Kasol- A little Heaven in the hills.

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.