- Classification: Adventure/ camping
- Room Category: Cottage
- Month of Stay: October
To break away from the hustle-bustle of life and everyday stress, a few days in the lap of nature rejuvenates one. A place where one can be free from official emails or continuous social media updates. Telephones and mobiles only fulfill the requirement of connecting with our near and dear ones. It is said that technology and its over use disturbs our biological clock, hence it becomes imperative that we spend a few days amidst nature.
When I got a chance to realign my biological clock, I decided to go to Giri Camp. I set out in the trail of Himalayas in the steep curves of the hilly terrain. Giri camp is located in District Solan of Himachal Pradesh enroute to Shimla. Journey to Solan from Delhi-NCR is quite easy. One can go from Delhi to Chandigarh and then via the Himalayan express to reach Solan. The real adventure begins after reaching Solan. On travelling 12 kilometer on Rajgarh road from Solan, a dirt mountainous track awaited us that merged with the River Giri’s bed. We began our trek on the dirt track. After walking for 2-3 kilometers it seemed we reached a dead as what we saw was a small river.
Now what?
Tired after the treacherous trek, we look at each other. A grin on the staffer of Giri camp left us even more surprised. On the other bank of the river, we see our destination with Anurag (Camp owner) waving and welcoming us.
Puzzled I asked the staffer, “Where is the boat?”
Unbaffled he replied, “There is no boat.”
“Then, how would we cross the river?” I ask.
“By holding each other’s hand”, he replied. “Don’t worry this is a calm river and we are also there to assist you”, he added.
Fear and excitement gripped us. None of us had attempted anything like this before. We overcame our fear and decided to take the plunge. The faith of the accompanying staffers gave us the courage to cross the river with our fellow trekkers. We stepped into the river and almost froze in the cold water.
The icy cold water sent a shivering down our spine. To hide our fears, we all started laughing hysterically. The river became deeper as we slowly and carefully took each step. As we reached the middle, half of my body was immersed in water. Finally, we reached the shore. The water that made us freeze with fear now seemed no stranger anymore and we reached our destination- Giri Camp.
Giri camp had three cottages and many tents.
Paved amidst green grass, the red tents looked like colorful flowers.
Giri camp is situated in a beautiful setting on the banks of the river slightly on a height. It is surrounded by pine trees overlooked by the mighty Himalayan range and its snow covered peaks.
We spent two wonderful days in the relaxed ambiance beneath the clear blue sky and a calm river. The friendly waters invited us to play water sports. It is very easy to swim in the river as there is hardly any high current in it.
The owner of the camp is a perfect host and catered to all our needs well. Whether it was tasty food or bon fire under the full moon, everything seemed picture perfect. The guava trees in the camp entice you to taste the tree ripened fruit. One should definitely try the naturally riped guavas as this taste is hard to find anywhere else.
The place may not be too luxurious, yet it provides a very comfortable stay. The only luxury you would enjoy is the bountiful nature.
The camps have western style washrooms, but when the clear blue waters of a calm river attract you, who would like to bathe in a small enclosure. Such clean rivers with crystal clear waters have become a rarity in our country. One can spend hours gazing at the river. The flowing water leaves you mesmerized and refreshed for all activities of the day. One can even explore many waterfalls in the forest trail.
I am sure, the two days spent in the lap of nature would never fade in our memories.
Till we meet next, in a new destination of the Himalayas.
Exploring the unseen.
Be happy and keep travelling.
Your friend and companion.
Dr. Kaynat Kazi
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