The Great Escape

For a quick getaway from city life,the Chandigarh Adventures,Treks and Sports (CATS) organises regular treks and biking trips to the idyllic Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. A lovely six-km nature trail is an exciting way of spotting exotic migratory birds,floral and faunal wonders,a wild boar,spotted deer or sambhar. “Scheduled for April 18,the Rs 100 trip includes a guide and breakfast and is open to all from the age of five to 60,” says Supreet Dhiman of CATS. A 32-kilometre trek through a wildlife sanctuary to the enchanting Churdhar mountain in Sirmaur is planned on the same day. For adventure enthusiasts,CATS has a multi-day rafting trip in Rishikesh planned for April 24 and 25,where you can raft for 50 kilometres over with the trip costing around Rs 6,000.

For a more rooted experience,one can opt for Citrus County,a luxury farm resort near Hoshiarpur,situated in the middle of 75 acres of kinnow and poplar plantations,only 130 kilometres from Chandigarh. Traditional Punjabi food with barbeque,evening bonfires,a golf course,gazebo cafe and swimming pool are the major attractions,along with the experience of exploring nearby villages or learning new farming techniques. Luxury air-conditioned tents alternate here with All-Terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes. “You know the thrill of hitting the dirt tack only when you’ve done it,especially in the farms,” says Harkirat Ahluwalia of Citrus County. The adventure concepts have been introduced by Rahul Soni who runs Xtremeways.com.

The concept of holidaying in farms is also fast catching up. Haryana Tourism offers visitors a stay in 10 farms all over the state. Sandhya Tyagi of AdventureHills agrees that home stays and farm holidays have many takers,especially in the apple orchards of Shimla and Manali where an entire house is let out. “Guests get a feel of local cuisine,customs,traditions; from the farmhouses,one can go for day and overnight treks or camp in the orchards and forests and go for picnics,” she adds. A stay at most of the houses in the orchard costs around Rs 2,200,says Tyagi.

At an altitude of 2050 metres,near Shimla,Camp Potters Hill covers 100 hectares of western Himalayan Forests. A luxury camping resort,it is an ideal place for naturalists,trekkers,painters and bird watchers to rejuvenate. “We are open 12 months a year,with varied activities planned for different months,’’ says Surjit,listing treks,flora and fauna identification,picnics in the forest and apple orchards and rock climbing as some of the popular activities.

At the exotic Wildflower Hall,Shimla,an Oberoi resort,a unique experience of gourmet picnics with specially designed picnic menus await the visitor. You can walk through serene forests,raft on the Sutlej,attend a spa menu that includes holistic,non-clinical therapies,massages and beauty treatments and to top it all,savour the delights of indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools that command an expansive view of snow-covered peaks.

If you visit Sinola Malsi,a serene hamlet near Dehradun,you might get to stay in the Bird House,a charming,two-storeyed abode among lychee orchards,enchanted by the chirping of more than a 1,000 varieties of birds. Once home to royalty and famous ornithologists,the place is perfect for those who want to put their feet up while an in-house chef cooks on order. In other words,a dream come true.