Delhi-NCR has a whole lot of options for extended weekend getaways. With two days and a weekend in hand, you can choose from the hills of Himachal and Uttarakhand to the religious towns of Uttar Pradesh, to the forts and royalty of Rajasthan. A little more adventurous, and you can hit Madhya Pradesh too. While living in Mumbai, we had loved the opportunity to drive down to the seaside (Kashid, Murud-Janjira, Ganapatiphule). And now, here in Gurgaon, we try hitting the hills at every opportunity.
But with just four days in hand, and the collective diktat to not venture out too far, we scouted the nearby hills of Shimla for a quiet, nondescript stay. Going to Shimla was out of question – we wanted to be far far away from the wild and loud Christmas-New Year tourists flocking this poor hill and making it so crowded, noisy and polluted.
Scouting for one such hill, we chanced upon the Sura Treehouse Resort in Shoghi. Located about 22 kms downhill of Shimla, Sura is a nondescript, quiet little place right in the middle of woods, overlooking a valley. Surrounded by trees, and filled with a variety of bird calls, they have charming treehouses facing the east hill. Now, nothing like waking up to the chirping of birds and watching tree- silhouetted eastern horizon flare up with the rising of the sun. And then, being bathed in sunshine while having breakfast in their open terrace. And see the march of the sun through the day from the many kaccha-pucca paths in the property, until it finally drops in the western hills, while you sit in the grass musing at the world’s ways…..
If you happen to be the type of traveler who seeks to get away from the din of usual tourists, Sura helps you cut off. The place if self-sufficient, you don’t really need to step out — all their meals have a good spread and are very well made. Heck, you don’t even need a pizza-pasta up there in the wild. They make them though…although we were very happy with their regular rotis-meats-dal-veggies-rice spread. Children have a whole lot of options from badminton to table-tennis to carrom or ludo or chess. Or even climb the hillocks, and try climbing the trees. Then of course are the little walks and treks that take you through the wilderness, showcasing the hills’ wild flowers, rocks, streams, little huts and grazing cattle. I loved those treks…but mostly, I snatched away myself to be alone with the hills, trees, geraniums, and sunshine…..
Information that can help:
- Delhi to Shoghi is about 400kms, taking about 8 hours of drive. Go via Chandigarh, taking National Highway 44
- Shimla is just about 22 kms away, in case you suddenly start missing the crowd and noise 😀
- There are enough dhabas along the way for lunch or breakfast
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Want to go somewhere closer to Delhi-NCR? Neemrana Fort Palace is an option. Here’s help with planning the drive and your stay there — Weekend Getaways From Delhi/NCR: A Weekend At The Neemrana Fort Palace