Himachal Pradesh is in the North Eastern part of India. It is known as the "Land of Gods" and is very popular with tourists and pilgrims. Himachal Pradesh is mainly in the Himalayas. The Himalayas starts from Burma and goes through China, Tibet, Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to Middle East Asia.
In the northeast of Himachal Pradesh are the Himalayas, the Dhauladhar range in the northwest, and the Shivalik range in the South. The Pir Panjal range separates it from Kashmir.
The natural beauty of the entire Himachal Pradesh, be it Dharamshala, Manali, or Spiti Valley, attracts crores of tourists all over the year. Lakhs of tourists and pilgrims assemble in Kulu valley for the Dusserah festival. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh are in abundance. In the spring, Himachal becomes colorful with thousands of flowers and fruits. Known and unknown birds fill the atmosphere with their chirping. One can see various jungle animals, like, panther, leopard, black bear, brown bear, snow leopard, etc. The rivers of Himachal are full of trout fish. Himachal is a paradise for trekkers. According to the tourist department of Himachal, 134 peaks of more than 5000 meters in height change their colors at Sunrise, Sunset, daytime, and full moon nights.
The most significant boost to tourism happened during the mid-80s to mid- 90s when the State invested much in infrastructure. In the beginning, Himachal became the summer destination. However, the department of tourism and civil aviation of the State wanted to make it a destination for all seasons. Accordingly, they developed the infrastructure with particular emphasis on activity-based tourism. Now Himachal is also known as "A destination for all seasons and all reasons." To promote tourism in the countryside, the State invested as much as possible within available resources.
According to the 2021 estimate, 56 lakhs of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh, which was a 75% increase over 2020. There are 84 hotels and 14 Homestays of Himachal Tourism at different tourist destinations. In addition, there are unlimited private hotels at these places. According to State Government statistics of December 2021, there are 7369 hotels and homestays, 850 restaurants, and 128250 beds all over Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal is the hub of adventure, Nature, culture, history & spirituality. The varied topography of snow-capped peaks, friendly locales, lush green meadows, deep valleys, pristine rivers, and thick forests have made the gorgeous State of Himachal Pradesh a beautiful destination. Himachal offers solace to the mind and souls of nature lovers. Himachal is a paradise for not only thrilling and mind-boggling trekking and paragliding, but there are also lush green valleys like Kinnaur, Kullu, and Kangra & barren terrains of Lahaul & Spiti, and the Buddhist culture of Mcleodganj. In addition, there are famous lakes like Renuka, Rewalsar, Prashar, Suraj Tal & Chandratal.
The cheapest way to travel in Himachal Pradesh is by bus. But this may be time-consuming and require more time to cover the State. So the best way is to hire a rental car. We are presenting most of Himachal's well-known and off-beat places in this book. The State-run Himachal Road transport corporation runs the public transport system in Himachal Pradesh, where one can book bus tickets online.
The places we will cover in this book are Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Dal Lake, Talnu, Tapovan, Chamunda Devi, Vajreswari, Kangra Fort, Dalhousie, Khajiaar, Chamba, Palampur, Baijnath, Jwalamukhi, Naina Devi, Kasauli, Chail, Simla, Naldhera, Narkanda, Mandi, Bajaura, Kullu, Manikaran, Naggar, Jagatsukh, Manali, Siyali Mahadev, Ghatotkach Temple, Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Marhi, Rohtang Pass, Koksar, Keylong, Triloknath, Udaipur, Surajtaal, Batal, Kunzum Pass, Chandra Taal, Kaza, Dhankar, Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, Sarahan, and Rampur Bushahar.