The journal
Written from the valley
Not destination marketing. The things we get asked repeatedly, answered at the length they actually need.
Getting there
How to reach Palampur, and which route is actually worth taking
There are four ways into the Kangra valley and they are not equal. One of them is a narrow-gauge railway built in 1929 that most visitors never hear about.
6 min read · Updated August 2026
When to come
The best time to visit Palampur, month by month
Everyone will tell you March to June. That is right for weather and wrong for the mountains — the Dhauladhar is at its most visible in the months most people avoid.
5 min read · Updated August 2026
Heritage
Baijnath: a temple that outlived the earthquake that flattened the valley
The Shiva temple at Baijnath was built in 1204 AD. In 1905 an earthquake destroyed most of Kangra district around it. The temple stayed standing.
5 min read · Updated August 2026
Choosing an area
Which side of Palampur should you sleep on?
Palampur is not one place. The difference between a room in Maranda and a room on the Bandla ridge is the difference between two separate holidays — and almost nobody explains it before you book.
6 min read · Updated August 2026
Practical
The heater question, and what a Kangra winter actually costs
Palampur gets close to freezing in January. A great many rooms in this valley are heated by a portable blower that is billed to you separately, and almost nobody says so at the point of booking.
5 min read · Updated August 2026
Bir & Billing
Bir before you fly: what the landing ground does not tell you
Bir is one of the most reliable paragliding sites in the world and one of the easiest places to lose three days to bad weather. Both facts are true, and only one of them is in the brochure.
6 min read · Updated August 2026