DHARAMKOT with CHILDREN : Things to Know Before You Go!

                                           Dharamkot is a quaint little, hippy-dippy hill station !!                                    (PC: Karan Ingle)

Dharamkot (2109m) is a quaint little, hippy-dippy hill station with only one road that ends where the village starts. It’s a place where you will hardly find families visiting ( with ours being an exception). It’s mostly populated with locals (naturally, duh!), Non-Indian tourists and few Indian backpackers. Mcleodgunj and Dharamshala are more family oriented destinations.

WHERE?

Asia > India > Himachal > Kangra Valley > Dharamkot

WHY DHARAMKOT ? 

Dharamkot is a Hippies paradise !! It has a very spaced out feeling about it. It is not a place to come and “see” but a place to Trek and Dine and soak in the tranquility of nature. This place has many cheap (read reasonable) places to stay and awesome food (mostly Israeli cuisine) to taste.

Dharamkot has a sort of peaceful smell around it!

The Trip to Dharamkot for us was our FIRST UNPLANNED TRIP EVER with our CHILDREN! Except for our bus bookings we had done no other booking or planning. Having experienced this once, I think we are ever so motivated and tempted to try more of such unplanned trips!

Four of us and our equally enthusiastic dear friends “the Gang of Jains” !!

WORD OF CAUTION !! As a “mother” AND a “Non-smoker”, I was baulked at the very thought of my children dining at the same place people are smoking cigarettes and hash (charas)!! However, I soon figured out that it’s either best for kids to play in open area till food is served or find a place next to the Lamas in the cafe and you will have found a non-smoking area for your kids!!

                                                                 Radha Krishna Cafe!                                                                             Dharamkot has many reasonable places to stay and awesome food to eat !

All said and done, Dharamkot has a sort of peaceful smell – almost as though there is an umbrella of serenity over it !! It’s a kind of place children run up and down, laughing and giggling and hopping around while parents take a “TimeOut” !

TimeOut !!

HOW TO GET HERE :

Dharmakot can be reached

By Air

Air India and SpiceJet fly to Gaggal Airport (also known as Kangra Airport) which happens to be the nearest airport to Dharamkot . From Gaggal Airport it is about 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) to McLeod Ganj, and takes about 45 minutes by taxi.

By Rail

The nearest railway stations to Dharamkot are Pathankot and Chakki Bank. Chakki Bank is a smaller station near Pathankot. Once you reach Pathankot, there are three options to get to Mcleod Ganj:

• Taxi (convenient and quickest but expensive) :The taxi takes around 2.5 hours depending on the traffic but the fares are high.
• Bus ( economical but usually crowded): the bus stops at every village and takes around 4 to 5 hours.
• and the  Kangra Toy Train (very very slow but spectacular) : tickets are available at Pathankot Railway Station. The Toy Train leaves Pathankot at 9:05am and reaches Kangra at 1:45pm.

By Road

Regular Deluxe bus services are available from Delhi, Chandigarh, and Pathankot to Dharamshala. We booked Himachal Road Transport Corporation‘s Himsuta A/C(Volvo) Seater (2+2) for Rs.1272/- on www.redbus.in. We took Yellow Line Metro to Delhi ISBT Kashmiri Gate to avoid Delhi traffic. I must say ISBT was everything that I had not expected it to be. It was clean and air conditioned and our bus departed on time. Our bus left sharp 8:30 and we reached McLeod Ganj the next morning around 7:30 am.

For hubby dear and the 8 year old, a couple of hours on winding mountain roads is a sure set recipe for sickness. On the advise of a doctor friend, whose child has a similar problem, we gave avomine tablet to the kids and they slept like babies!! Much to our relief, contrary to our previous experiences, they were fresh when they woke up and were all set to trek.

From McLeodganj bus stop, there’s a short cut to Dharamkot which depending upon your fitness level can take anywhere between 15 to 30 mins. Since, we had luggage and children with us, we chose to hire cab which cost us Rs.200 / – . However, on all our subsequent visits to Mcleodganj, we did not bother to hire cab and chose to travel up and down the hill on foot.

WHERE TO STAY and WHERE TO EAT !!

You can walk in almost any cafe in Dharamkot and ask the staff for a place to stay since most of them rent out rooms in their own properties. If they are booked, they will soon call out “Bhai (or Chacha or Aunty), aapke pass room hai kya ? Since there is not much to do you can go exploring home stays and zero down on the one which suits your needs. You can find rooms starting from Rs.500 / – to Rs. 2000/- per night. If you are staying longer you can get a good bargain.

I Loved this Cappucino @Trek and Dine!

We were pleasantly surprised to discover that every single café that we visited in Dharamkot had  totally nailed their salads, hummus, pastas, wood-fired pizzas, bruschettas and shakshukas.

At the entry point of Dharamkot is Dharmkot Chowk ( 10 minutes from Mcleodganj) and at the chowk is the Himalaya Tea Shop. This is the only place which sells Wai Wai Noodles in the whole of Dharamkot and McLeodganj area and so for my wai wai loving kids this was the most favourite place to be in. Himalaya Tea Shop, as the name suggests, is not a Homestay. This place is good for titbits. This place is also at the starting point of Triund Trek.

The only place my kids found their favourite wai wai noodles to eat !

As you move down from here , a narrow lane on the right leads you to this serene picturesque cafe called Morgan’s Place. This place has rooms to stay and there is an outdoor and indoor sitting area for dining. We liked everything we ordered here especially their wood oven pizzas.

The serene Picturesque cafe called Morgan’s Place.

Little further down is Radha Krishna Cafe. We found this place comparatively more expensive than the other cafes.

The kids found this description at the Radha Krishna Cafe highly amusing !!

At the start of the Dharamkot Market is Dharamkot Inn, which is where we stayed. A family room at Dharamkot Inn cost us Rs.1000/- and extra mattress for Rs. 200/- . The staff was exceptionally hospitable and amicable.

Dharamkot Inn : Comparatively expensive but very Hospitable Staff !

and then there was TREK AND DINE !

                             Everything that comes out of the kitchen is an eye candy!                                                       (PC : Sanyog Jain)

 

Our family favourite and of all the days we were at Dharamkot, we spent most of our time here. Their set breakfasts are a treat to have.

                      Trek and Dine : Away from the Hustle and Bustle of Touristy Mcleodgunj !                                 (PC : Archana Bansal)

THINGS TO DO WITH CHILDREN @DHARMAKOT :

1.Trek to Triund and Camp Overnight : Which is what we had come for to Dharamshala in the first place. The Trek to Triund falls under the easy to moderate category. Though the Triund trek is very rocky and can be tiresome for the uninitiated but the view of the beautiful Dhauladhar range from the Triund top is worth all the effort. The children superseded our expectations and trekked very well on the difficult terrain. It can take 4 to 6 hours depending on your fitness level. The kids took 4 hours 50 mins to be precise from Dharamkot to Triund Top. Many people start this trek from Galu Devi temple thereby saving 3 kms / one hour trek.

The Rocky Terrain of Triund

2.Visit the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Regional Mountaineering Centre : ‘Be Roman in Rome’ and ‘Be a Child when with Children’. The kids had noticed the obstacles inside the Centre whilst crossing it on our way to Mcleodgunj and so it was a place we had to visit before we could visit absolutely anything else. 

Happily Ever After !!

 

These pictures remind me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory !

“Mr. Wonka: “Don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted.”
Charlie Bucket: “What happened?”
Mr. Wonka: “He lived happily ever after.”
― Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factor

3. Picnic at the Dal lake (near  Tibetan children village) : Dal Lake is a small greenish water lake by the Shiva Mandir in the village of Tota Rani. The cabs take around Rs 200/- from Dharamkot to Dal Lake. We were not ready to pay for cab and kids were too tired to walk it up and so we gave it a slip !

4. Visit the Monasteries and Temples in McLeodgunj and Dharamshala : Chanting in air and peace in mind, if that’s what you are looking for you can visit the various monasteries and temples in Mcleodgunj and Dharamshala. We visited the Namgyal Monastery which is also referred to as Dalai Lama’s temple. The temple is beautiful but crowded.

Namgyal Monastery (Also referred to as Dalai Lama’s temple)

5. Get High on Life and Chocolate : You must taste BHAGSU CAKE (a spinoff of an English dessert called millionaire’s shortbread). It has three layers : shortbread, caramel and chocolate!! Absolutely mind blowing for chocolate lovers like my children and I.

6. Visit Tibetian Market and Cafes in Mcleodgunj : 

McLeodgunj Cafes are more crowded than Dharmkot’s !

The momos on the street are a must have treats !!

7. Chill out and Relax : Dharamkot is a place where you can meditate ,walk amidst Deodar trees, trek or do absolutely nothing and you would still be at peace with yourself !

How was your Dharamkot Experience ? Did you things differently? What is your tip for this trip ?

You may also like 10 TIPS FOR TREKKING WITH CHILDREN !