In the beginning of 2021, when the covid cases were coming down consistently, we decided to initiate our travel plans again after a year long hiatus. We also wanted to experience the Work from Mountain concept which some of our friends had already undertaken. Hence, we started looking for places in the vicinity of Delhi, which weren't over-crowded and offered good internet connectivity. We found several homestays in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and shortlisted Tirthan Valley in the Kullu district for our workation. People usually throng to Manali, Kasol, etc and thats why Tirthan Valley is considered an offbeat destination for many travelers.
Gushaini, Banjar and Jibhi are the 3 most popular towns of this valley and our homestay- Majestic Homestays (www.majesticviews.in) - was based in Jibhi. The distance from our house in Delhi to this place as per Google Maps was 500km, so we adopted a 1 stop strategy ie.. we took an overnight halt at Bilaspur (375km from Delhi) and the following day reached Jibhi. The lanes in Tirthan Valley are quite narrow, so we were extra cautious as we were self-driving. Overall it took us 13 hours to reach our homestay. Pritam Dev Ji and Naina Ji were wonderful hosts who ensured we felt at our home only. They even upgraded us to a big family room at no additional cost. Home cooked food was provided all the time and on some days they even prepared delicacies on our wishes. A tip of advise is to try local Himachali food Siddu and thanks to Naina Ji for going the extra mile to prepare it for us.
Life moves at its own pace in Jibhi, there is no rush in people living there. Jibhi waterfalls was a 5 minute walk from our homestay and one can spend hours gazing at the waterfalls. You wont find many shops, cafes or markets which are closely associated with popular hill stations and this place is ideal for nature lovers. Infact bird watchers and star gazers will love this place. I got to know several bird species such as Blue Jay Magpie and Tree Pie here.
Popular Places Nearby
Jalori Pass
It is a high mountain pass located at a height of 3,120 meters and acts as a connectivity between Tirthan and Shimla. It is around 10km from Jibhi but usually takes an hour or so to reach there. The roads are very steep at some spots and its preferred to drive your car in first gear only. Driving in neutral may lock your brakes and can lead to an accident. It was a first time for us to self-drive in these steep roads which in itself was a small adventure for us. You will cross Shoja at halfway which was a small picturesque town usually flocked by backpackers. The pass is very scenic from where you can get a glimpse of high mountain ranges. For more adventure, you can opt for a 1.5 hour trek to Serloskar Lake. However, since we were traveling with a toddler, we decided to skip going there.
Bahu and Balo Nag
Our hosts suggested us to visit this place for a day trip and we did not regret going there. The homestay caretaker Khaimchand acted as our guide in this excursion and helped us in getting to this unexplored area. After driving for 45 minutes, we reached on the outskirts of Bahu from where we had to do a short trek for 30 minutes. There were hardly any tourists and all you can hear is the sound of the strong winds passing through your ears. There were a number of temples including the famous Balo Temple in the middle of the forest where one should definitely spend some time. The locals were very friendly and one should respect their traditions when you visit the temple. We stayed here for an hour, immersing ourselves in this peaceful environment away from the noise and pollution of a crowded city.
Shangarh Meadows
Sainj and Parvati Valleys are neighbours to Tirthan Valley and one can go on day trips to these places. One such place we visited this time was Shangarh, a paradise village in Sainj Valley. Shangarh is primarily known for its hugh lush green meadows and a Mahadev Temple situated right in the middle of the meadows. Around 60km from Jibhi, it took us 3 hours to reach there. Our hosts from Jibhi also accompanied us on this trip as they had not visited this place earlier. For the first 2 hours the roads were in a good condition, however, the condition quickly deteriorated as the roads are being constructed there so one has to be careful while driving on this road.
Once you reach the meadows, the views are breathtaking. The meadows are large and wide (I have not been to Khajjiar but people said Shangarh meadows are more vast and illustrious) with snowy mountains on the backdrop. We walked the meadows and descended towards the Mahadev temple (which was closed) and sat around the place just gazing at the mountain peaks. There isn't much else to do in Shangarh, just sit back, enjoy the calmness and stare at the spectacular beauty in front of you.
Gushaini and Banjar
The other 2 popular towns in Tirthan Valley are Gushaini and Banjar. Gushaini is right adjacent to Tirthan river and is a popular area for homestays. Raju Bharti Homestay here is the most popular homestay in the entire valley. Even we tried to get accommodation there, but the place is usually booked well in advance. We went to Gushaini, found a good spot near the Tirthan river and sat there for a while looking at the crystal clear water and soaking in the atmosphere.
Banjar is more associated with commercial activities, where you can see markets, eating points and once can check the local products here. Usually homestay owners get their supplies of essential commodities from Banjar.
We stayed for 5 days in Tirthan Valley and had a fulfilling workation, where we worked, relaxed, strolled, and mesmerized in the beauty of this valley. Even the touristy places don't have much to do so its purely a relaxing place. We would definitely like to come here again and explore the less prominent and known areas of this valley.
