Bir, Himachal Pradesh : More Than Just Paragliding Hotspot

I must confess - we went to Bir but did not indulge in paragliding, for which it is world famous. This post is not about 'Bir the Paragliders heaven', but about 'Bir a family's getaway'.

After driving from Chandigarh for about 7 hours, we reached Bir late in the evening, around 8ish. The roads are good but tiring since we were self-driving. And it was raining, which made visibility a bit challenging. I do recommend planning your trip so that you reach Bir by 6 PM at the latest.

Little Bir

Anyway, we were booked at the Little Bir - a quaint, hostel-ly property with family rooms. It is a basic lodge if you will. It has all the comforts that you'd need, but nothing more. No pools, or spas, or any other indulgences. But what it lacks in facilities, it makes up in heart. The service at the Little Bir, has been better that some of the starred hotels we have stayed at. The food is insanely good. I have very low tolerance for idiots and bad food.

There wasn't one dish we ordered and regretted. The man in charge - Luv - is the heart that keeps Little Bir going. He is the reason we will go back, again and again.

Tandoori Momo

Since it was late in the evening by the time we reached, and we were dog tired, we just settled in the dorm; ordered some really good room service - tandoori Momo, chicken noodles, burgers with fries, and paired it with the whiskey we had carried with us from Chandigarh. The food is superbly priced for the quantity and quality. I know this sounds like a sponsored post by now, but it isn't.

Little Bir, as we discovered later, has a ton of cafes. Some of these are really good, and some completely avoidable. We will get into this in a bit.

Like all our trips, this was a no agenda vacation, and we had 4 days in Bir, before we left for Dharamsala. Our ideal vacations are all about vegetating in one place, get in a little sight seeing, and eat. The last part is usually the focus most of the times.

Bir is a very small town with a large heart, and significant Tibetan population. It is blessed with great weather, mountains all around, and good roads. You can walk about town, plop at a cafe and spend hours, and do it again the next day without a hitch.

There are lovely trails to hike, gorgeous temples, and gorgeous monasteries in and around Bir. Make sure you do check them out and remember to be respectful. The monks are super nice, as long as you are respectful in their temple of learning and worship. Don't be an asshole.

Here are some glimpses of our trip.

The Dhauladhar Range

Kids playing against the setting sun, Bir.

A Bir Sunset is a sight to behold.

The Dhauladhar Range

As many blues as you like

Paragliders taking off from Biling

A Paraglider

Colours of Bir

Bougainvillea at Garden Cafe

Silver Linings Cafe

More images on my Flickr Album.

A few places we absolutely loved:

1. Cafes:

   1. Garden Cafe

   2. Silver Linings Cafe

   3. Pahadee Coffee Roasters

   4. Cafe at Little Bir

      
      

2. Monastery:

   1. Sherabling

   2. Chokling

   3. Deer Park Insititute

      
      

3. Shopping

   1. Bir has a bustling market and you will likely find everything from daily groceries to clothes at reasonable prices.

Bir is a lovely destination to do nothing, or a lot of things. There are activities for families, for solo travellers, and it is by and large safe.