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Hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India
Photo: Sandeep Brar Jat, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Chail is a village and hill station in Southern Himachal Pradesh, India at a height of 2,250 m above sea level. It was built as a Summer Capital by Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh when he was exiled from Shimla by British Lord Kitchener. Besides being a tourist hotspot—for which reason whatsoever, Chail features one of the more important military schools in India, the Rashtriya Military School up the hill towards one of the world's highest cricket grounds.
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Chail Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the largest areas covering forest with Deodar and Oak tree. It covers around 10,854 hectares of area with grasslands with the village at its center.
Chail Palace is the Summer Capital of Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh when he was exiled from Shimla by British Lord Kitchener. It accolades the pristine culture of the royal family from Shimla. Nowadays it is open for tourists to enthusiast the culture and structure of Chail. It is also a hotel, and if you ever wanted to stay in a palace, the prices are quite affordable and not much more expensive than what else it is on offer in Chail for similar luxury.
Built in 1983, the Chail Cricket ground is one of the highest (if not "the highest") cricket grounds in the world. This cricket ground is located at a height of 2,144m, and is also used as a Polo and Baseball ground.
A Hindu temple built by Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh. A saint appeared in his dream and said that this was the place of his meditation that cannot be used for residence or personal purposes after which the construction of the Palace stopped to make the temple of Siddh Baba has its own importance in the heart of Chail’s local residents.
In case you want to avoid hiking the whole way to Kali Tibba to get a good view onto the Himalayas, this viewpoint on the way to Sidh Baba ka Mandir also offers excellent views in case the weather is clear.
A Temple in My Dream
An extraordinary temple that you must visit. It lacks all the typical features of a Hindu temple that you might have grown weary by now. Instead it is devoted to the nature of dreams, with beautiful statues, colourful interior, a secret tunnel to the nightmare cave, and lots of places to just sit and hang out. It feels more like a haunted house by positive spirits than an actual temple.
A nice Hindu temple on top of a small mountain of the same name with great views, also of the Himalayas, in case the weather is clear.
This Gurudwara isn't a proper Gurudwara with volunteers, nor food and accommodation on donation basis that you usually see. As a matter of fact there isn't much space for any volunteers here. Instead it seemed they have picked up the overly touristy vibe of Chail and charge people (tourists!) for staying here. In addition, what you get is just a dark shed with a few mattresses on the ground—not particular appealing. Also, there is no food included. Somehow this Gurudwara seems to be kept mentioned in various tourist guide books and websites as "the place" to stay ("for free" even) in a Gurudwara in India. However, you are better off going to a proper Gurudwara like in Rewalsar, Anandpur Sahib, or Amritsar, which are actually ready to cater for pilgrims and any people that come by, instead of ripping of tourists. Either way, in case you are stuck in Chail, this is the cheapest option. Watch out for the 4 dogs that belong to this place!
A nice place with two amazing rooftop rooms with decent views. Contact ahead to inquire the current price. In case you get stuck in Chail and don't want to get depressed in the Gurudwara, head to this place, run by a friendly couple, and explain your situation. They are very welcoming and will find an inexpensive solution. They also have a restaurant downstairs. Otherwise, WiFi, hot water, and kettle.
H.P. Public Works Department
Another budget option if they have place and are willing to be open for tourists.
Bar/lounge, free parking, restaurant, suites—breakfast included. If you ever wanted to stay in a palace but not pay a fortune, this is your chance. They offer 20% discount in off-season, especially July to September 14th, and sometimes even 50% in case Chail is deserted due to bad weather or so (Monsun). Call ahead directly at the Palace to inquire their current rates. Note that the Maharaja Suite, which is the most expensive one, actually has two bed- and bathrooms, i.e. if you are travelling in a group this could be an amazing deal if you get the discount ontop. The palace also includes cottages at the hills around the palace, which can also be reserved and give an interesting colonial feel—they feel quite dated though and seem to be only available for extended period rentals.
By car
Kufri is the nearest roadway connecting Chail and Shimla, which is 29 km away.
By plane
The nearest airport is Shimla Airport in Jubbarhati, which is 45 km away from Chail. The airport in Chandigarh is 120 km away via Kandaghat.
By train
Kandaghat is the nearest train station on the narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway.
By bus
Nearby villages connect with local bus services 7AM-7PM.
By taxi
Taxis are affordable like anywhere in India.
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Chandigarh · International · IXC
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