Himalayan North Travel Guide

heaven on earth...!!naini lake surrounded by mountains on all sides..its ZE BESHT place dat i've bin to..!!just a piece of advice..be well geared with ur winter clothes wen u go there..no matter wut time of d yr is it

if you want to save water and plastic waste just go and refill empty bottle in Dzomsa shop near Zangsti Complex

The other travel tip is severely lacking.

For one, I have never experienced hatred between the local Gaddi people and the Tibetans. If anything, everyone seems to live rather harmoniously with each other. The Tibetans are often a bit annoyed with the Israeli backpackers that often find their way to this mountain town, but won't easily let onto their distaste unless you ask them.

There are many beggars in town, many of them afflicted with leprosy, and it can be quite shocking for someone not used to this. Many of them will position themselves along the kora, the circumambulation around His Holiness the Dalai Lama's temple, and the Tibetans will give money to the beggars, believing it to grant them merit.

It is well worth getting into McLeod around 6 am in order to perform kora with the many Tibetans of all ages. There are many beautiful prayer wheels, stupas with burning juniper, and prayers being held by monks.

There is a movie theatre in town, but it is small and only foreigners seem to visit it.

The Kashmiri shop keepers are usually the most pesky out of all the shopkeepers, but they are the ones that you should really bargain with. Tibetans usually have already good prices on their items, and many of the shops give their profits directly to groups like the Tibetan Children's Village.

There is more to see than just the temple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Right now there are many posters regarding the situation in Tibet, and a 24-hour chain hunger strike going on across from the temple.

A one kilometer walk down from McLeod, in between McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj, is a beautiful Catholic Church called Church of Saint John in the Wilderness. Many Indian tourists stop here, and it is worth the walk (or the rickshaw ride; I prefer walking). Be careful though; it's often misty and slippery.

A short distance away you can find the Norbulingka Institute, an art institute modeled after His Holiness's summer palace, which trains Tibetans in the art of making thangka paintings, wood carvings, etc. It's worth a visit, and the cafe at the institute is very good.

Food places in McLeod are fairly plentiful but be careful-- you are very likely to get sick, especially if you are staying for a long time. There are many snack shops as well.

There is also the city of Kangra, unused to Westerners but still very pleasant, where the Kangra Fort is, a ruined fort that is still impressive in its ruins. It costs 50 rupees for foreigners to gain access.