#WeekendGetawaysRock: Solo Adventures in Kasauli

‘He must have been joking’, I think, as I huff and puff my way up the steep hillside.

‘Easy walk’, he said. ‘Shortcut to the main road’, he said. Well, at this moment it feels like a “breath-taking” shortcut to an early grave.

Scrambling up the dirt path, I finally manage to stumble onto the road and promptly collapse onto a bench by the roadside. Made it! The guard at the gate of the Kasauli Club just ahead can barely conceal his smirk. I look away, pretending I’m just admiring the club’s very colonial appearance. On another walk past the club the next day, I find a 100-year-old post box that is still in use! I had read about how charming Kasauli was, but was not prepared for just how wonderfully quaint it would turn out to be!

The Best Way to Explore Kasauli—On Foot!

Over the next two days of my solo weekend trip, I stroll by numerous cottages and colonial-style homes along the two main roads of Kasauli town. Armed with the well-intended advice of the hotel’s staff, which sends me careening over narrow pathways (shortcuts!!) and steep hillsides, I manage to cover a lot of ground.

Kasauli is a rather small place, and you can easily walk from one end to the other in a few hours. The erstwhile British cantonment town has somehow managed to retain a sleepy, almost colonial air.

A walk down the Mall is like a stroll back into time, past medieval churches and gabled roofs, and a very interesting cobblestoned Heritage Market. I spend two successive evenings at this market, rooting around for quirky souvenirs and feasting on local delicacies like the famous Bun Samosa! After sunset, it’s time to curl up in my old-fashioned bed with a book, a cup of ginger tea and the room heater kept as close as possible, while the night grows chilly outside.

Read more: 10 Hotels in Kasauli that Make for a Better Trip

In Search of the Best Views in Kasauli

Apart from great views from Sunrise Point and Sunset Point, there is an interesting place called Manki Point about 4 km away from the town centre. A very pleasant hike brings me to the Air Force Station, where this temple is located atop a hill. Local stories hold that Hanuman, while returning from the Himalayas with the Sanjeevani Booti, passed this way and one of his feet touched the hill. There is now a temple on the hilltop, with great views of the surrounding hills and valleys. One does need to keep an eye out for the monkeys though—their presence often leads people to think of this place as “Monkey Point” instead!

Saving the Best for the Last—A Nature Trail

The best part of the trip perhaps, is the long walk down Gilbert’s Trail, a narrow hillside path dappled with sunshine filtering through the woods. There isn’t another soul around; the only sounds I hear are birdsong and the rustle of the wind through the trees above. The trail ends at a breath-taking viewpoint, where I sit for the better part of an hour, just admiring the views around me. It ends up being the one dominant memory of this special trip for me; one that I carry with me even now, months after my return. 

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Read more: 14 Indian Hill Stations Every 90’s Kid Loves!

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