Friday, October 10, 2008

Switzerland of India - A trip to Shilon Resort

July, 2008, Shimla. Shilon Resort, perched high in the Himalayas provided a welcome break from city life. Located on the Kufri-Chail Road, it is unspoilt by tourist traffic, yet not too far from Simla.
We took the Shatabdi to Kalka and drove up to Shillon Bagh in a comfortable 3 hour ride (for those planning a trip there, remember to take meds for motion sickness as the road is a pretty winding one!). The resort, which bills itself as ‘forty acres of Switzerland’, comprises cottages set in the midst of an apple orchard. Well maintained lawns trimmed with roses, larkspurs, and calendulas stood out against the dark green of the firs and evergreens of the surrounding mountains. (My daughter Malini on the right enjoying at the Resort)
On our first morning there, some in our group decided to drive down and explore Kufri, Chail and Simla, while others decided to trek around Shillon Bagh and chill out on the lawns of the resort. At night, the resort arranged a bon fire for us. The kids ran riot, running around the garden while the grown ups huddled around the bon fire. The next day after lunch we drove down to Kalka to catch our train back to Delhi.
Thanks to PepsiCo, we had a lovely and relaxed holiday!
Contributed by Abantika Banerjee (spouse of Rajat Banerjee, GM Sales Development)