Located in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, the small hamlet called Chail is a place where time stands still. Nature is at her exuberant best and words like pollution and deforestation have never entered the dictionary of a person living in Chail.

HISTORY

This small town, the summer residence of the Patiala state rulers has a story to tell. In 1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the wrath of Lord Kitchener, the then Commander-in-Chief. As a result, he was banned entry into the summer capital of the Raj, Shimla. This enraged the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new and better summer capital for himself. He looked around and after quite some time realized it had all the while been in his possession. Chail, a little village close to Shimla, was a ‘slice of heaven’ surrounded by lush forests with a commanding view of the snow-capped Himalayas. He rebuilt the city according to his requirements and built himself a wonderful palace. Today this palace is run as a hotel.

In 1972, it was taken over by the Himachal Pradesh Development Corporation and has since been a luxury resort combining nostalgia with modern-day conveniences. It is an experience well worth it, particularly on one’s honeymoon.

WEATHER

Chail and its surrounding areas is a delight for tourists in every season. It is charming in summer, fascinating in autumn when the fields and the forests are covered with a cloak of russet and gold and, of course, in winter it is nothing less than paradise. Everything about this place is as perfect as perfection can possibly be. The air here is crisp, invigorating and there is some kind of warmth in the snow.

REACHING THERE

Chail is about 86 km from Kalka via Kandaghat (roughly 380 km from Delhi). The approach of Chail is along the Kalka–Shimla route. One has to take a detour from Kandaghat. From Kandaghat, it is an hour and a half’s journey by road to Chail. The ideal way of covering the Kalka–Shimla track is by the toy train. It takes five hours from Kalka to get to Kandaghat. These five hours mark the beginning of this sojourn into the world of make-belief. The toy train with a maximum of half a dozen bogies chugs through the most thickly forested tracks, breathtaking bends, deep ravines and never-ending tunnels.

There is always the option of flying to Shimla. This flight operates only when the weather is favorable, but that will be like fast forwarding a wonderful beginning and landing yourself in the middle of a story.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD

Chail is a very small town on the hills with barely five to six hotels. Chail’s Mall is worth walking down on. It has precisely twelve shops and half a dozen hotels on one single stretch and that is the end of it. Commercialization seems to be still knocking at Chail.

There are, however, various categories of accommodation to suit every kind of pocket ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 6,000 per day during the tourist season (which is primarily the summer months). Each type of accommodation has a specific name. There are Maharaja suites, Maharani suites, Rajgarh cottages, Woodrose cottages, Monal cottages, Himneel cottages and log huts.

TO SEE

With the majestic snow-capped Shivalik peaks in the background and the beautiful orchards and sylvan pine valleys around reminding one of the many wonders of nature, Chail is sure to cast a spell.

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh developed the highest cricket field in the world in Chail. Well-kept and scrupulously maintained, more than the excitement of the game, the pitch offers a picturesque view of the surroundings, with tall forest trees all around it. Chail has everything that Shimla doesn’t. The proud ruler made sure that Chail matched Shimla in every respect.

Located on a spur, on a clear day, Chail offers a magnificent and splendid view of the valley. It is an out-of-this-world experience to look down and see the River Sutlej winding its way between the mountains, overlooking at the same time both Kasauli and Shimla (45 km) further via Kufri. It is an even more splendid view in the night, with the distant lights of the surroundings creating its own magic pattern on the horizon.

One has to see to believe what poets and writers have been describing the Himalayas as since time immemorial. One is awestruck to see the massive Himalayan ranges, their snow-capped peaks spectacularly gleaming in the sun. It is definitely an out-of-this-world sight and one can spend hours and hours together, admiring the magic it creates in the mind. The snow remains there until the beginning of the spring when the flowers come out in full bloom. This is the time when the meadows are filled with hyacinth and celandine, while the carmine and rhododendron trees are surrounded by solemn forests of deodar and towering pine trees.