On a joyride to Solan

As I hail from Himachal Pradesh, a trip to Solan, 60 km away from Shimla, didn’t excite me much at first. Plus, waking up at 6 am to make sure I reach the destination on time added to the initial exasperation. But the drive through scenic tree-lined roads was enough to pacify any complaints I may have had.

Here we come
I was headed for an invited stay at the newly opened Suryavilas Spa resort located 360 km from Delhi and although the road journey is supposed to take around six hours, it stretched in our case as we decided to stop-over for the famous ‘aloo parantha breakfast’ at Murthal.

With our driver playing Himesh Reshammiya songs in the car, we had no option but to get down every now and then for respite. The resort is located 28 km from the pictureseque town of Solan, known as the mushroom city of India. You could also opt for a train journey as it is said to treat you with breathtakingly beautiful natural scenery while it goes through as many as 44 (no less !!) tunnels to reach the Solan town.

On reaching the resort, we were in for a warm welcome complete with a chatpata glass of jaljira. Suryavilas has been positioned as a Spa resort away from the hustle-bustle of a crowded tourist desitnation and manages to serve that objective fairly well.

After being ushered into the room, I was in for a pleasant surprise — there was a secret door in the bathroom, which opened to a private swimming pool! Apart from relaxing beside the pool, one can rejuvinate at the Thalgo spa, which provides treatments that include, facial, collagen eye and neck treatment, full body massage and more. The resort has its own theatre, a gymnasium, yoga classes and adventure sports to make sure your time is not spent in idolatry.

The good part
During the day time you can also visit Kasauli, just 45 km from the resort, an abode to famous writers such as Salman Rushdie, Khushwant Singh, Ruskin Bond and others. Atop the hill in Kasauli you can go to the fabled Hanuman temple. Here the monkey God is supposed to have rested his foot while returning from the Himalayas, after obtaining Sanjivanee for the injured Lakshman. Shimla, the capital of the state, which is a two-hour drive is an option too.