Welcome to my India Travel Diaries, a series of personal posts about my travels through India. Everything written here, including recommendations, are based on my experiences and are by no means meant to be a comprehensive city guide. 

Arriving in Dharamshala felt like a deep exhale. After spending some time with family in New Delhi, where I couldn’t even turn my head for a second without seeing another person or have a moment of reprieve from the incessant blaring of car horns, I felt my body relax. Silence! Fresh air! The beauty of the vast Dhauladhar Ranges in front of me. Ease, finally, and this was just at the airport. 

Dharamshala is a city located in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley, surrounded by Deodar cedar trees, in the western region of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It’s a popular tourist destination not only for Indians, but for visitors to India looking to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Himalayan foothills. Whether you’re a novice or avid trekker, someone who loves cozy cafe culture, or interested in learning more about Buddhism, Dharamshala is the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

I was arriving here as a solo female traveller and I’m glad that it was my first introduction to solo travel in India!  It was something I was nervous about, but it ended up being a chill, fairly easy place to navigate.

Sidhpur Village

I arrived at Kangra Airport and took a taxi (700 Indian Rupees or about $11 Canadian) to my AirBnB which was about 25 minutes away. Although many people I know recommended that I stay in Macleod Ganj or Dharamkot, I opted to stay in Sidhpur, a village about 15 km from Dharamshala. Why? This view. As soon as I saw what my view would be like at Sakura Guest House, I knew this is where I wanted to stay. 

Sakura Guest House is run by a lovely Japanese-Tibetan family, who along with running the hotel, also have a cafe. The cafe has a lot of earthy elements in its design, like using repurposed wood for the tables and chairs! It also serves delicious, home-cooked Japanese and Tibetan food. I’d never had Tibetan food prior to this, so I was spoiled by the different vegetarian options! This included steamed vegetarian Momos and Thenthuk, a hearty, Tibetan soup made of flat wheat noodles and vegetables, which ended up being one of my favorite dishes.  If you’re looking for a home away from home, then this is the place to stay!

I would recommend staying in Sidhpur, if you’re not too fussed about being away from the city centre or if you’re looking for someplace quiet to get some work done or laze around. It’s quaint, has a lot of small shops and restaurants within walking distance and you can easily grab a taxi to Dharamshala or Mcleod Ganj if you need it.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Dharamshala was because I was keen to learn more about Buddhism. It’s where His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been living in exile since 1959 and many of his followers come here for the chance to see him at the Main Tibetan Temple in Mcleod Ganj. With the large Tibetan population, seeing monks and visiting monasteries is part of the norm. I was lucky to have many monasteries and nunneries within walking distance from me and it was a treat to be able to visit them. Some of them included: 

Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture: There’s something special about seeing rows and rows of Tibetan prayer flags fluttering in the distance that brings a sense of calm to your spirit. You’ll see them around everywhere, including here at the Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture. The Institute, which was officially inaugurated in 1995 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was created to help preserve Tibetan art and give artists the space to practice their traditional craft. 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know there was such a thing as Tibetan nuns before this trip. So, when I found out that there were two nunneries close to where I was staying, I had to go check them out. The Thomsaling Nunnery, Institute and Retreat Center is an international community for Buddhist nuns and lay women, who are living and studying within the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. It’s open for programs and retreats and worth checking out if you’re in the area.

There’s also the Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute. It’s supported by the Tibetan Nuns Project. Many Tibetan Buddhist nuns left Tibet in the 1980’s and 1990’s due to the political situation in their country and found refuge in India. The Tibetan Nuns Project helps over seven nunneries and 800 nuns around India with education, housing, food and opportunities to study, practice and preserve their cultural and spiritual traditions. If you’re lucky, you can watch the nuns engage in Tibetan Buddhist debate in the evenings, which is an integral part of monastic education in the Tibetan tradition. I didn’t get a chance to, but I heard that’s it’s a fun and interesting thing to watch!

Lhundrub Chime Gatsel Ling Monastery: This was a beautiful monastery just up the road from where I was staying. The coolest thing that I was surprised to see here? The basketball court! 

I barely scratched the surface of seeing proper Dharamshala, because as you can see I spent a lot of time in Sidhpur. Make sure to check it out on your visit to the Himalayas!

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