While I traveled

Trip to Chail - My first experience of driving on hills

2023-08-03T22:00:00.004+05:30

My first experience of driving on hills and I loved it. I must admit to all the apprehensions and self doubts that I had (maybe, some still lurk in not so dark corners of my mind) before the confirmed decision to drive from Delhi to Chail (Himachal Pradesh).

Beaches vs. Mountains

Just like last year, we planned our family vacation towards end of our kids' summer vacation. This time I did the bookings so late that I did not get the family room at our preferred venues. Being hot and humid summer in Delhi my wife's preference was hills while my daughter wanted beaches. We did evaluate a week long trip down south covering few places in Karnataka but it did not work out (too much expense just on travel and little time to relax and enjoy). So, finally we decided to go for a relatively less popular (among general touristy janta) hill station within 7 to 8 hours of travel. Chail popped up in most searches and seemed to fit our demands so I went ahead with the bookings.

Keen to Drive

Initially, the plan was to take a cab (as always for any road trip) but after the Ramgarh (Uttarakhand) trip I was keen to drive myself as I felt if the height isn't much then it should be ok for a city folk like me to drive by myself. A few message exchanges on WhatsApp groups and a hearty call with a close friend helped me to firm up my intentions and also get an agreement from my wife. After I shared the information that Himachal had pretty good roads and most of our route would be 4 lane plus the overall route was good for driving and nothing to worry about (consistent feedback from all), my wife was all in.

Some pointers (for driving on hills) that I noted for myself and kept reminding for most of my journey

- keep to your side of the road ✅

- freely honk on bends and corners ✅

- don't rush to overtake and definitely not on bends ✅

- follow a vehicle ahead of yourself if unsure of yourself ✅

- avoid night driving, if you can (specially, since this is my first time on hills as a driver) ❌

The plan was to start Sunday early morning from Delhi, reach Chail by late afternoon. 3 nights stay meant return was scheduled for Wednesday. I had done reservations at Country Inn Mapel Resort. Google maps was my guide all the way and it did not let me down! We took the route via GT Karnal road passing Murthal, Sonipat, Panipat, Kurushetra, Ambala, Chandigarh, Parwanoo, Solan (all 4 lane or more) and finally hit the Kandaghat-Chail-Kufri road which suddenly put us onto 1.5 to 2 lane road.

The Drive

I was driving my 5 year old Suzuki Ciaz (Petrol, Automatic) and my friend had assured me that the route would be no trouble for the baby (proven true). My wife next to me, kids sitting behind, fully loaded with food and drinks we were all set for the journey at 6:30am. We took just one break a little before Chandigarh at Palace Haveli and had coffee at the Barista Cafe. Beyond Chandigarh as the hills started there were a few diversions causing 4 lane to become 2 lane (but quite broad roads). In some places the diversions seemed to be due to landslide (didn't look major) which may have happened days before and in other places there seemed to be more road works in progress.

Did I forget to mention my tryst with summer rains when I travel? Given late June travel, I do end up with rain forecasts during my vacation (which I have decided that I will ensure does not happen the next time - fingers crossed!).

All the way starting from Delhi till our stopover @Barista Ambala there were rains and lot of water logging throughout the highway. Thankfully there was none from that point till our resort @Chail.

The Hills

As we left the plains behind the view also became beautiful and charming with hills, greenery, clouds and sunshine all playing hide and seek. Since I was driving I did not dare look around too much and took respite in the oohs aahs and wows of my wife and kids. As we left Solan and moved higher toward Chail the view became even grander. Kandaghat-Chail-Kufri road went through towns/villages and suddenly I was traversing a lot of bends and the movement uphill and downhill lost all pattern. It was the last hour of driving and it gave all the real feel of hill driving for which I had picked my friend's brain for a good 20 minutes just a couple of days back. City driving in Delhi and Gurgaon also helped as I did not have any issues maneuvering tight corners with cars/jeeps coming soooo close while passing you on that narrow route.

Kufri

While the plan was for Chail there isn't much to do there (besides covering a few places taking a day off your itinerary) unless you want to just chill out in your resort (which the kids were dead against) we decided to go to Kufri Adventure Park. Kufri added all the thrill which was missing so far!! The destination was 1.5 hours away in Fagu region. As I moved into Kufri and towards Fagu, visibility dropped frequently due to fog (another element that I had not planned for and would have left the experience for some other time, if I had the choice). Another first was the use of all driving modes available in my car (D, 2 , L) except switching off the OD function. As we entered the adventure park, the weather gave the first signals of becoming worse and the incoming rains. We managed to do one round of go-karting before the drizzling started and we settled in the nearby eatery for some snacking. As the rain did not show any sign of stopping and the clock ticked away we decided to let the kids have a go at the indoor games/activities. By the time they were through there was a complete downpour. I had wanted to reach back to our resort @ Chail before sunset (expected around 7pm) but it was already 5:30pm when we started our return.

I thanked the improvement in automotive technology and the fact that my car had ABS as the rain showed no mercy for the next 30 minutes. The rain dropped to a drizzle eventually and we stopped at a place which had some souvenior and general merchant shops. My daughter wanted some keyrings for her friends and my wife had spotted some stuff that she wanted for home. All in all, we spent a good 45 minutes there and I couldn't help but think of the upcoming low/no light driving over those ever bending roads with continuous blind turns.

While the kids lost no chance of catching a nap as I drove, my wife was my constant support as she stayed active and we continued with small talk as I drove. Network failed at a couple of places causing the map to show the route without any real-time information. I had to stop once and reboot my phone since switching to aeroplane mode and back did not help. That did the trick and we were back in motion. Soon even the faint sunlight through the trees was lost and I was driving in darkness as mostly there was no street light. Last 30 minutes had me uptight and I eased only when I saw the familiar road near the resort. It was 9pm already and I had braved driving in rain, fog and no lights on a hilly terrain.

The Return

Next day was our return to Delhi. By now with my newly gained experience and subsequent confidence, I was in more control over my apprehensions about hill driving but I still stayed on the side of caution. Nothing eventful happened on the way back except at a tight bend when one Hyundai Creta driver (seemed as raw as me) decided he would not move much (his expressions were worth capturing as he looked as if in shock) and I had to depend on another driver's guidance to move clear of that spot.

We encountered traffic between Panchkula and Chandigarh due to road/flyover construction work and later just before entering Delhi the trucks and other commercial vehicles caused a havoc. With a single, hour long stop we finally reached home a little past mid-night. Tired but happy.

I am now all set for another road trip. My friend had suggested Leh... let's see if that happens.

----***----

Toll info

Between Delhi and Chail

Rs. 110 @bhagan toll plaza
Rs. 40@panipat
Rs. 145 @gharonda toll plaza
Rs. 45 @ambala Chandigarh
Rs. 35 @ chandimandir toll plaza
Rs. 70 @sanwara toll plaza
Rs. 50 @parwanoo

Going to Chail city palace and beyond (kufri)

Rs. 30 gram panchayat chail

Speed limits

Mostly between 80 to 90 till Chandigarh
Followed by 40 to 60 till the turn to kandaghat-chail-kufri road
Henceforth mostly 20 to 30

Break spots

Lot of Dhabas at Murthal
dni and Haveli Properties with multiple eating options including cafe's and fast food joints
Near and post Chandigarh more options for good break points

Traffic, construction, diversions

While going major traffic chunk post exciting Delhi would be at Chandigarh
While returning encountered traffic woe due to road/ flyover construction near Panchkula/Chandigarh
Exit from highway to Delhi was clogged by trucks and other heavy vehicles causing at least a km of vehicles line up

Fuel

Approx. 1.5 tank full for Suzuki Ciaz Petrol (Automatic) - 40 ltr. tank

Tips @Kufri

Don't go to touts for adventure park
Go to the adventure resort at New Kufri near Fagu. Car can go up there.
The older adventure park was not advised by the resort folks (where I stayed) and I did not find good reviews for the same on TripAdvisor

More Photos

Looking through the lenses - Trip to Chail / Kufri

2023-08-03T21:49:00.000+05:30

On The way

Resort

Chail and around

Chail Palace

On the Way Back

--****--

Edinburgh: Moments

2013-09-23T12:27:00.000+05:30

I got a chance to visit Edinburgh, U.K. a few months back on an official trip. A beautiful historical city with very warm people. Here are a few moments captured for ever.

Proudly Scot

Following the old way

Alone but Managing

Health is Wealth

We Are Young, So Let's Set The World On Fire

Hearty Service

Best Friends

Remembering Days of Glory

Father's Day

Art and Music

The Gay Parade

Learnings from my weekend trip to Ranikhet

2011-08-21T11:04:00.001+05:30

Like so many others I also went on a trip last weekend. Independence Day holiday being a Monday made people do massive bookings and by the time my friend and I woke up to the thought of getting the arrangements done, places had the "No Vacancy" sign boards up. But when your wife wants an outing (and this was the case with my friend, lets call him "AK") you have to do better than give up! AK is into Admin and Facility management and thus has some contacts which he leveraged.

Planned Requirements

Destinations should be peaceful
Not too far, 6 to 8 hours (by road) away
Place should have some options for kids - we were two couples and three kids aged between 3 to 6 years
We want to chill out and relax, so the place should be able to offer some entertainment and indoor games like TT, Pool etc.

What we got
After two weeks of "after office" Google searches, discussions with spouses and inquiries to hotels/resorts we finalized a destination in Ranikhet - Woods Villa Resort.While searching for a good place which fulfilled our requirements, somehow, Ranikhet seemed to fit the bill.
We got a duplex cottage - only one left, we were told.

The Trip
In one word, DISASTER.

Started on Saturday, early morning around 4:30 a.m.
Spent 14 hours on road to reach the resort
Spent, practically, just one day in resort
Spent 13 hours on road to return home
Reached back Sunday late night, more tired than when we had left

What went wrong?

We did not do proper research
We thought it will take 6 to 8 hours by road to reach the destination
We didn't know all the possible routes and which one was the best/shortest
We did not check the vehicle (Toyota Innova) fitness. One tyre needed change and we could not go beyond 80 km/h speed for most of the possible route
We had to bear two jams - the one at garh mukteshwar was more than an hour long
It rained like hell while returning.We got very wet and drenched
For kids it turned out to be too much - they puked as we went up the mountains and when we drove down
The time on road was too much for the kids, though we took two breaks.

Learnings

Know the routes well when planning a road trip
Ensure that the vehicle is fit and can take up the desired speeds
Take a lot of disposable bags and give it to everybody so that in case the need to puke they can do that without soiling themselves and everything around
Lime and Salt helps manage the feeling to puke
With small kids a long road trip may not be a good idea. Take a call while planning
With small kids plan for multiple breaks
When planning for a distant location keep a week of vacation in hand
Plan well in time to avoid compromises in location and accommodation

I will post my feedback on the resort here. I will post the snaps - taken at random, en-route in the next post. Till then ciao!

BTW : I am into IT Services and a manager :) , thus couldn't help breaking this into categories that you see. Cheers!

Visiting The City of Nizams

2011-02-18T18:28:00.000+05:30

Last weekend I got a chance to visit Hyderabad, The City of Nizams (that's how I like to call it). It was for another hiring event and I had a very tight schedule with hardly any space for planning any city tour. I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott and the experience was great. I'll put the details in another post.
The plan was to start from Delhi on Friday evening, take interviews on Saturday and have lunch in Delhi on Sunday. The Kingfisher flight was good and the food was good. Parull and Gaurav from the Gurgaon hiring team were also there (Another four people were to meet us there). We were the last people to board the flight and were lucky enough not to hear our names being called out all over the airport for boarding! I made an observation that day (I am sure all of us know it already) "when in hurry we tend to overlook the signs in front of us and follow those which are farther away and get misled". While trying to make it to the boarding gate we took a wrong turn and had to quickly double back.

Arrival gate at Hyderabad's new airport (Rajiv Gandhi International Airport)

It was the weekend just before the Valentine's day and I wanted to ensure some gift from Hyderabad for my dear wifey! I had two things in mind - pearls and biryani! For the former I had employed the help of my friend Aditya and for the latter, I had been advised by my brother-in-law to pick some from the airport counter of Paradise Biryani. Besides the shopping plan I was looking forward to meet my old colleagues from NIIT Singapore days (Chary, Aditya and later Keshav). Its been a decade and the thought of meeting them again made me nostalgic. But as luck would have it, I could only meet Aditya (Chary was in Bangalore attending a wedding and I came to know very late that Keshav was in Hyderabad).

Basil interior

Thanks to Aditya, I had a great evening with dinner at Basil (had a sizzler with Redbull). He came to Marriott to pick me. Due to my long day, we started late with the result that all the jewelers (in the Jublee hills area) were closing or were already closed. I thought, "here goes my valentine's gift!". But Shoppers Stop was my saving grace. I could manage to buy pearl sets for my wife and daughter.

Next day was another early start. I and Parull had the same flight. By mid day we were back in Delhi. I missed not being able to see the Char Minar, Salar Jung Museum and many more places of the Nizams. Hope to be able to plan a better trip next time!
In case you are interested in knowing what happened to the Biryani, write to me!

BTW, did you know that the air hostesses on Indigo airline (with blunt cut hairstyle) wear wigs? I didn't and Parull gave me this eye opener ;-)

Review | Courtyard Marriott, Hyderabad

2011-02-18T18:12:00.000+05:30

Thank you folks at Courtyard Marriott for making my stay very pleasant!

I had to be in Hyderabad for a hiring event organized by my organization. Choice of hotel was not mine but I cannot complain. From the airport pickup to the drop a day later, I have no complains. In fact I would love to stay there if I am in Hyderabad again. I would recommend it all the people who are looking for a comfortable stay, good food and do not mind paying around INR 5K a night.

The room is very spacious and nicely planned, with internet connection facility (both wifi and LAN), 32" LCD TV, mini bar and all that you expect from a 4/5 star hotel. I found the bathroom interesting with its glass walls and no way to contain your privacy :-). The staff was very helpful and polite. During the interviews we had a dedicated person at our disposal who ensured that there was nothing left wanting and all requirements were met immediately.

I had my breakfast and lunch at the MoMo Café. The staff was extremely polite and Chef Dinakar ensured that I did not miss the delicious Biryani. The breakfast included fruits, juices and items from Indian (North/South) and Continental cusine. The lunch had Indian and Chinese with some wonderful choice of desserts. I believe the hotel hosts a couple of other restaurants as well, which I did not get a chance to explore (and are not mentioned on the hotel website).

Chef Dinaker with Paul, Jyoti and Ashutosh at the MoMo Cafe

Back to Lucknow

2011-01-31T03:33:00.000+05:30

I had just returned from Lucknow a week back and now I had to rush back. My Naani ji had passed away. Since, I could not reach immediately I decided to be there on the day of the havan. I got my tickets done and the same Thursday night I was boarding the 14004 (NDLS NFK Express). I was traveling alone and light as I planned to return on Saturday.
Mostly my night journeys like these are spent quietly. I have my dinner and sleep. I don't really interact with other folks on the train. This time it turned out to be different.

Above is the helpful couple who sat diagonally opposite to me. They were the first to get on the coach :-). Lady looked after my bag while I bought a water bottle and Reader's Digest for the night. They had to get down at Bareilly which was scheduled to arrive late at night and so they planned to keep awake. Unfortunately, the train was delayed by 4 hours and they had a tiring night.

Charles and two of his students. He is a professor at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh and was visiting India with his 10 students (all girls team) for a program on mental health care workshops. They were on a 10 day tour covering New Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad and Agra. This was his third trip to India, though first with his student.
How did I get introduced to him? Actually, formal introduction of exchanging names happened long after we had spent talking for an hour. His travel agent had requested me to switch berths with him so that he and his students could be together to which I obliged. But the real introduction happened when the ticket checker came and Charles realized that his travel agent had goofed up while taking the e-ticket print. He did not have the names of all his students on the e-ticket that he had. His agent had printed two copies of another ticket, by mistake. I saw and heard all of this and I could sense the helplessness. I got up and took the role of the translator (not that the TC did not understand English) and mediator and communicator between Charles and the TC.

Once all was settled, we ended up talking till late night. I found Charles to be very well informed. He has two beautiful daughters - Charles, I am sorry I have forgotten the name of your elder daughter; Is it Kim?. The younger one is Skie (she had very blue eyes when she was born and thus the name with changed spelling). We exchanged views on culture, family, values and a varied range of topics. Hey Charles, if you ever come across this do connect with me. It was great talking to you that night in the train!

And finally, below is the helpful TC. He did not create any issue when Charles was not able to find the complete list of his students in the e-ticket print that his travel agent had provided. He took the names from Charles and marked them in his chart and provided Charles with the seat nos.as per the reservation chart. Later he also ensured that Charles and his students did not have to move from the seats where they had settled down (not all seats were together for Charles and his entourage of girls).