When I decided to plan a weekend trip, I was baffled up with the names of several places. I first thought to visit Munsiyari, and then I planned for Mashobra. I changed this plan and thought to visit Landsdowne but that decision too didn’t survive for long. I was just sitting in the metro, heading towards IBST Kashmiri Gate, and was going through some random blogs on where to visit on weekend. While browsing through the internet, I came across a website that had listed ten offbeat places to visit in Himachal Pradesh on weekend and this name caught my attention. Killing all my dreams of going to Mashobra (somehow I thought to visit there); I made my final decision to plan a weekend trip to Kotgrah.
So, it all happened traveling in the metro only. That’s how I usually travel on weekend. Unplanned journeys and unlimited fun! However, I give no assurance that every unplanned journey is going to be superb. But I have had all memorable journeys so far and all of them are unplanned or loosely planned. It was my first time that I heard this name Kotgarh and when I read a little about this small village near Narkanda on the internet, I made my mind to visit Kotgarh on that weekend. I was all packed with enthusiasm and had plans to trekking.
Well, I put my phone back in my pocket and thought of things to do in Kotgarh. It was a village, there were no waterfalls, no hills to climb, no valleys for photoshoots; it was a village with nature’s pureness and vibrant ambiance. But I had plan to trek and it didn’t matter for me if there were any well-defined treks around the village or not, I was all excited to hit the road and walk… That was all I had on the name of planning.
Read Here – Trekking to Triund
When I decided to plan a weekend trip to Kotgarh out of nowhere
I am a weekend traveler and I spend one weekend traveling to some random place. Last year in 2019, I made 12 trips in 12 months. But I didn’t get to travel after February due to the pandemic situation. Most of the time, I just usually think of a name and that’s it. I keep the name in my mind and then I decide to visit there. However, this place was new and I got to know about this place for the first time. Thus, it took me long to plan a weekend trip to Kotgarh. After lots of rejections, finally locked this name and reached ISBT Kashmiri Gate to get a bus to Shimla.
After reaching Shimla in the morning, I boarded a bus to Narkanda. From Narkanda, I rented a cab to Kotgarh. I could see fresh snow (maybe a day or two old) everywhere and people were playing around in the snow. At a few places, I had my knees down in the snow and I could feel the chill. My trousers were somewhat moist and I got chunks of snow in my boots. Anyways, I rented a cab to Kotgarh and booked a hotel on the way sitting in the cab. There weren’t many options available close to the village however, there were some around it. But I was looking for a place in the village, not too far. I called a few numbers I found on the internet and couldn’t get a room. However, I got confirmation from one number. It was 13 Forest B&B. I got a room there.
Read Here – Jakhoo Temple Shimla
Read Here – Sunset Point Kasauli
The cab was passing through the forest, following that zip-zap uneven road. The scenes were no less than Switzerland, pine trees covered with snow on both sides. Green pine trees painted with white color, a queue of vehicles just like a rail… It was just like living a dream. I imagined myself passing through such a road and the imagination came from some Hollywood movies. I was a little skeptical when I thought to plan a weekend trip to Kotgarh however when I found myself on the road, I was filled with pleasure and surprise, both at the same time. I was going right.
Kotgarh is around 15 km away from Narkanda and it takes around half an hour roughly to reach there. Yet, this half-hour journey gave me enough goosebumps to cherish it. I left no chance to shoot and click the breathtaking views I was getting there. I reached the hotel comfortably and checked into my room. To my surprise, I was astonished to have the jaw-dropping views from outside the room’s window. I could hear the birds chirruping, peacocks singing and the symphony of the music hit my ears like an orchestra. Before I could plan out the day, I thought to take shower and rest for a while in the lap of nature.
