| The mountains offer some fabulous trekking
trails - through the Sanghar Pass to Holi and Bharmour; Waru Pass onto Chamba; the
Shinghar Pass to Holi; the Indrahar Pass to Dharamsala; and the Jalsu Pass from Bharmour
to Baijnath. Palampur has old forts and temples such as the 500- year old Temple
of Bundlamata and the Chamundadevi Temple. The Kangra valley's
distinctive art style survives in the lovely little village of Andretta,
14 km south of Palampur. The Dhauladhar National Park at Gopalpur, 13 km
from Palampur, has a mini zoo with black bear, leopard, lion, red fox and several types of
deer such as goral and sambar. Taragarh,
an idyllic retreat 12 km from Palampur, is set amidst picturesque tea estates at the foot
of the Dhauladhars. You can ride up on mountain bikes to the little Tibetan village of Tashijong
Gompa known for its thangka paintings, carpet weaving and block printing. Neughal
Park, 1 km from Palampur, affords an awe-inspiring view of the mighty Dhauladhar
mountains and the River Neughal.
Close to Palampur are the twin villages of Bir and Billing
with top rate hang gliding and para-gliding grounds and equally famous for their
Buddhist Monasteries and Tibetan handicrafts. The Kangra Tea Factory is
your best bet for picking up genuine tea and for seeing the entire procedure of plucking,
picking and processing tealeaves. You can also do quite a bit of shopping at Palampur- you
simply must buy the delicate Kangra tea at Bharmour or at the many factory outlets just
outside Palampur. Other good buys are Tibetan handicrafts, carpets, woollens, thangka
paintings and prints.
Getting to Palampur
Palampur is 37 km from Gaggal in Kangra, the nearest airport. You can catch a bus or taxi
to get up to Palampur from there. The town is connected to Pathankot (115 km) on the broad
gauge railway, while the narrow gauge line to Jogindernagar reaches 4 km away, at Moranda.
The ten-hour drive from Delhi, the closest metro is 545 km, while Chandigarh is 265 km.
Best time to visit Palampur
Palampur has good weather throughout the year, so deciding when to come is not a problem.
Accommodation in Palampur
Resorts, hotels and tourist guesthouses abound. The town has both budget and up-market
accommodation with good facilities. |
