From Kufri to Chail

Continuing from my last post about Kufri, I will now take you to Chail which happened to be quite an interesting place. Full of tall Deodar trees & monkeys ;-)

What is Chail?

Chail is a hill-station situated around 44 KMs from Shimla.

Places of interest?

Chail Palace : - It used to be the summer residence of Maharaja of Patiala but has now been turned into a hotel. Having seen the Royal Palace of Amsterdam (which has been termed eighth wonder of the world), I found the palace a bit dull. Its not that grand & massive if I compare it with the one in Amsterdam. But if I overlook that, Chail Palace indeed looks beautiful from inside. There is an entrance ticket of 100 Rupees per adult, which I found odd. The palace is already running a business in form of a hotel & people already pay various taxes directly or indirectly whenever they come to Shimla.

Fun fact - A particular scene of the movie 3 Idiots was shot here.

There are some beautiful chandeliers inside. There is a place to sit & you can also grab a bite in the hotel. There is a very well maintained washroom.

Also, there is a big lawn where you can sit and admire the scenic beauty of Chail. If you have kids with you, there is a toy-train for them which they can hop on for 50 Rupees per trip :-) This lawn also has some beautiful flowers, which of-course blossom during their season.

Below are some of the photos that I captured.

Back side of Palace.

Entrance.

Close up view of mountains taken from Chail Palace's lawn.

Apple tree in the middle.

There is also a Cricket Ground here in Chail which is the highest cricket ground in the world. We couldn't go there because our driver told us that this ground is now under the control of Indian Army & the entry is restricted.

There was a massive traffic jam when we were returning to our hotel. We were stuck in that jam for about 2 hours & had to skip our lunch. So, we decided to grab a quick bite at a confectionary shop. Lord, what an amazing tea they served!! Probably the best tea I have ever had in my entire life (outside my home)! That too at just 10 Rupees a cup! The shop was neat & clean & it really felt hygienic.

And the best part?? This...

Beautiful view of sunset & one of my most favorite photos there!

What To Expect

As I mentioned earlier, if if you have seen one of the grandest palaces in the world, you shouldn't expect to feel overwhelmed. Chail Palace is beautiful & well-maintained. Added bonus is that this palace has been shown in one of the most successful Bollywood movies ;-) I was expecting more grand things, which Indian Maharajas have been known for. The lawn which is outside provides with enough scenic beauty. Beware of the monkeys, though ;-)
There are steep valleys on the route but we didn't feel scared. In case of snow, I would suggest not to take the risk.

How To Go

You can take a bus from Shimla which directly goes to Chail. You can also book a local cab.
However, if you have booked a package, you don't have to worry about anything.
That's all for Chail :-) In my next post, I will share my experience in another hill-station called Mashobra.