Bilaspur, on the drive to Kasol.
Before my first visit to Kasol I
had heard a lot about the place and the kind of people that go there. I myself
don’t like to stay high all the time and am a little skeptical of people that
do. So when I first decided to go to Kasol in 2014 I was a little scared of
what kind of time we would have there in the middle of hippies who are always
in another zone, how misplaced my fears were I had no idea.
I have been to Kasol twice in the last 2 years and I have a dream to buy
a house there (damn you HP government!). Basically the best way to go to Kasol is via
road from Delhi. It’s a 11 hour drive but the time is worth it. You have
amazing dhabas in the plains to eat from and once you enter the lap of the
mountains it’s a 6 hour drive through the hills and its one of the most scenic
drives that you will take. Up and down through the hills and valleys you will
pass above a damn with the water falling down to the depths with furious
velocity and foam rising like clouds, you will pass through tiny villages, the
road is almost always parallel to the beautiful Beas and later Parvati river,
so along with the cool mountain air there will be the soothing sound of gushing
water.
Once you reach
Kasol you really wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place. This
town is no longer than 2km in length at max. However once you check into the
hotel (I recommend Alpine) you slowly begin to get dissolved in the environment
around you. At any spot in the town you can hear the water of the river flowing
at a ferocious speed. First about the food, its one of the best thing about
Kasol. Anywhere you go you will find good food. Due to the high Israeli
population you will find good Israeli cuisine almost anywhere. Also there is
good Italian food available at Little Italy (where you can also get some good stuff)
and at Evergreen Café also. Do not forget to try the Nutella Waffles at the
German Bakery, they are to die for.
The bridge to go to Chalal from Kasol
Now coming to
the things to do there and this is regardless of whether you smoke up or not.
Firstly if you are not much of a trekker but still do enjoy the quiet, Chalal
Is the perfect place for you. It’s a 15 min walk from Kasol, all right beside
the river. You can just sit next to the river at this peaceful spot and do
nothing at all and just revel in nature around you. However if you do like
trekking, Kasol becomes all the more heavenly for you. There are 3 main
destinations to trek to, Namely Malana, Tosh and Kheerganga. Firstly Malana,
this is a village famous for its high quality hash (Malana supercream), however
the view here is quite magnificent. It’s a 1 hour drive from Kasol and then a
1.5 hour hike to reach Malana, there are places to stay up there however you
can go and come in a single day aswell. Next up is Tosh, which is much more
European than Israeli and the people here believe themselves to be descendents
of the Greek emperor Alexander. The food here is amazing. You can reach here
either via a 1 hour drive or a 30 min drive plus 45 minutes hiking through the
forest.
The trek to Malana
I had to save
the best for last, Kheerganga. Firstly this is a 30min drive from Kasol plus a
5.5-8hour trek uphill depending on your walking speed.
Yes, its long but trust
me it’s a stairway to heaven. There are 2-3 places to eat in between so don’t
worry on that count, plus there will a lot of other travelers so it wont be
isolated also. There are long stretches of flat paths accompanied by the
frequent short stretches of steep climbs. You have to literally walk through
mini waterfalls at certain points but not for a second will you regret taking
the long walk. Also there will be mountain furry dogs who will help you every
step of the way, literally. So about a dozen dogs will take turns to accompany
you on different stretches of the journey, so if you ever take the wrong turn
they start barking, and they also protect you from other animals if you happen
to be trekking at night, all you have to do in return is feed them parle-g.
Once you reach up you can either stay in a tent or in rooms or in a common
dorm, the food here is also amazing and the main attraction of this place is
the hot springs, so don’t forget to take a dip. Oh there is also this view.
So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and go to
the little heaven in the hills.
