Shimla summer vacation

Shimla best place for visitors as city is not to crowded, cheap and clean I travel to Shimla at least twice in a year and feel like the city has everything that tourists may need to add to their experience. I start my journey by climbing to Laksar which is a lovely journey. From there, it is an easy drive to the city. The roads are good and as long as you avoid the stretch from National Highway 44 to the city there is less traffic. The best time to go to Shimla is between October and March when the weather is perfect. In March, the city becomes very crowded with tourists from other parts of the country as they return from the hills. From Shimla, I head for the mountains. The drive is fun. All the way, we stop at small tea and hilly station tea estates to taste a variety of tea leaves. The hills are not only beautiful but also show an amazing variety of flora and fauna. I always make it a point to visit the Hailey valley and Mahe. These are the famous apple producing regions. The roads are extremely narrow. There are mountains on both sides, so it is a tricky drive. When driving, you need to be extra careful and keep to the speed limit. I generally stay at Prashanti resort, which is a very nice hotel in Mall Road. The staff is very helpful and friendly and very polite. As long as I stay there, there is no need to go anywhere else in town. I usually go out to have a stroll along the Mall Road, which is the most happening street in Shimla. The Mall Road is also famous for a Kashmiri kiosk. The town has a lot of people from Kashmir, who come to the city to have a look at the beautiful Himalayan scenery. The average salary in Shimla is Rs 7,000. In comparison, Delhi is Rs 8,000. Although there are many jobs in Shimla, the salaries are low. A month in Shimla costs about Rs 70,000. I find the food in Shimla very affordable. I normally go to Doongi for vegetarian food and enjoy it. Many vegetarian food joints can be found in the Shimla area. A few people I know find the city to be over crowded and uncrowded. I strongly disagree with them. Even the Mall Road has enough space. The city is clean and very welcoming. I suggest that if you don’t feel like going to the mountains, don’t travel to Shimla. But if you have an adventurous soul, you can’t miss Shimla. Nasir Amin is a Chennai-based travel writer The writer is in Shimla at the request of Tourism Ministry Shimla Traveler My experiences of the Mall Road have been good and it is worth a visit. It is such a hot weather that I find it unbearable to go there. Even in this weather, the Mall Road is full of crowd, which is good for the city’s image. The government should have provided some sort of balance between tourists and local people. Travel updates Shimla is in Shimla’s winter season, which means it is the best time to visit. In spring, there is a good chance of snow and it is not advisable to travel to Shimla at this time. Shimla is a young city. It has seen both the glory and the despair of its small-town status. Now, with the help of increased tourism, Shimla is getting a major facelift. The number of flyovers, which have been added recently, is impressive. However, due to limited road space, the number of cyclists in the city is on the rise. Recently, the Shimla Municipal Corporation has permitted bicycles. If you are an avid cyclist, you can hire bikes from the many bicycle hire centres in the city. I also suggest that Shimla should have metro rail facilities. There are regular buses, which connect Shimla to almost all cities in the state. However, the distance is not short, and the buses tend to stop at odd times. Metro rail is a better alternative. Tourist Tips The fact that the police operate the special transportation system for tourists should be seen as an opportunity. The government should make arrangements to ensure that the tourists are not inconvenienced. Kicking of the tyres in India can be a very harrowing experience. The buses are very old, and the road conditions are not great. In extreme heat, I find it better to take a taxi, even though they are expensive. The north-south highways are very good and lead to all the major attractions in the state. I recommend that you explore these highways, but not drive from one place to another. The roads can be dusty and if your tyres have got a rough ride in Delhi and the north, you will be in for a big shock in the desert. Shimla has several good restaurants. On a rainy day, the waterfront restaurant at Manali offers great food. The weekends in Shimla are meant for shopping. If you do not want to walk, you can hop on to a car or an auto rickshaw, which is not very expensive. Shimla is the perfect holiday spot. It is a small city but it is full of history, culture and heritage. So, pack your bags and come to Shimla this winter, and enjoy the hills, the warmth of the winter sun and the taste of this old town.