Offbeat Himachal: 8 quieter places beyond Shimla and Manali

Shimla and Manali carry most of Himachal's visitors. These eight places are quieter — some because they are far, some because they ask for a little effort, and some simply because they are not on the standard circuit.

1. Chitkul, Kinnaur

Chitkul is the last village on the old Indo-Tibet road, at about 3,450 m in the green Sangla valley. Wooden houses, a small temple and river meadows, with guesthouses and campsites. The drive in through Kinnaur is long but spectacular.

2. Prashar Lake, Mandi

Prashar Lake sits in a bowl of meadow at 2,730 m, with a three-storey pagoda temple on its bank. It is only about 50 km from Mandi but the last stretch of road is rough, which keeps the crowds down.

3. Khajjiar, Chamba

Khajjiar is a saucer of grassland ringed by deodar forest, with a small lake at its centre, between Dalhousie and Chamba. Go on a weekday and early — it does get busy — and stay on the paths, as the meadow is recovering from overuse.

4. Bir, Kangra

Bir Billing is India's best-known paragliding site, but Bir village itself is a laid-back place with a Tibetan colony and a growing café scene, good for a couple of slow days whether or not you fly.

5. Kasauli, Solan

Kasauli is a small colonial cantonment near Chandigarh — pine walks, old bungalows, a short Mall and two viewpoints. There is little to "do", which is the point.

6. Tabo, Spiti

Tabo Monastery, founded in 996 CE, is one of the oldest working Buddhist monasteries in the Himalaya, with fragile early murals. The village around it is tiny and the nights are very quiet.

7. Renuka Lake, Sirmaur

Renuka Lake is the largest natural lake in Himachal, in the low southern hills, with a temple, a wildlife park and an annual fair. It is an easy detour if you are travelling between Nahan and Shimla.

8. Barot valley, Mandi

Barot, reached by a narrow road off the Mandi–Jogindernagar route, is a river valley of trout farms and forest walks with almost no tourist infrastructure — bring a book.

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Most of these need a night or two rather than a day trip. Check road conditions before you set out, especially for Chitkul and Spiti, where a single landslide can close the route for a while.