When the summer heat reaches its peak in the capital, all you can hear is the call of the mountains. What is the summer activity that we all look forward to the most during a long weekend? A trip to Nainital Shimla, Mussoorie, Kasauli or Darjeeling. Whether you take this trip over a long weekend or for an entire week, this seems like the best plan. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite for us.
We were visiting Mussoorie after many years as we thought it would be a serene weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Peace was what we craved. It was a perfect plan in the middle of Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day holiday gathered. However, we weren’t the only ones to come up with this plan. People from Delhi, Haryana, UP and Punjab had taken over the hill station with their SUVs.
Here are some reasons why you should avoid a trip to a hill station while on vacation-
Too many people and traffic
People coming by road, up to Mussoorie, created chaos and traffic on mall road and hills. We had to wait up to 3 hours to get to mall road. Traffic stopped for many hours and cars were moving very slowly. Many people started walking because they were tired of sitting in their vehicles for too long.
Expensive accommodation
In August, the hill station encounters the monsoon, which is generally out of season. But due to extended holidays and a rush of visitors nearby, hotel charges suddenly increased. Even a 1 star hotel costs over 4k per night. Lucky were those who had pre-booked their rooms in advance.
Busy shopping street
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This hill town undergoes a reverse metamorphosis, changing from a pretty butterfly to a hideous caterpillar. Mussooorie mall was busy and crowded unlike any other mall road where no vehicles or buses are allowed. The once quiet Mall Road is now jammed with traffic, video stores and rowdy tourists. This is not the one for you if you are looking for tranquility.
Food
One thing you enjoy most about mountain resorts is the food. However, the influx of tourists has also affected the dining experience. All the restaurants were packed and there were long lines outside the restaurants. With all the waiting and the crowd, my anger had reached a saturation point where I could scream and say I wanted to go home. I also felt the quality was compromised and the portions were less.
Among the few successes, the weather was beautiful. Again the rain posed more challenges but it was memorable nonetheless. Saw some great views and enjoyed the time spent with my friends. If you want to learn something from my experience, avoid vacationing at popular mountain resorts on a holiday weekend! If crowds and shopping are what you’re looking for, what good is Connaught Place on a windy day?
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