Dharamshala & Rishikesh

Set against the backdrop of the dramatic Himalayan Dhaula Dhar Mountains, Dharamshala (or Dharamsala) is one of the principle towns of the Kangra valley. With dense pine forests, numerous streams, cool healthy air, attractive surroundings and the nearby snowline, Dharamshala has everything for a perfect holiday.

The town itself is charming town with elegant bungalows nestling in thick conifer forests. Today Dharamshala has become synonymous to the Tibetan government in exile. It is the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, spiritual head of the Buddhists, who is now quartered at McLeod Ganj (also known as Upper Dharamshala).

Rishikesh, One of India’s seven Hindu holy cities, is a small town in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India situated 24 km upstream from Haridwar. It is scenically located at the point where the River Ganges flows down from the Himalayas. Back in the 1960s the town was catapulted to fame (in the west) when the Beatles stopped for a visit at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram (which is now closed), and the town is still known as the “world capital of yoga and meditation”. Rishikesh is also a good starting point for treks to Himalayan pilgrimage centres. July and August can be very wet but the climate is generally mild in winter and hot in the summer due its location in the foot hills of the Himalaya.