India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [519]
EXCURSIONS AROUND SHIMLA
A mere 12km (7 1⁄2 miles; 30 min.) from Shimla, the forested village of Mashobra is great for scenic walks but is best visited as an excuse to step into one of India’s loveliest hotels, Wildflower Hall (see “Where to Stay & Dine,” below), for high tea or lunch. From the village, you can attempt a trek to the area’s highest peak—Shali—which reaches 3,200m (10,496 ft.), or take the 2km (1 1⁄4-mile) pedestrian track to the “sacred grove” of Sipur, where you’ll find the charming, indigenous-style temple dedicated to the local deity, Seep. Because they are considered the personal property of Seep, no trees may be cut here; the locals are so superstitious that they pat themselves down before leaving to ensure no fallen cedar needles have accidentally dropped on them. A further 45 minutes beyond Mashobra is the popular picnicking resort of Naldehra (23km/14 miles from Shimla), which has an extraordinary 9-hole golf course designed by Lord Curzon (British viceroy of India, 1899–1905). Golfing on the world’s highest course is best arranged through your hotel in Shimla, or you can opt to stay at one of the local “resorts”—The Châlets Naldehra ( 0177/274-7715 or 98-1606-2007; www.chaletsnaldehra.com; from Rs 6,500 double, without tax) has a pleasing alpine feel, with clean, comfortable, Scandinavian prefab wood cabins. Staff will arrange golf, river rafting, horseback-riding, fishing, and a range of hikes. The hot sulfur springs of Tattapani lie 28km (17 miles) farther away.
Chail (2,150m/7,000 ft.), 2 hours from Shimla, can be visited as a day trip out of the capital (or a relaxing, peaceful accommodations alternative; see below). Chail grew out of a romantic scandal, when Bhupinder Singh, the dashing Maharajah of Patiala, eloped with (or abducted, depending on who’s telling the story) the daughter of Lord Kitchener. Predictably, the Maharajah was forced to return the daughter and was banned from ever again entering the Raj’s summer capital. Enraged, the Raja combed the neighboring hills in search of a location from where he could literally look down on the town that had snubbed him. Chail was the answer to his ego-driven quest, and there he set about establishing his own “summer capital,” building a lavish Georgian palace, as well as the highest cricket pitch in the world (2,444m/7,800 ft.). Sadly, the once-elegant palace has been converted into a poorly managed government-owned hotel ( 01792/24-8141 through -8143).
WHERE TO STAY
A destination in its own right, the Oberoi’s Wildflower Hall (reviewed below) in Mashobra (around 30 min. from Shimla) is by far your best option, but if the rates exceed your budget, nothing can beat the homey Raj-era experience of Chapslee, run by the aristocratic Reggie Kapurthala (see below). If this is not available, you could try Clarke’s (The Mall; 0177/265-1010 through -1015; www.clarkessimla.com), a small, modest, Oberoi-owned hotel, interesting in some respects because it was the hotel on which the Oberoi empire was built. Today it’s a bit of a throwback to another era, with perfectly comfortable (if ordinary) accommodations (doubles from Rs 8,500 including all meals) and service that—in the words of one of the managers—only begins when you walk through the front door. Once inside, there’s enough personality and historic ambience to help you enjoy your stay, but not enough that you’ll end up wasting your time indoors. For more character, but comparatively lackluster accommodations, you could bed down at Woodville Palace, a converted Gothic pile built in the late 1930s—while it’s filled with period relics, it lacks both the personal charm of Chapslee and the professionalism of Clarke’s. It’s also looking terribly run-down