Quick Guide Naldehra, Himachal Pradesh

Fast facts
State Himachal Pradesh
Distance 372 km N of Delhi
Route from Delhi NH1 to Ambala NH22 to Dhalli via Zirakpur, Panchkula and Shimla state road to Naldehra
When to go March to June (tourist season) and August to December (off season). Skip the monsoon
Tourist Office HPTDC, 36, Chandralok Building, Janpath, New Delhi
Tel 011-23325320/ 4764
STD code 0177

Getting there
Air Jubbarhatti, Shimla (53 km/2 hrs)
Rail Nearest railhead Kalka (119 km/ 4 hrs)
Road Take NH1 to Ambala via Karnal, then NH22 to Shimla. Proceed to Dhalli, then turn left for Naldehra

With your back to Shimla, and your foot on the accelerator, you could be forgiven for driving through Naldehra, except for a miniscule detail the fenced corridor that most just drive past has on the other side luscious grass and a golf net. The possibility of a golf course will make you turn your car right around and you will be duly rewarded.

Though Naldehra is seeing some amount of construction activity, its spruce pines, plum trees and berries retain their charms. But be warned if you think that you are here for a view of the snow-crowned Himalayan Ranges, you'll be disappointed they are blocked for the most part by Shaily Peak and its less impressive sisters. 

Things to see and do
The game of golf is the reason most people come to Naldehra, but fear not if handicaps and caddies aren&rsquot your cup of tea. There&rsquos much more to do here long walks through pine-lined roads, excursions to picnic spots or the discovery of old English-style cottages in the surrounding villages.

Golfing Heights
You&rsquoll never get such a high teeing-off anywhere else in the world. Up here, at 6,706 ft, is another of Lord Curzon&rsquos legacies to India an 18-hole golf course (played twice over) that&rsquos said to be the country&rsquos oldest. Members of Delhi&rsquos Golf Club clamber up here in the summer, lock, stock and golfing clubs.

Temple Town
Tucked away here is a tiny Mahunag Temple, dedicated to the snake god. That&rsquos where Naldehra gets its name from (maha) nag and dehra &ndash the Abode of the King of the Snake&rsquos. Lord Curzon appears not to have been turned off by the notion of creepy-crawlies &ndash the former Viceroy gave his daughter Alexandra the second name Naldera

Next on your tour is the charming Kogi village, 2 km down a dirt track from Naldehra. Here are traditional Himachali houses, a temple of Kogi Mata and a chowka (seat of the elders) sculpted in wood.

Fair Grounds
If you&rsquore here in June, there&rsquos the Sipi Fair, a festival of matchmaking. That&rsquos also about the only time when you can pick up local woollen handicrafts. 

Counts and Laats
Just before Naldehra falls the village of Baldian. From here, take the motorable Old Rickshaw Road (which was once used to transport the British here from Shimla) and head for the local fire station, 6 km away. For a shorter trek, take the approach from Mashobra, a 3-km walk. 

Next to Baldian sits Craignano, originally the summer resort of the Italian Countess of Craignano. In the 1890s, Craignano was turned into the United Service Club for the British laat (&lsquolord&rsquo) sahebs.

Talli, nearby, is a meadow flanked by the Mahakali Temple and the estate of the erstwhile Maharaja of Faridkot. In October, a Joton ka Mela (a bull-fight fest) is held here.

Where to stay and eat
The Chalets Naldehra (Tel 0177-2747715 Tariff INR 8,000-36,000 www.chaletsnaldehra.com) offers lovely wooden cottages, rooms and apartments with excellent amenities and activities.

HPTDC&rsquos Hotel Golf Glade (Tel 2747739 Tariff INR 1,800-8,500) enjoys a pretty location, but the place is a bit creaky and run-down.

Dine only at the hotels, unless rajma, dal, rice and roti are your staples. On the brighter side, you can hop across to Mashobra during the day for a jar of strawberry jam or mushroom pickles.