Naggar Village and Naddi Village: Himachal’s Special Villages

Himachal Pradesh is my all time favourite destination. Don’t judge it by the small size of the state, it has one of the best panoramic views and beautiful towns to offer in this country. Also known as the Land of God’s, Himachal attracts tourists from all over the world especially adventure junkies. This state has another worldly charm of itself.

My constant Love for Himachal

I recently visited the state for the second time and this time with my friends as we wanted to spend some crazy time together (and spend money earned from our internships). With me usually preferring to travel off the beaten track I chose to ditch the main towns and opted to live in the tiny villages on the outskirts of the main attractions.

Though short on budget and risky for many conventional tourists this indeed turned out to be the best decision of my life!

Beginning

Landing at Chandigarh Airport, I sat in the car and started my journey towards Manali. The route from Chandigarh to Manali is breathtaking and if one has a chance, opt for it. Although the journey took us 12 hours, travelling through the mountains with the Beas river flowing alongside was worth every moment.

Naggar Village

We had planned to stay in a village called Naggar village, which was almost an hour away from the main town of Manali. We had chosen a homestay for our accommodations. When we arrived at night, we were unaware of our surroundings and the views, but the next morning, we were greeted with some of the best places to visit in Manali!

I wake up at 5 am listening to birds chirping and singing along. I look outside my window to find it is daylight already! Walking to my balcony I find the landscape filled with snow-capped mountains with the first rays of the sun falling on the peaks. It was so beautiful to be in that moment, experiencing it.

The next two days were equally exciting! We explored the tiny village of Naggar, to find a castle that was built by the King more than 500 years ago. It was an architectural marvel with being built with nothing but wood and stones.

If visiting there don’t forget to drop in, in a small quaint café right opposite the castle for some delicious desserts.

Instead of visiting Rohtang Pass we decided to go to a place nearby for some ATV Quad Biking, namely the Alternate Terrain. They had a huge land which was so well maintained and grew their own produce for the café they run there.

After giving us a short training on how to ride the Quad Bikes we were taken on a so-called ‘Jungle Route’ that was rugged. We had to ride over huge stones and boulders, through massive pools of water to finally reach on the riverside. The view was spectacular with the Beas river flowing alongside rapidly and sounding like thunder. It was an amazing experience!

Naddi Village

Our next stop was Naddi village that lay on the outskirts of Dharamshala. It was as beautiful as Naggar! Peaceful and serene!

Travelling from one place to another in Himachal generally takes quite long and a lot of hours. We would usually reach our destinations late evening or at night but this excited us as we knew we were going to wake up to something beautiful and breathtaking and we weren’t disappointed.

Naddi was a quaint village with hardly and tourists. We woke up to a beautiful view of the Dhauladhar ranges and lazed the day around happily basking in the warmth of the sun on a cold day.

The next morning we hired a local to take us for a trek around the village. After a good breakfast, we put on our shoes and left. The path was rugged and only wide enough for a single person to walk. It was scary seeing the deep valley on our side but enticing at the same time.

After trekking for almost an hour we suddenly came across a pond of fresh, crystal clear and clean water. Coming from a city like Bombay that was a sight to behold and a moment to cherish!

What a wonderful serendipity!

We sat down on the rocks surrounding it, whiling away our time and enjoying the serene and peaceful environment.

The first half of the trek turned out to be more relaxing to the mind and body rather than tiring. The second half of the trek was more interesting though. We decided to trek down the river. The river had dried up so all that was left was huge rocks and boulders. It was one hell of a trek back.

By the end of the trek, we were covered in dirt, stung by poisonous plants, parts of our clothes torn and leeches stuck to our shoes. Never had I ever experienced a crazy trek like this and don’t intend to in the future!

On our third day in Naddi, we decided to be a little touristy and planned a day in the famous town of Mcleodganj! We spent our day in the bustling market, visiting monasteries and hogging on the mouth-watering momos served right outside made by the Tibetan women.

Dalhousie

The last leg of our trip was Dalhousie. As there is not much to do in Dalhousie we only relaxed and spent our time playing indoor games. In the evening we decided to go for a walk around the town when the sky turned dark. It started to rain and shortly afterwards there was a hail storm that lasted for an hour! After the sky was clear again we experienced one of the best sunset’s and we’re able to see the ranges of the Dhauladhar Mountains of the Himalayas.

It was a sight to behold. It was still cold so being the foodies and hoggers we were, we took a walk to the market to devour on some piping hot ‘jalebis and Rabdi’ along with some momos.

On the last day in Dalhousie, we decided to visit Khajjiar and have a small picnic which is also known as the Mini Switzerland of India. With evergreen cedar trees surrounding it from all sides and rabbits and sheep running around and grazing in the fields was a perfect end to the trip.

So that’s it for the day!! Thanks Hiloni for sharing your love for this lovely village of Himachal Pradesh.