Queen of Hills Shimla Here We come

When your city swelters in the mid summer heat you start dreaming of taking a break to a beautiful and serene hill station. With such thoughts we have started making preparations to take a break from the grueling heat and escape to the pristine and green covered hill tops of Shimla. A hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh. For long a visit to Shimla has been on our list of places to visit and now it seems that this dream would see the light of the day.

Since we are starting our journey from Mumbai we decided to fly down to Chandigarh so we searched the various Flight Schedules .

The other option was to book train tickets. Since the flight time is much less we searched and booked the early morning Domestic Airlines tickets as there were quite a few good deals going on. So we booked our return flight on the Mumbai Chandigarh Sector.

Now the question was how would we travel from Chandigarh to Shimla. We could go by road or take a train. We decided to travel from Chandigarh to Kalka by road and from there travel by the Small train to Shimla. This seemed to be the most interesting part of the journey. The distance between Kalka to Shimla is about 96 Kilometers. The hill train or the toy train as people call it covers this distance in 5-6 hours. The beauty of this part of the journey is that the train meanders through the hilly terrain as it climbs up and down the mountains passing through 103 tunnels. The toy train finds a place in the world heritage list of UNESCO. En route to Shimla this toy train passes through the stations of Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Barog, Taradevi and Summer hill . At Barog it passes through the longest tunnel.

This would mean that by the time we reach Shimla it would be already evening so we would go straight to the hotel. Freshen up and go straight to the Mall road. The Mall road is the most happening place of Shimla and is always bustling with people both locals as well as the tourists. After dinner at one of the numerous restaurants at the Mall road we would enjoy the cool weather of Shimla strolling till late evening and then retire for the day. This would complete the itinerary for day 1

Day 2

We would start early and visit the famous Jakhoo hill. This is at a height of 8000 ft and is believed to be the highest peak of Shimla. It is a long trek enjoyed by nature lovers for its natural beauty. For the religiously inclined the steep climb is rewarded by the opportunity to visit the Jhakoo temple which has the 108 ft tall Hanuman idol. By the time we come back it would be mid day and we would have our lunch. Post lunch we would go to the Himalayan Nature Park .

In the evening we plan to visit The Scandal Point and the Ridge. This is a good place to take pictures and enjoy the sunrise and sunset.

Day 3

We would go Naldehra and Shaily Peak and enjoy the natural beauty.

This is a beautiful place to enjoy sunrise and sunset. One can also enjoy horse back rides through the rich and dense deodar trees. After a days picnic we would come back and head towards Chadwick falls and enjoy the waterfall.

Day 4

No visit to Shimla is complete without going to Kufri. The entire day would be spent here enjoying the nature and perhaps taking a horse ride.

Day 5 We would go to Chail and as my family has a number of cricket lovers we are bound to go and see the highest cricket pitch in the world.

Before we head back a visit to the lakkar bazar shimla is a must to buy souvenirs and other wooden handicrafts.

With so much fun in the lap of nature and bag full of gifts to be taken back home we would start our journey back home.

The all new Datsun redi-GO the car with a view

The all new Datsun redi-GO is here and I am so keen to take it for a test drive. Read on to find. 

What do I look for in a new car? The first thing that I look for is the view of the road and the surroundings while sitting in the driver seat. I hate cars where the driver has to crouch in his seat and use guesswork to estimate the road and distance from other traffic. A person driving a car is entitled to a good view of the road and the Datsun redi-GO does just that by providing the best in class view of the road. Thus making driving that much more pleasurable and with enhanced visibility of the road also increases security.

In addition the “Adaptive Electric Power Steering” is an added plus as it helps the driver  achieve High maneuverability at low speeds and stability at high speeds. This gives the person driving the car more control over the car and enhances the overall driving experience. 

The seats are so designed that they provide higher degree of bolstering support while cornering.

The occupants are safe as the steering wheel absorbs the impact force and protects the occupants due to the presence of Energy Absorbing Steering and Airbag.

The second thing I look for is the ease of driving and control. So I am attracted by the fact that the new Datsun redi-GO lets the driver turn the car in a 4.7m radius. Now for a person like me and many others who have little and small parking space this comes as great news.

This better feature gives me better car control and better utilization of spaces. The fact that the designers who have designed its air conditioning have taken extra care to ensure that 50 percent of the air gets to those sitting in the rear seats so it does not matter if you are sitting in the front or rear seats the air conditioning would work for you equally well. Datsun redi-GO comes fitted with a large 89 CC compressor and offers  a high cooling capacity,this keeps the car cool and comfortable in every weather. The design incorporates an aluminum assembly which enhances the efficiency of the air conditioning. 

Thirdly the looks and the styling of the new Datsun redi-GO makes it Chic, uber  and trendy drive of choice of the hip and the happening.

Its YUKAN DESIGN makes use of forward styling that one gets in crossover vehicles, this makes the Datsun redi-GO get extra brownie points with its wide robust stance and design that give plenty of roominess and a sporty look. Its sleek smooth silhouette and Lean & dynamic side character lines enhance its beauty and makes it a compelling reason to own this beauty.

D-CUT GRILLE that is a mark of high quality assurance associated with the brand Datsun, the gem-inspired chrome bezel and the subtle honeycomb pattern enhances its beauty as it elegantly holds and displays the Datsun badge.

Its elegant High Stance not only gives you a very good view from the inside of the car but it also makes it stand out in terms of design and looks.

Its daytime running lamps puts it in the class of those elegant and elite super luxury cars that flaunt these daytime running lamps. However these daytime running lamps makes the Datsun redi-GO a heart stealer.A car that I would like to take to parties, long drives and to office every day.

That is not all with the i-SAT ENGINE and a fuel efficiency of 25.17 kmpl the Datsun redi-GO is here to win hearts and rule the roads.

Want to test drive this beauty ? then download the Datsun India app to book your own Datsun redi-GO, today.You can also book India's first urban cross online, through Snapdeal - India’s leading e-commerce website, or by visiting your nearest Datsun dealership.

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.