Summer Sojourn

A look at some cool getaways near Chandigarh
If you are looking to de-stress,cut out all distractions and lose yourself in the cool lap of nature,then here are some interesting summer trips you can take. While the entire state of Himachal Pradesh is easily accessible from the city,there are many popular places which are worth visiting and peaceful. The Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal is an example. The main aim of the park was to safeguard the interest of the tiger; it is there that India’s Project Tiger was incorporated in 1973. But over the years,Jim Corbett has tranformed into the perfect summer getaway,an adventure as well as leisure destination. Here,it’s not just tigers you lookout for,but amazing birds,wild elephants,barking deer,boars et al. At 342 km from Chandigarh,it is quite a holiday away from the hustle bustle of city life. Now that we are moving about in Uttaranchal,how about Kanatal in that state,a luxury spa to relax your mind,body and soul. The Kanatal Resort,which is about six hours from Chandigarh,has an exquisite range of spa therapies ranging from panchkarma massages to the extensive shirodhara massage therapy. The spa centre also flaunts an all-weather pool.

Back to hilly areas,and how can we forget Leh. The land of lamas,mountains,passes and peace,Leh is still one of the most sought after destinations. It is a minimum three-night road journey from Chandigarh via Manali,Keylong,Sarchu,Leh covering 800kms.

Finally,Arki in Himachal Pradesh is one destination waiting to be explored. Unlike,many modern cities,Arki is an unexplored town of the Mughal era. It was the capital of the former Baghal state,founded in the 17th century and developed by Raja Krishan Singh during 1840s. It is located in the mid hills of Western Himalaya in Solan district and is about two hour’s driver from Chandigarh. Known for ‘The Fort Palace’ built in 1695,it now enjoys a heritage status. You can check out the Lutru Madadev temple and Jakholy Devi temple built in 1621 and 1650.

The writer is a city-based gemologist and owns an adventure club,www.clubfootloose.com. Mail him at solisethi@gmail.com