[v&v]

Resort : Grand view resort

About Resort : Good location. Enough safe parking. Food quality average. Staff very hospitable. Recommended.

Duration : 4 days n 3 nights.

Climate : Day were hot and Night was very pleasant , in fact there was a little wind chill.

Opinion : Better than Shimla. Less crowded and neat.

Drive time : 6 hrs

Route : Delhi - Karnal - Ambala (NH-1) - Shahzadpur (Nh72) - Kala Amb - Nahan - Jamta - Distance - 310 kms

Return Route : Jamta - Nahan - Kala Amb - Shahzadpur - Saha - Shahbad (Nh1) - Panipat - Delih - 285 kms

Both routes are excellent. Nh72 initial 5 kms is under repair. In bad shape.
Nahan to Jamta - 14kms in under repair and road widening is in progress. Very dusty.

Plan
Day - 1 - Drove to Jamta. Visit Fossil Park, Paudiwala Shiv temple
Day - 2 - Renukaji
Day - 3 - Ponta Sahib, Asan Barrage, Simbalbara Sanctuary,
Day - 4 - Return Drive to Delhi.


Breakfast stop at Haveli, Karnal


Road under construction between Nahan - Jamta








Nahan view from Jamta






Grand View Resort




Night View of Nahan from resort

[v&v]

Siwalik Fossil Park - Saketi : Its around 5 kms from Kala Amb on Saketi Road.
Roads are in very bad shape. No signage. The condition of fossil park too is bad. Life size model are damaged. Only 4 horned Giraffe is intact. Big area to roam around. We explored the area. Was a good experience.

Timing - 9 to 5.

Small museum - Which has actual fossils of Turtle, Crocodiles, elephants and more which are as old as 2 crore years.
We also saw plant fossil which is as old as 15 crores years old. Worth a visit.






Museum
















Trekking around


Road to Saketi

[v&v]

Paudiwala Shiv temple

Temple is about 15 kms from resort. One has to drive another 2 kms through narrow track to reach the temple. More suitable for small hatches.
The drive to Shiv temple was awesome. Last 500 meters will requires 4x4 due steep incline and tight turn. Might struggle for traction.
We didnt take chance to take our beast all the way till the temple site.
Parked it about 300 mtr before. It was a real challenge to turn-back due to narrow road. Needed quite an effort.







Width of track for last 800 mtrs

[v&v]

Day-2 - Renukaji ( Lake & Temples) - 45 kms from Jamta and 60 from Nahan - 1 hr drive.

Road condition is average and winding. Very beautiful , calm n quit place.
Big lake with lots of greenery. The lake is full of big fishes and turtles (big ones).
These is a small zoo also. One can drive around lake by paying Rs 50/-. Last entry time is 1645 hrs. Lion safari is closed now. Only 2 lions (Mamta and Nishu) and 1 leopard.
There is a HPTDC hotel. We had our lunch there.
Being week day, it was relatively empty. Kids were full time busy feeding fish.

Lake view from enterance


From the other end of the lake














Entry to Mini Zoo and Drive around the lake

[v&v]

Day-3 Ponta Sahib - Distance around 55 kms, beautiful road after Nahan.

1 hr drive on Ambala - Dehradoon highway. Loved the drive with marginal traffic. Dhaula kuan is the town midway which is famous for kinnow.

First visited Gurudwara. Spent aound 2 hrs. It was very humid and hot on that day as we reached by 11.30.
Next destination was Asan barrage which is around 10kms from Ponta. Again a beautiful drive along the canal. Photography is prohibited here, didn't take photos of landscape. IMO best time to visit will be Oct - Jan with lots of migratory birds around.

Fresh Strawberries were on sale. So we had these plus buttas as our lunch. After spending around hour and half , we moved on our third destination Simbalwara Sanctuary.

There is also Kalesar Sanctuary on NH 73 (going to Jagadhri). Since Simbalwara was on our return route itself , hence decided to explore it.

Simbalwara Sanctuary is a sleepy place with no visitors. Didnt even find any birds too.
Drove around 7 - 8 kms and finally decided to return back.

Must say i enjoyed the drive inside the Sanctuary. Dense forest. You can drive in around 11 - 12 kms till the other end. Reached our resort by 5. Evening went for a small trekking trip to nearby village.

Day - 4 - Checked out by 11 and reached Delhi by 5. Had lunch at Sukhdev Dhaba, Murthal.

Ambala - D.doon highway
















Asan barrage

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing!

[akshay4587]

Nice Log;Have explored all these places quite a few times,being quite close to where i used to study and where i live now,i never fancied these places,Jamta as a place has hardly anything to offer apart from Grand View Resort.

Sad to know that there is only a couple of Lions left now in the Zoo,they were quite a few in number till a few years ago.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Nice Log;Have explored all these places quite a few times,being quite close to where i used to study and where i live now,i never fancied these places,Jamta as a place has hardly anything to offer apart from Grand View Resort.

Sad to know that there is only a couple of Lions left now in the Zoo,they were quite a few in number till a few years ago.

Akshay,
If anyone is looking for a less crowded hill station, then i would suggest Jamta over Kasauni,Chail or Shimla.

As for the zoo, now its just name sake. IMO the existing Lions too will be shifted out soon.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by v&v

Akshay,
If anyone is looking for a less crowded hill station, then i would suggest Jamta over Kasauni,Chail or Shimla.

As for the zoo, now its just name sake. IMO the existing Lions too will be shifted out soon.

Kasauli And Shimla are crowded for sure,but they boast of Better Altitude as well.Jamta and Renuka are almost plains to me
Yeah,They should shut down the Zoo,and concentrate on the up keep of the lake,as it is in a deplorable state towards outer side.

[gd1418]

A very nice log & enchanting pictures I must say. The places look wonderful and the strawberries almost had me drooling. A bit saddened by the scraggy and ill-kempt look of the Lion. He is quite old too. Needs better care. The Sloth, though, looks quite healthy & agile.

I was hoping to see the pictures of the 2 crore year old turtles, crocs & elephants and that of the plant fossil. Is it that photography isn't allowed inside the museum?

The Safari standing at the edge of the small drying-up water-hole with your daughter standing on one side makes an awesome picture. The only missing link was a Tiger drinking water.. I wish you had tried to compose without those electric wires & pole in the picture.

The polka-dotted black dragon-fly on a dried up lotus pod looks awesome.

Overall I enjoyed this travelogue. Have added this sector in my "sometime-to-be-done" list.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by gd1418

A very nice log & enchanting pictures I must say. The places look wonderful and the strawberries almost had me drooling. A bit saddened by the scraggy and ill-kempt look of the Lion. He is quite old too. Needs better care. The Sloth, though, looks quite healthy & agile.

Thanks GD.
As for strawberries , they were fresh and yummy. IMO from near by farm. Also as per them the Lions might get transferred to Chattbir Zoo soon.

Originally Posted by gd1418

I was hoping to see the pictures of the 2 crore year old turtles, crocs & elephants and that of the plant fossil. Is it that photography isn't allowed inside the museum?

Overall I enjoyed this travelogue. Have added this sector in my "sometime-to-be-done" list.

Photography was not allowed. I was also arguing the same, until the people gets to see the fossil , how will tourist come to this place. But must say its worth visiting there.

[mobius 1]

Hi v&v,

I hope you visited Nahan town as well.
Its a very old town with old palaces, bazars and a fort, which reminds me of Jaitak fort at Jamta as well.
Hope you got to see them.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by mobius 1

Hi v&v,

I hope you visited Nahan town as well.
Its a very old town with old palaces, bazars and a fort, which reminds me of Jaitak fort at Jamta as well.
Hope you got to see them.

Thanks Mobius noted.
We didnt get time to visit Nahan town as well as Jaitak fort. I liked Nahan very much and intend to visit more than once.

cheers