Travel Experience
It was a random plan to visit Shimla with friends and I am glad that I went on this trip, it took 9 hours overall to reach Shimla from Delhi, as we stopped by some places as well.
There are a few ways to reach Shimla from Delhi, you can choose any, according to your current location, we took the Western peripheral Road which bypasses us from a few cities to save more time.
Shimla is also known as the Queen of Hills, it was my first visit to this beautiful city on hills, as it was falling winters the weather was just perfect for me personally, it was a road trip with friends so the fun part was on another level.
As we enter the hilly region I was surprised to see the quality of the roads which were maintained in a hilly region. Two-lane roads on both sides for the smooth flow of traffic. There are lots of small kiosks and restaurants on the way where you can stop by for a quick break.
Connectivity
This is the most important part nowadays whether it is roads or phone network both are very important when you are travelling to any destination. I must say the roads are very well connected in the entire region, even you can see the smallest village on the hills has the roads reaching to their doorsteps. Which makes it very convenient for the local residents.
Even the one and only Rail connectivity from Shimla to Kalka is a highly commendable job as it is smooth, clean, on time, and really convenient for the local residents of the region and especially for the tourists for the lifetime experience to travel at high altitude mountains passing through some of the most mesmerising views depending on the respective weather conditions.
When it comes to cellular connectivity, we absolutely never had an issue with the network, on the other hand, I was surprised to have such good connectivity, for an instance,
We were climbing on Hatu peak which is on 11000ft and we crossed a dense forest area and snow, still, we managed to do the video call to our families to show them around virtually and that too uninterrupted, I mean that was really not expected, highly commendable.
People
Local residents of the place make a huge impact on any destination’s tourism activity or travel experience for the travelers.
I found the local residents very helpful kind and soft-spoken, as we travelled in the local transport there also you will not hear anyone shouting and screaming unnecessarily as you will find in the big cities like Delhi.
And people are always there to help you just in case you asked someone about directions or anything, even when you go to buy some souvenirs or something at the shop they will not give you sky-high prices, you can find the difference when you will experience that, and also they will not force you to buy from them.
Safety
This factor is one of the topmost priorities for anyone who is travelling to any destination whether domestic or international.
Shimla has been the first choice for many domestic tourists for many decades now and there is a reason behind it.
Yes, the Safety, as I observed you can walk on the streets even at the late-night, although it’s very cold but still if you want there is absolutely no problem.
The shops get closed early around 9 or 10, but still, there are some restaurants which serve till 10 or 11 pm maximum, and you will find some shops nearby which are open till that time.
At the bus station, you might find some restaurants and shops open till late at night, and some tea stalls open all night.
Roads and Traffic
One of the best things I like about Shimla is the quality of roads and the safety measures which are taken care of very well. For example, there are proper walkways built next to the road for the pedestrian.
Especially being a busy hill station, the traffic is very well organised everywhere and the people also drive on their respective lane as there are very strict rules for traffic.
We were staying in a hotel Anfield just next to Victoria Tunnel which is a very busy junction, there was always a traffic police controller present there to make sure the smooth flow of traffic. This also shows that how much the responsible government authorities are concerned about the city’s organisation.
And another good thing is that no vehicles are allowed on the mall road, only the Emergency vehicles or some Government official vehicles are allowed which also keeps the road free from any traffic, empty and safe for the pedestrian.
Cleanliness
This is another factor that is always on the priority for travelers. I must say the cleanliness in the city is immaculate as you can observe while walking on the streets, all the streets are free from any kind of debris, and even on the small kiosks next to the roads are kept clean and the surroundings are also cleaned by their respective owners, which is a small yet a very responsible contribution towards the society and for the growth of tourism in the region.
Smoking is not allowed in public areas, there is a fine for disobeying the law.
Rest I will be writing about my travel experience for some beautiful places I have visited in Shimla in my other blogs which will be dedicated to that particular place.
Keep travelling, keep reading and keep smiling.
Hope you will have a good experience too. Choose Well.