateway for trading routes to Lahaul, Ladakh and Central Asia.

Visit the 450 year old Dhoongri Temple dedicated to Goddess Hadimba with its exquisite and unique carvings, Tibetan Monastery, the majestic Beas River and Jagatsutk ancient capital of Manali. Also visit the hot water springs of Vashist, the beautiful Brighu Lake, and other equally spectacular sights.

Separated from the Kangra Valley to the south by high Dhauladhar Range and the remote Pattan Valley to the north by the Pir Panjal Range is the beautiful Chamba Valley, through which flows the Ravi River. For over 1000 years this region formed the princely state of Chamba, the most ancient state in northern India. Few travellers find their way here, and of those that do, few continue down the valley, renowned for its fine Shikhara temples. Excellent examples of Shikhara temples can be found in the beautiful town of Chamba, 56km form Dalhousie, and at the ancient capital of Brahmaur, a further 65km down the valley to the south-east. Brahmaur is also the valley that leads to the sacred lake of Manimahesh, and across is the high Kugti Pass to the Chandra Valley and Lahaul.

This grassy marg, or meadow, is 22km from Dalhousie towards Chamba, and you can get here by bus or on foot, a days walk. Over a km long and nearly a km wide, it is ringed by pine trees with a lake in the middle. There's a golf course here and the 12^th century Khajjinag Temple, with fine wood-carving on the cornices, and some crude carvings of the five Pandavas, the hearoes of the Mahabharata, which were installed in the temple by Raja Balbhadra Varman in the 16^th century.

It's possible to do a circuit of the marg by horseback (Rs 40 for 15 minutes).

Lahaul and Spiti, the largest district in Himachal Pradesh, is a vast area of high mountains and narrow valleys bounded by Ladakh and Tibet to the north, Kinnaur to the east and the Kullu Valley to the south. Lahaul is often regarded as midway point en route to Leh and the Indus Valley, but has more to offer travellers. Spiti has only recently been opened to foreign tourists attracted to the isolated Buddhist gompas and villages.

The Rohtang Pass linking the Kullu Valley and Lahaul was completed inthe 1960s. More recently motorable road was constructed from Lahaul to Spiti over the Kunzum La. Both roads are closed because of snow for serveral months of the year.

Chail was created as the summer capital of the princely state of Patiala by the maharaja after he was expelled from Shimla. The town is built on three hills - one is topped by the Chail Palace, one by the village itself and the third by the Snow View Mansion.

Three km from the village is the world's highest cricket ground (2444m), built in 1893. There is also a wildlife sanctuary three km from Chail with a limited number of deer and birds. This is also a great hiking country.