iXiGOers next stop (hopefully): Shimla.

The iXiGems have been planning an outing for a while now and we have always had 2 lines of thought with ardent supporters behind each. One group insists on an amusement park they are the chirpy types, the daredevils and want to take the high rides (no pun intended). The others are the more relaxed and wiser (older?) ones that suggest a hill station to sit and enjoy nature in.

So that got me thinking? What is a hill station I would like to see or spend time in? While the hill stations of Ooty and Kodai are famous tourist spots, they are too far for us. What's a good stop? Shimla! And obviously I had to share everything I found about the place for other interested iXiGOers as well.

Sunrise in Shimla Picture - Bill Cunningham

Shimla, has often been called the Queen of the Hill Stations and there's no reason to doubt it. Did you know they get the name from Shymala, the Goddess Kali? There is a temple of her there and thus gave birth to the name. Shimla is snugly located in the hills of Himachel Pradesh.

What are Bharara, Sipi, Lavi and Rohrur??
Names of festivals you can enjoy in Shimla. With names such as these, my interest is already piqued on what they can offer as well. Besides that there are 2 other things that are famous to Shimla. It has the oldest church in Northern India and is a very popular tourist spot as well (note that as must visit!). Shimla also has the ONLY natural Ice skating rink in India. Every year there's an annual festival held where people display their skill and have a fancy dress competition as well! The pic on the right is a night shot of the church, courtesy Eye-for-it from Flickr.

What can you buy in Shimla? Besides obviously dwelling in the scenic beauty of Shimla, there are loads of things you can buy from this place to take back home. From what my friends have informed me about the place, it's famous for it's wollen and pashmina shawls, handmade shoes, dolls and carved handicrafts from the Lakkar Bazzar. Tibetian shops selling trinkets are also quite famous there apparently. If you visit that place do let us know.

How do you get to Shimla?
I knew you were dying to get there as well. So I made that job easier for you. Shimla is very well connected by road, train and of course by Air.

By Road - Delhi seems to be the nearest stop being 375 kms away.

By Train - There is a toy train connecting Shimla from Kalka, which is about a 6 hour ride and from what I hear, is a must for anyone to get there to rake in the scenery. There is a direct train you can take from Delhi to Kalka as well. So I leave you no option but to ride that!

By Air - There is an airport at Shimla, which is not operated by all airlines unfortunately, but there are Indian Airways flights to this place and it's located about 23 kms from Jubberhatti. You can search flights from 3 most popular destinations to Shimla namely Delhi, Kullu and Chandigarh. They can be searched on iXiGO as well.

• Delhi to Shimla flights
• Kullu to Shimla Flights and
• Chandigarh to Shimla Flights.

Where can you stay?
There are of course loads of places to stay. If you are adventurous you can stay with the locals there for a small fee, though I am not sure if this service is still offered. Alternatively a link you can try out are Hotels to stay in Shimla. Prices range from as low as Rs 400 to Rs 12000.

I hope the management gets note of this and I find myself in the steep slopes of Shimla. You can join me for company! If you want more information about the places to see and the festivals there, give the Himachal Tourism page a look.