Dharamsala

Dharamsala was one of the first places that I really fell in love when I first started backpacking. It's best known for being the home of the Tibetan government in exile and the residence of the he Dalai Lama. This in itself draws thousands of pilgrims from all over the world each year to this beautiful town built on the side of the Dahuladhar mountains in the Himalayas. Each year hundreds of Tibetan refugees who have braved a dangerous journey across the Himalays from Chinese occupied Tibet make it here to safety, escaping oppression from there homeland and coming to see there spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The town is made up of ...  Read the complete review

Dharamsala, as home of one Mr Dalai Lama has probably got to be one of the must-see cities for anyone travelling round Northern India. I was based in the Dharamsala valley for the four months I spent in India, living as a local in a tiny village, and grew to love the place. Lower Dharamsala streches out over a lush valley, against a beautiful backdrop of the Himalayan foothills. The lower town is a very busy vibrant place, yet seems to lack the noise and grime of many other Indian towns I visited. This is, however, in complete contrast to the upper town, named McLeodganj, which is in fact an old British Hill Station. This area of the town has a strong Tibetan ...  Read the complete review