Vacationing in Himachal, was a long overdue plan. Then things fell in place with a short trip to Manali and Shimla. After spending a day in Manali, we decided to drive to Shimla as well with sight-seeing at Kullu naturally fitting in the itinerary.

Nothing could have prepared me for the beautiful landscape that unfolded right before my eyes along that winding road where the sunlight played hide and seek with the tall conifers.

Sun and the Conifers

Kullu valley, also called as ‘valley of Gods’ or ‘dev-bhoomi’ sits in the Pir panjal range of Himalayas with River Beas gently flowing in the picturesque landscape. It was a princely state with Naggar as its capital for fourteen years.

The royal residence, Naggar Castle, a wooden structure built in 1460 AD by Raja Siddh Singh, still exists in all its splendour. A fine example of Kathkuni architecture of Himachal Pradesh, the palace is a heritage resort. It also houses the family place of worship Jagatipatt temple.

Courtyard of Naggar castle

Jagatipatt Temple in palace complex

Another intriguing temple Tripura Sundari temple stood down the road in its grand silence. A strange tradition of offering shrouds of dead bodies to Goddess every baisakh explains the air of mystery around it.

Tripura Sundari temple by the road side

A visit to Roerich art gallery summed up Naggar and we proceeded to Kandaghat Club Mahindra Resort.

Club Mahindra resort at Kandaghat

Kandaghat Club Mahindra Resort

A premium sprawling property for family vacations, the resort enjoys the luxury of lap of mountains surrounded by lush greenery and absolute privacy. The resort with its various dining areas allows the guests to enjoy their meals in setting of their choice with a plethora of cuisines to choose from.

The rooms and fun activities are a separate zone and the resort makes sure families have a gala time away from their home. From playroom to craft activities for kids to dance sessions and karaoke, all activities are centered around the single thought of facilitating quality family time for the guests.

Suites and fun zone

Adventure Activities at Resort

I chose to take part in outdoor adventure activities of the resort. The resort offers supervised archery, Burma bridge, paintball and Zip-lining. The resort boasts of longest zip-line in Himachal Pradesh. With trained people guiding all along, the ziplining and archery were a breeze through even for first timer like me.

By the time I had my fill of adventure, I was dead tired and retired to my room as soon as the sumptuous meal satisfied my hunger pangs. To my absolute delight, the room was a cozy retreat equipped with a little kitchenette complete with microwave for that late night or early morning cuppa. What impressed me was that for the families with infants and toddlers, such a thoughtful facility underlines the idea of a home away from home during vacation.

A room with a view

The resort is spread over a huge area with well laid out lawns and a small herb garden allowing the guests to indulge in long leisurely walks, solitude for those who seek calm and revelry for the younger families. The guests can also enjoy cultural evenings which the resort organizes time and again.

A day and a half simply flew at the resort and there never seemed any dull moment. Kandaghat resort is comfortably close to Shimla without being in too much proximity of the commercial Mall road. And a trip to mall road was an added adventure in the short stay at Kandaghat. The church, theater, post office and the wide road of yesteryear blended well with the new small and big shops jostling for space and vacationers enjoying the vehicle-free street.

Mall road at Shimla

The Viceregal Lodge, where the famous Shimla Pact was conceived gave the glimpse of the colonial era with its Burma teak interiors, austere exteriors and academic aura.

Viceregal Lodge

With two days getting over so soon, I am left wanting for more and why not? The stay at Club Mahindra was of utmost comfort….true vacation with everything taken care of, a completely relaxing two days.

May be I will plan a longer vacation at Shimla next season. It helps to know more about Club Mahindra membership though. And if you want to be pampered on holiday too, why not take a informed decision through Club Mahindra reviews.

My trip to Shimla and its scenic locales was organised by Club Mahindra.

Published by Shoma Abhyankar

I believe "Life is short and the world is wide"and travel is best possible solution to make the best of this life. I am Shoma Abhyankar. Welcome to ASTONISHING INDIA. View all posts by Shoma Abhyankar