Is your idea of a holiday a quiet, romantic escape into the hills where you can get in touch with your inner self, re-discover the childlike sense of wonder in Nature,  gain a brand-new perspective on some disturbing issues, awaken to the chirping of birds, pen poems or a travelogue,  splash paints on a canvas, practise yoga and meditation beside a roaring river or a gurgling stream,  pick juicy fruit off a tree in an orchard, feel the breeze teasing your hair, wander along forest trails, collect pebbles and pine cones, soak your tired feet in icy, running water, breathe in lungfuls of healthy mountain air, savour farm-fresh local veggie dishes, visit some ancient temples and palaces, shop for local handicrafts, observe traditional rural life and unusual customs, exchange greetings with friendly locals, participate in a local festival or fair, enjoy high tea with an Indian family, take photos to send your friends, watch bewitching sunrises and sunsets, drift off to sleep while gazing at a night glittering sky, from a cottage sans satellite TV or while listening to crickets and counting fireflies ... and finally head back to 'base camp' with your trouble-shooting guide, and a deep sense of gratitude to the Universe for keeping you alive and getting you energized mentally, physically and emotionally after bonding so closely with the five elements and local culture?

If your breathless answer was 'Yes! Oh, yes!' to most, if not all, of my suggestions, then I'd be the right person to guide you on just such a leisurely and personalized dream holiday for you , starting from New Delhi or Gurgaon, and winding through the Himalayan apple-growing region of Himachal Pradesh, where I grew up.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: 3 day tour with transportation from New Delhi and return + local sight-seeing + guide services + accommodation on twin-sharing basis.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED: Meals, beverages, entry fees to monuments where applicable, expenses of a personal nature.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: i offer accompanied tours to other destinations in North India, too e.g. Rishikesh, Shimla, Golden Temple, Vrindavan, Mandawa, Mathura etc. Please contact me with your details. 

The images uploaded for this destination (Himachal) are sourced from the public domain.

I'm organizing a 3 night/4 day summer camp for relaxed exploration of a cool, tranquil, picturesque and unspoilt hill in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, about 75 kms short of Shimla. This hill, boasting of a height of about 1,700 m, is a former British cantonment with quaint cottages, a prison-museum and stunning views,  I'm offering a number of guided activities to choose from, spread over a four day period, with flexible timings to suit a group's pace and convenience.

A choice of any of the following activities (with flexible timings to suit a group’s pace and convenience) spread over 4 days (post noon of Day 1 upto 11 a.m. of Day 4)::

•Soft, short treks up and down the hill, with stunning views of Himalayan flora and fauna

•Picnic in a deodar forest, midway up the hill

•Heritage and nature walks along the crest of the hill past British Raj cottages, churches, an adorable little post office etc.

•Visit to a jail converted into a museum, replete with historical anecdotes of unsung Indian heroes incarcerated by the British

•Visit to a haunted graveyard at the bottom of the hill

•Yoga and meditation in the midst of the sights, sounds and smells of nature

•Visit to an old railway station, at the bottom of the hill, situated on the Kalka-Shimla line, and possibility of a short but thrilling ride on the Kalka-Shimla toy train (at additional cost)

•History/Folk tale/ghost story telling

TARIFFS:

1.  7200.00 INR per child aged 10 to 13 in a school group of 10 (complimentary for 1 accompanying parent/teacher))
2.  9700.00 INR per adult, or child aged over 12, in a group size of minimum 6 on double sharing room occupancy basis
3. 12900.00 INR per adult or kid aged over 12 in a group size of minimum 6 on single room occupancy basis

INCLUSIONS:

1. Guiding fees against activities on offer for a group size of upto 10 kids (aged 10 to 13) or 6 adults (including kids aged over 12), by your mature, experienced and responsible historian-writer-guide

2. Accommodation

i)  on triple or quadruple sharing in furnished rooms with bath for a school group of 10 students aged 10 to 13 (accompanying parent/teacher admitted on complimentary basis)

ii) on single or double occupancy of furnished rooms with bath for other categories of participants in a group size of minimum 6

3. Meals: Simple but nutritious local vegetarian food: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners per person

EXCLUSIONS:

1. Transport: can be arranged by me at additional cost, from Delhi or Kalka or for local runs (including a short but thrilling ride on the Kalka-Shimla toy train!)

2. Entry fees to museum

3. Beverages, including mineral water

4. Expenses of a personal nature

5. Request for extension of stay or additional activities

6. Request for a private tour i.e. for less than 6 adults

N.B.

The activities are easy for children aged 8+, women, and seniors. They are aimed at de-stressing and rejuvenating participants while enabling them to enrich their knowledge of forgotten tidbits of British-Indian history, local culture, architecture, folklore etc.

This camp can be offered as a private tour (i.e. for less than 6 adults) but at higher rates.