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Untitled Document
USEFUL FACTS
Retreat for the
non-tourist
Getting there
• By
rail The 7.40 a.m. Shatabdi from New Delhi to Chandigarh takes three
hours (Rs 435 on CC). From there it is a four-hour taxi ride (approx. Rs 1,400).
Or take the 6 a.m. Himalayan Queen (4095) from New Delhi to Kalka (Rs
261 on CC), and the toy train from there to Shimla (Rs 114). From Shimla, Mashobra
is a 12 km bus or taxi ride away.
• By
air Indian Airlines runs a New Delhi-Shimla service (Mondays/ Wednesdays/Fridays;
6.40 a.m./Rs 3,075).
• By
bus Himachal Tourism runs frequent buses from Chandigarh, Shimla and Kalka.
Where to stay
• Oberoi’s
brand new Wildflower Hall is 15 minutes from Mashobra. Perched 2,600
m up in the air, surrounded by cedar forests, it is the five-star alternative
to the delights of Mr Sharma’s cottages. Rooms start at Rs 7,500 (single) and
soar to Rs 30,000 for the Lord Kitchener Suite (Tel: 011-3890505; www.oberoihotels.com).
• A mid-range
option is The Gables, now under contract with Club Mahindra. Though built
a few years ago it takes its name from a colonial resort, the remains of which
stand nearby. It is gloominess par excellence, though the views are beautiful
(Rs 2,200-3,200. Tel: 0177-480169/71/73; e-mail: resv. mashobra@clubmahindra.com).
• Mrs Jain,
Mashobra’s most enterprising pickle-maker, has gone into real estate. She now
lets a couple of furnished two-roomed apartments at her Garden Resort. (Rs 1,000
up; Tel: 0177-480228/011-4313222).
• For the
finest vista of the Himalayas, entrust your holidaying to Mr Sharma, whose latest
property— a furnished two-bedroomed apartment—is available for Rs 5,000 per
month.
What to eat
Wildflower Hall offers an unsophisticated
range of Indian, Continental and Thai food. The set menu costs Rs 850, inclusive
of all taxes. The snacks are best (try the chicken kebab rolls). The Gables
does standard Indian fare. Montu’s dhaba now has a fridge and serves cold drinks
and homemade kulfi as well as dal, subzi, rice and chapati.
Mashobra is a pickle paradise. Mrs Jain sells Himachal
garlic pickle (Rs 60), mango pickle (Rs 45), ginger tonic and whole fruit strawberry,
apricot and plum jam. Colonel Grover’s wife does a smart trade in mushroom (buy
it from Weekend Cottage, opposite Mashobra’s infant school).
What to do
Despite its reputation as an elite resort
of Britishers and haven to writers and actors , Mashobra does not cater for
the needy tourist. It is best treated as a retreat for the city-jaded or as
a base for the self-motivated. Take yourself on an improvised trek, or sit back
and admire the snow-capped peaks.
The scientifically minded should walk to Craignano,
three km away, which has been converted into an Apple Research Centre (possibly
because the Stokes family, whose 19th ancestor first brought apples to India
from England, are based here).
If you stay at Wildflower Hall, however, they do
it all for you: arranging treks, whitewater rafting on the Sutlej, horse-riding,
and helicopter tours. There is also a golf course nearby. The hotel’s tennis
courts, swimming pool and Ayurvedic spa should be functional now.
Alice Albinia
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