My quest for a quiet, serene and solitary getaway — what
with New Delhi having literally turned into a gas chamber — led me to  a beautiful hill station in the Kangra Valley
of Himachal Pradesh. About 35 km from Dharamsala, Palampur gets its name from
“pulum”, meaning “abundant water”. Not surprisingly, the region has innumerable
streams and brooks and the waterbodies are a huge boon for the tea plantations.

The Palampur Tea Cooperative factory, some 1.5 km south of
the bus station on the Kangra road, offers a 20-minute tour, taking the visitor
through the tea-making process, and is a major attraction here. Having been
established by Dr Jameson, who introduced tea plantations in this hill station,
the produce in the town of Palampur gained international recognition and is
among the must- buys for tourists, along with the Tibetan handicrafts, carpets
and wooden handicrafts made here. And while one is shopping, do not forget to
try out jhol, a popular local drink made of rice water.

 In addition to its
tea plantations, Palampur also offers tourists a chance to try out some
adventure sports, serving as the starting point for several treks, including
those to Dharamsala and Kangra. The famous Baijnath-Manali trek passes through
the town.

Situated 35 km from Palampur, Bir is a popular centre for
paragliding activities and, along with Billing that serves as the landing spot,
is referred to as the “Paragliding capital of India”. It is also home to some
of the tallest deodar trees in the country, all of which contribute in making
it one of the perfect summer getaway, offering stunning views of the snow-clad
Dhauladhar ranges.

What actually made my visit to Palampur and its adjoining
regions, including Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj, immensely different was a
solitary resort called “Rakkh”. Perched on a hilltop just outside the pretty
village of Rakh and surrounded by terraced hillsides and the scintillating
Dhauladhar in the distance, Rakkh Resort seemed to fit in with all that I had
been craving for — a carefree life (even if for just a day), clean air to
breathe, no interference and away from the common din. Rakkh offers 15 cottages
and two inter-connecting rooms with the perfect blend of authentic design using
local materials and all the modern comforts one would expect of a boutique
property, featuring an in-house spa, a multi-cuisine restaurant that offers
stunning 180-degree views of the surrounding hills and valleys, a traditional
village kitchen that hosts “dhaam” feasts on special occasions and a dedicated
and passionate activities team that organises guided mountain biking, hiking
trails and climbing wall activities, slack-lining as well as dedicated camp
skills workshops for the younger and passionate guests.

More importantly, I indulged in a unique experience — one
where the simple joys of personal interaction, reconnecting with nature and a
passion for the great outdoors is given precedence over everything else. I did
not find a television set or mini-bar in my room. Communal dining is encouraged
for guests to get to know each other. The resort offers nature hikes in the
nearby hills and short walks through nearby villages, paddy fields, forests and
tea gardens. Here I explored and discovered a different slice of unexplored
Himachal.

It is a world away from the overly commercialised tourist
centres, where traffic congestion, noise and pollution are the norm. The guides
from the activity centre took me roaming through their little corner of
mountain heaven — through sleepy hamlets or cycling past electric green paddy
fields and undulating emerald tea gardens, even as the mighty Dhauladhar range
keeps vigil in the distance. I watched the immaculately dressed schoolchildren
attend their classes al fresco and sipped a cup of chai with friendly
villagers. And then there were trips to the ancient rock-cut temples at Masroor
and the awe-inspiring fort at Kangra. I had an opportunity to immerse myself in
Tibetan culture at McLeodganj and Dharamsala, and try my hand at creating a
piece of art at Andretta Pottery and a tea-tasting with a difference.

In this day and age, we are increasingly disconnected from
each other and from nature. Long working days, intense pressure to perform and
deliver – it’s easy to lose perspective about what really matters, how simple
it is to gain so much pleasure from spending time with loved ones, friends and
family and how easy it is to take them for granted. We were encouraged to
detach ourselves from phones and to concentrate on our immediate surroundings.
Chat, laugh, play, share tales, make new friendships, venture out and embrace
nature, it’s amazing how nature grounds us and brings things back into focus.

There’s a whole new side to Himachal waiting to be explored.

 –By Saket Suman