The news says that a red alert has been issued in Delhi this week, and honestly, I felt it in my bones. I spent enough monsoons in this city to know exactly what a red alert day looks like, and reading about it still gave me flashbacks.
I am in Bombay now, where the rain is worse by every metric that matters, but our red alert stretch has finally broken (touch wood!); the forecast has downgraded to light showers while Delhi inherits the misery. So if you are in the capital and need a break from the constant gloom in the capital, here are six hill stations worth the drive this week, along with the few caveats brochures leave out.
Roughly 250 kilometres from Delhi and a six to seven hour drive via Kotdwar, Lansdowne has spent over a century avoiding the fate of Mussoorie and Nainital. Walk the ridge to Tip-in-Top for the valley view, spend an hour at the War Memorial and Regimental Museum, and take the short trek to the Bhim Pakora balancing rocks if the trail is dry. The one stretch to plan around is the final approach from Kotdwar. Time the drive for daylight and skip it entirely after a night of continuous downpour.
Kasauli is 300 kilometres from Delhi, a six-hour run via Chandigarh. British-era cantonment rules have kept the skyline low and the architecture largely untouched, which means the town looks close to what it did eighty years ago. Walk along the Lower Mall Road, visit the Christ Church, and drive out to Gilbert Trail or Monkey Point on a clear morning for a view that stretches to the plains.
Roughly 460 kilometres and ten to eleven hours from Delhi via Rishikesh and Ukhimath, Chopta is called the "Mini Switzerland". The town looks spectacular in monsoon, when its bugyal meadows turn a saturated green rarely seen the rest of the year. The 3.5 kilometre trek to the Tungnath temple, the highest Shiva shrine in the world, cuts through a rhododendron forest with Chaukhamba and Kedarnath peaks occasionally breaking through the mist. Make the trek if conditions allow, and budget an extra day to simply sit with the view. Check road conditions past Ukhimath before committing, since this stretch carries more landslide risk than others on this list.
At around 320 kilometres and seven hours from Delhi, Chakrata rewards the traveller willing to fill out a small amount of paperwork. An Inner Line Permit, obtained easily at the checkpost, keeps the pine and deodar forests around the town largely unspoilt and off the standard tourist circuit. Tiger Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in Asia, is at its most spectacular during the monsoon. Make the short trek down to the falls and take a slow drive through the Deoban forest viewpoints for uninterrupted Himalayan sightlines on a clear stretch.
Morni Hills, HaryanaHaryana's only hill station, just 45 kilometres from Chandigarh and under 250 kilometres from Delhi, is a destination Delhi travellers often drive past without knowing. The Shivalik range setting gives it forested trails and two natural lakes that fill out beautifully once the rain sets in. The tourist infrastructure is scant, and so are the crowds. Spend an afternoon at Tikkar Taal or take the forest walk through sal trees near Panchkula. Make sure you book accommodation in advance, and do not expect much beyond basic dining options.
Dhanaulti is located close to Mussoorie in distance (about 300 kilometres, seven hours from Delhi) but is a considerable change in temperament. Where Mussoorie gets overrun the moment temperatures in Delhi climb, Dhanaulti stays comparatively unbothered, its deodar forests and orchards absorbing the July rain without the accompanying traffic jam. Walk through the Eco Park's deodar groves, visit the Surkanda Devi temple if the trek is dry, and use Dhanaulti as a base for a day trip to the less-crowded stretches around Kanatal. The temple trek gains elevation quickly and turns muddy fast after rain, so check with a local guesthouse for the conditions before setting out.