![]() The red markers indicate the locations of a few of the Dak Bungalows in Himachal Pradesh. Eventually, I managed to cover about 20 good locations and a few more unsuitable ones, which are not part of this travelogue. I had a list of about 100 locations - no way I would be able to cover all of them in 14 days, but I wanted to keep my options open. I decided to reach Shimla and then start visiting locations, starting from the East and going counter-clockwise, all the way up to the North of Himachal. I had prepared some reference draft maps, using Google Maps and had made a list of locations, that sounded/looked good. I had very little practical knowledge of the area, but after doing a lot of detailed research on the net, I felt confident enough to embark upon the journey. Last time I went to the hills up North, for a vacation, was 15 years ago to Shimla. Trip Abstract: This was a hurriedly (but not hastily) planned trip. Your typical Dak Bungalow (Usually in colour and not half as creepy). The bungalows that belong to the PWD are called PWD Rest Houses and are usually located inside, or close to villages and towns and the bungalows belonging to the Forest Department are called Forest Rest Houses (FRHs) which are located in more isolated, forested areas. After independence, these Dak Bungalows have been taken over by either the PWD or the Forest Department of the district, in which they lie. I don’t know how many of those have actually survived, but it is a substantial number, nonetheless. Because mountain roads back then were bad or non-existent, the average distance that used to be covered in a day was limited to 10-15 Kms, so it was usual to find a Dak Bungalow every 15 Kms or so, especially in hilly, difficult terrain.īy some accounts there are nearly 250-350 such rest houses in Himachal Pradesh itself. 7,200/- (3 nights were spent sleeping in the car)Ī Bit About Dak Bungalows: Dak Bungalows are Raj era government bungalows (usually having 2 or more rooms), which were used as rest houses, when the only means of long distance travel were either Horse Drawn Carriages or Palanquins. 2,700/- (For 4 Days)Īccommodation Expenses: Rs. Myles Car Booking Amount for Nano Twist XT: Rs. Myles Car Booking Amount for Swift VDI: Rs. 3,700/- (1,703 Km Covered)įuel (Petrol) Expenses for the Nano: Rs. Route Outline: Delhi - Shimla - Kraignano/Mashobra - Narkanda - Nirath - Nogli - Taklech - Nirmand - Arsu - Baga Saraun - Rampur - Gaura - Dharanghati - Sarahan - Luhri - Dalash - Chowai - Khanag - Shoja - Jibhi - Palampur - Dadh - Kotla - Dundara Bangla - Sundla - Chandigarh - Shimla - Rampur - Gaura - Shimla - Chandigarh - Delhiįuel (Diesel) Expenses for the Swift VDI: Rs. ![]() This travelogue is a collection of the various Dak Bungalows I visited during the trip and my learnings during the journey.Ĭars Used: Swift VDI & Tata Nano Twist XT (Both Self Drive Rentals from Myles Cars) But something told me that I would find what I was looking for in Himachal Pradesh, so I decided to go on a 14 day recce to that state. Being short on time and resources, I couldn’t scout both the states. There are several of these bungalows in the states of Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand. I’ve lived in several old British built Dak Bungalows, during childhood vacations in the hills, so those came to mind immediately. Purpose of the Trip: I’m making an Independent Horror Feature Film and needed an old, British Era Bungalow, located in an isolated, hilly location for the shoot. I usually write, shoot, direct and edit my projects. Having been on a longish road trip to Himachal recently, I thought I’d post a travelogue and and give something back to the community.Ībout Me: I’m an ex-offshore oil industry worker, turned independent filmmaker and I reside in Mumbai. I’ve been a lurker on Team-BHP for a long time and have often utilised the wealth of information contained in it’s forums to take several important decisions, mainly related to purchasing cars (new & used), their subsequent maintenance and planning long road trips.
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