I was born and brought up in this queen of hills hence this is not a travelogue but a shimla’s citizen’s guide to whats HS & LS in the erstwhile summer capital of British India. I would rather give an unbiased view of what a stay at shimla can be:
The best time to visit Shimla is either in summers (April-June) when the entire plains of India are burning with hot sun or in winters (Dec-Feb) when people throng to Shimla to experience the magic of snowfall.
Lets beging with the pitfalls first, to start with there can be some major problems in both the seasons:
Good Hotel Acco is difficult to find (unless you reserve in advance)
Water shortage
High rates for everything (hotel/taxis/coolies etc)
Parking problems
Winters can be chillingly cold :)
But then thats true of almost every hill station in India (I have already been to some and experienced the same). Whats different about Shimla is that its not a small typical hill station anymore, being capital of HP it is can be classified into a C grade city at least (if not B). It provides all facilities and can be quite upmarket.
How to reach:
You maybe coming from anywhere, reach either Delhi or Chandigarh.
To reach Shimla (from Delhi) the best thing is to take Volvo Buses which run from ISBT, Delhi. It takes 8-9 hrs. Another preferred mode is take Shatabdi/Kalka Howrah Exp. upto Kalka and then either take narrow gauge train or a taxi to Shimla
I won’t recommend the 30 seater aircrafts (Jagson Airlines) which may/maynot be operational at present.
From Chandigarh you can take buses/taxis or come down to Kalka (30 kms) and take train to Shimla.
Clothing:
Always take warm clothes with you. even if its May-June then too take at least a sweater with you. For winters, wear warm innerwear and jackets. For ladies, don’t take sabdals with heels prefer flats.
Hotels:
Shimla provides affordable to luxurious hoterls..with variety of range. If possible stay at the Cecil/ Oberoi Clarkes/Wildflower Hall/Holiday Home (all 4-5 stars). Also if not these then make sure you stay near Mall. Also if you coming in your own vehicle then take a hotel near Cart Road only.
Moving around:
The best way to is to walk (as at many places no conveyances are allowed). For soghtseeing you can book taxis near Lift, Cart road. Horse riding on the ridge is not to be missed :)
Places in Shimla:
As many reviews must have already told in detail about all places in Shimla, hence I won’t go much in detail. But do make a point to visit Jakhoo temple and Indian Insti of Advance study for sure. Also u can take a small trek kind of a climb to Taradevi temple. Lastly nothing can beat the stroll on the Mall and the ridge.
Places around Shimla:
Try to visit these places close to shimla, they are real good: Chail (29kms), Tatapani (40-50kms), Naldera (30 kms), Kasauli (70 kms)
Eating:
The following restaurants offer good tasty food:
Devicos
Fascination Baljees
New Plaza
Goofa
Also try these too: Sitaram’s Channa bhatura in lakkar bazaar, Aunty’s noodles in middle bazaar and the chat waala above the Gandhi statue. They are lipsmacking!
Shopping:
Lakkar Bazaar (wooden items) - though I admit it is costly.
Shawls at Novelty/Kashmir Shawls on Mall.Shimla Shawls in Lower Bazaar.
Woollens at Dewanchand/Lal & sons/Snowhite on Mall.
The inherent charm of Shimla can be easily seen on any tourists face but once you stay there for long you fall in love with the quite, slow and laidback life of the place.
It is indeed the Queen of all the tourist places in India.