Дарамсала и Маклеод Ганж

Как добраться

Автобус выезжает недалеко от Мейн-Базара и Коннот-Плейс. Путешествие длится долго, около 15 часов. Из Дели выезжают в 16:00, на следующее утро вы уже пребываете в Дхарамсалу.

Много удобнее и быстрее — долететь до Дхарамсалы на самолете. Ежедневно из Дели выполняется 3-5 прямых рейсов. В пути примерно 1,5-2 часа, билет в одну сторону стоит от 4500-5500 INR.

На грани

Город расположен в Индии, на севере штата Химачал-Прадеш. Двойственная символика города отразилась даже в его географическом положении: Дхарамсала находится как раз на границе тектонического разлома, то есть одна часть города расположена на одной тектонической плите, а вторая — на другой. В 1905 году это обернулось ужасной трагедией: в результате движения плит произошло страшное землетрясение, из-за которого погибло около 20 000 человек. В Дхарамсале и сейчас происходят слабые землетрясения, но человеческих жертв из-за них уже давно не было.

Город с давнего времени был связан с буддизмом и индуизмом, а после колонизации Индии Британией это место было весьма популярно у англичан. Здесь тибетские храмы и монастыри соседствуют с индуистскими постройками. После того как в 1959 году его святейшество Далай-Лама Тибета переехал в Дхарамсалу по приглашению Дж. Неру, после того, как Китай вторгся в столицу Тибета, Лхасу, это место вновь стало полниться приезжими и беженцами из Тибета и туристами со всех стран мира. Что их привлекает? Уникальная тибетская культура, которая оказалась перенесенной в Индию.

Дхарамсала

От вокзала в Маклеодганже до Дхарамсалы добрались на такси. Оказалось, что индийские баки из автобуса тоже ехали в тот же отель, что и мы. Приехали. Стаф спит, отель – жопа. А в Интернете, между тем, выложена очень приличная фотка и номер наш называется «Махараджа»! Дождались времени вселения – 12.00, но оказалось, что у них нет моего заказа. Да, тернистый путь к мечте сложился! Нам предложили подождать еще – вдруг номера освободятся, но были посланы. Так мы нашли другой отель, новый, симпатичный. Только расположились, как воду Г и Х отключили!

Пока решался вопрос с отелем, я успела сделать пропуски в монастырь — ID-кары на учения Далай Ламы.

Дхарамсала находится на горе. И кругом горы и хвойные леса. Это очень красивое и атмосферное место. Начало июня: стояли солнечные дни, на такой высоте была комфортная погода, свежий ветер. Но все эти горы и окрестности завалены мусором. Тибетом, тем, как я его представляла, здесь и не пахнет.

Но неужели уже завтра я увижу Далай Ламу?

Дарамсала, Индия

Homestays at Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

The best homestays in Dharamshala are located in Dharamkot, including the Eagle’s nest – famous for hosting few celebs and foreign dignitaries. McLeod Ganj and lower Dharamshala also have many options to enjoy the hospitality of a homestay.

Staying and eating with locals is the best way to have a first-hand account of the amazing culture of McLeod Ganj – Dharamshala. Locals – both Gaddis and Tibetans are warm, welcoming people who love to host guests and even accompany them to the treks.

Trip Suggestion: If you have already been to Dharamshala or Mcleodganj, you may also try a trip to Parvati Valley from Delhi.

About Dharamshala & Mcleodganj

The most famous hill town in these mountains is Dharamshala, which shot to fame when His Holiness the present Dalai Lama established Tibetan government-in-exile here. One of its suburbs, the upper Dharamshala (McLeod Ganj), became a paradise for foreign and Indian travelers. People who wanted to experience Tibetan culture, enjoy a melange of cuisines from Indian to Tibetan, Israeli to Italian, meet the Dalai Lama, learn meditation or yoga, and escape from the mundane city life.

Even today, Dharamshala and its surrounding villages, McLeod Ganj, Dharamkot, Naddi, and Palampur, are full of foreign travelers and dignitaries. They include folks concerning business with the Tibetan government or tourists that come here for pleasure. However, like any other touristy place, this one also gets a lot of tourist footfall, which has led to an increase in vehicular traffic and urbanization.

So, if you are visiting Dharamshala to escape the city crowd, you might be disappointed, especially over a long weekend! But peace and tranquility still prevail here amongst the numerous monasteries, eating joints, trails, and beautiful sunsets.

We will explore more of this interesting hill town in this article which I will call as a comprehensive travel guide for visiting Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj.

Наша жизнь в МакЛеод Ганж

Большую часть времени в МакЛеод Ганж мы посвятили работе, поскольку наши финансы практически иссякли. Так что чаще всего мы выходили из номера просто чтобы перекусить в одном из многочисленных здешних кафе.

Мне особенно полюбилась тукпа — что-то вроде супа с лапшой, овощами, иногда сыром.

Люди здесь творческие 🙂 В этой кафешки все стены в рисованных картинах…

… а в этой кофейне, помимо кофе, продают еще и всякие клевые hand made штуки :).

Если днем тут господствуют люди, то ночь — время собак и коров, которые я даже не знаю откуда берутся, потому что реально днем я их не встречала).

Иногда нам лень было идти даже в кафе, так что мы варили дома яйца при помощи кипятильника, запаривали вермишель быстрого приготовления, делали салатики и бутербродики. Ну и конечно же, ходили за продуктами. В один из дней нам повстречался такой вот милый песик.

Он так забавно помещался на этих узеньких ступеньках, что я попросила Виталика его сфотографировать).

Заметив, что мы обратили на него внимание, он даже вышел с нами поздороваться :). Еще в один из дней здесь снимали какой-то фильм

Звезды Болливуда сидели с важным и надменным видом, а местные толпились вокруг

Еще в один из дней здесь снимали какой-то фильм. Звезды Болливуда сидели с важным и надменным видом, а местные толпились вокруг.

А вот этот парень тоже явно работает на съемках. Виталик почему-то решил, что это режиссер :).

Еще в один из дней мы заметили огромную толпу. Оказалось, будет ехать сам Далай Лама. Ехал он целым кортежем из трех автомобилей и махал всем ручкой из-за стекла. Его самого нам заснять не удалось.

Конечно же, в городе полно всяких монастырей и буддистских школ.

А еще в апреле здесь нередко шли кратковременные ливни и случались сильные грозы.

Короткими перебежками до нужной цели :).

Ну а работа есть работа… Хоть в дождь, хоть в снег).

Как сказал нам один индус: «Это цвет Украины (указав на светлую кожу), а это — Индии (указав на загорелые полосочки)». 🙂

Ну и разумеется, не погулять по чудесным здешним окрестностям мы не могли и каждый выходные устраивали небольшие однодневные вылазки, о которых я расскажу в следующей статье.

Conclusion

Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj are both beautiful hill towns with good infrastructure and facilities. All kinds of travelers get everything that they need here for a comfortable stay. The adventurous ones can venture out for treks and paragliding while the families can soak in the mother nature at the foothills of Dhauladhars.

Do you still have any questions or suggestions or need any help in planning your trip to Dharamshala & McLeodganj?

Have a travel question?? You can follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel to ask your travel questions in a direct message on Instagram or comment on my YouTube videos.

If you like the article, please feel free to share it with any of your family or friends who are planning a trip to Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj. In the next article of the series, I am going to talk more about paragliding in Bir – Billing and how to make a trip to Bir – Billing.

Now step out to experience the charm and beauty of this amazing place in the Himalayas :).

How to Get Around Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

Dharamshala and its suburbs – McLeod Ganj, Bhagsu, and Naddi are all beautiful hilly places that can you can easily walk around if one chooses to. However, there are plenty of transport options available in the city including taxis, public & private buses and auto-rickshaws.

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Private and Public Buses

These buses touch almost all major destinations in and around Dharamshala. They are the most economical option to travel around and are easily available but more time-consuming. Besides waiting for the buses (almost half an hour), you lose time while they make multiple stops to drop off and pick up passengers. You can hop on a bus at the Dharamshala bus stand or any of the bus-stops around. Fares range between 10-30 INR.

Auto-rickshaws

These are accessible for local sightseeing with fixed rates for a particular number of sights. They follow tariffs fixed by their union which can be anything between 100 to 500 depending on the number of places you want to visit.

Taxis in Dharamshala

Private taxis are a convenient way of intracity travel in Dharamshala. Similar to auto-rickshaws, taxis also have fixed rates for sightseeing and most-frequented destinations in and around the city. The government approved taxi-union is located near Kotwali Bazaar in Dharamshala, you may hire taxis from here.

You can find many taxis near McLeod Ganj market or down at Dharamshala. You may view and pre-book a sightseeing package at the taxi union’s website, Dharamshala taxi union. You can also get connected directly to some of these taxi drivers in Himachal Pradesh. These drivers can also come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of a pick-up as well.

Where to stay in Mcleod Ganj

There are options for all budgets in Mcleod Ganj. No doubt there are some fancy ones to be perused on Booking.com but I can only tell you about the two I stayed in:

Ram Yoga House

This gorgeous guesthouse was the dream and perfectly placed to admire the mountains from my balcony. Double ensuite rooms start at 1,000 rupees a night, around £11. The homecooked restaurant food, which you can eat in the rooftop cafe or in your room, is just amazing! The guesthouse a little hard to find so get your taxi driver to call them en route. Book Ram Yoga House here.

Yogis will love Ram due to the daily classes held in the rooftop studio overlooking the mountains. These cost 400 rupees and are led by the in-house teacher. Super idyllic.

Note – Ram Yoga House is really popular and often books up a few weeks in advance. Reserve ahead as it’s totally worth it!

Backpackers Inn

I wanted to stay longer in Mcleod Ganj but Ram Yoga House was full so I headed to Backpackers Inn which is a bargain at 300 rupees a night for the dorm. There are also private rooms from 1,000 rupees.Honestly, while I do recommend this hostel, only go if you are a budget backpacker. The rooms were definitely basic, there was never any loo roll, and the check-in/out process was slow. However, the views over the valley and mountains from the lovely outdoor terrace more than made up for it. The owner, Ganesh, is so lovely and basically waited on me when I was sick. It’s a good place to meet people, plus the location in the centre of town is perfect. The other hostels in Mcleod Ganj including Zostel are quite far away up in Dharamkot. Book Backpackers Inn here.

Dharamsala travel guide

Let’s clear up some confusion. Dharamsala (also spelt Dharamshala) is the name of the region but it’s also the small city at the heart of it. Mcleod Ganj is a town within the Dharamsala region and, in my opinion, the best place to stay. It’s a great place for budget travel in India because you can explore on foot and there are plenty of cheap guesthouses. There are other nearby towns to explore like Dharamkot which you can visit whether you’re based in Dharamsala or Mcleod Ganj.The area of Dharamsala is in the state of Himachal Pradesh, up in the north of India and surrounded by the Himalayas. Along with other towns like Shimla, Dalhousie and Manali, the region experiences freezing winters and pleasant summers. Away from the clamour of India’s cities, it’s one of the top destinations for solo female travellers in India.

Thanks for reading my Dharamshala travel guide!

Check out my other India blogs:

How much I spent in India
The ultimate Jaipur Instagram guide
3 days in Jaipur: the perfect itinerary
Rishikesh travel guide: yoga, nature and the Beatles!
Where to find the best coffee in Rishikesh
A guide to visiting Auroville from Pondicherry
Solo female travel in India: my highlights + lowlights
Amritsar things to do & travel guide
Pondicherry travel guide
Travel tips for Holi festival

See you next time for more adventures,

Rose

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VISITING INDIA? These are my trusted resources:Getting around by air – it’s easy to get between cities by flight. I use Skyscanner and search by whole month to find the best value dates.Buses – buses are comfy and efficient. Use 12Go to book.Trains – these are a good option for long journeys because you have a bed rather than a seat. Use 12Go to book.Confused about visas? I use iVisa to check visa requirements and apply for visas online.For hotels, I use Booking.com – they also have self-catering apartments. You can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.Browse tours and activities on GetYourGuide. I also check Viator and Klook in case they have a better price.For food tours with passionate local chefs and foodies, check out EatWith.Pack the latest copy of India Lonely Planet.Need travel insurance? I use World Nomads. They cover 150 countries and have 24-hour emergency assistance. Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and tips!

Suggested Itinerary for Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

If you want to do all the things listed above, below is the itinerary for a trip to Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj covering it all.

Day 1: Arrive at Dharamshala in the morning following any of the modes mentioned in the article. After freshening up at your place of stay, explore lower Dharamshala (if you are staying there). Visit Gyuto Monastery and check out Kotwali bazaar and visit Dal lake, if you wish.

Day 2: Head to McLeod Ganj, visit the Bhagsu fall and temple, relax at Shiva cafe if you go there. Post-lunch you can visit the Dalai Lama temple. During your return in the evening, you can check out McLeod Ganj bazaar.

Day 3 & 4: If you are up for Triund trek, dedicate two days for it. You can easily find fellow trekkers in town if you are looking for a company. There are many trek operators and guides available in Dharamshala for it.

Day 5: Take it easy post-trek; visit Namgyal Monastery and Tibet museum, enjoy the sunset at sunset-point. Don’t forget to check out the suggested restaurants at McLeod Ganj.

Day 6: You can head out to explore the Masroor rock-cut temple and Kangra fort. You can also club a visit to the famous Dharamshala cricket stadium, it is a small but beautiful stadium with picturesque mountains as a backdrop.

Day 7: Go for paragliding at Bir-Billing. Catch an evening bus or train back home from Dharamshala. Or schedule your return for the next day.

Places to Stay at Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

There are numerous stay options in the entire Dharamshala for every budget and requirement. From luxury resorts to beautiful, rustic homestays which give you a slice of local life and views of the Himalayas.