Chail

Altitude : 2,150 m above sea level
Temperature : Bracing throughout the year.

Best Season : April-June / October-November.
Clothing : (Summer / Winter) Light Woollens / Heavy Woollens
Languages Hindi, Himachali, Garhwali, English

When Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala,was expelled from Shimla - the `summer capital' of the British in India - he decided to create his own capital for the hot months. The little village of Chail was perfect. It lay surrounded by magnificent deodar forests, Shimla was in direct vision and most important, the hill of Chail at 2226 m was somewhat higher than British-controlled Shimla. Today the Maharaja's creation can be experienced by everyone. Whether you are on a honeymoon or in search of seclusion or wish to organise a conference and demand all facilities, Chail has it all .Then, there is good sight seeing and the possibility of some fishing and trekking. Chail also has the world's highest cricket pitch and polo ground.

Other Attractions

Adventure and Fishing 
A dozen or so trek routes lead out of Chail. Trails Iead upto the Choor Peak and to Shimla. Skiing can be done at Narkanda during winters. There is fishing on the Giri river at Gaura , 29km away.


Climate Conditions 
In winter, the temperature can drop below freezing point when heavy woollens are required. In summer the climate is mild and light woollens/cottons are recommended

Excursion 
Chail Sanctuary :
Chail is a beautiful hill station and a popular resort. The deodar and oak forests and grasslands around the town are part of the sanctuary. One can see sambhar, ghoral and cheer phesants at Blossom and Jhaja - where there are pheasant breeding centres. Barking deer and khalij pheasant are often spotted at dusk and dawn in the sanctuary. Treks from Chail to Gaura and Chail to Jhaja are popular.

Where to Stay
Chail is a very small town on the hills with barely five to six hotels. It has precisely twelve shops and half a dozen hotels on one single stretch and that is the end of it. There are, however, various categories of accommodation to suit every kind of pocket ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 6,000 per day during the tourist season (which is primarily the summer months). Each type of accommodation has a specific name. There are Maharaja suites, Maharani suites, Rajgarh cottages, Woodrose cottages, Monal cottages, Himneel cottages and log huts. The log huts can be a fascinating experience for those who love to live amidst nature. They are situated about a kilometer away from the main building and overlook a valley. From within these huts one can watch the clouds settle down on the valley, the lights shimmering at night and the cold seeping right into your bones. One can also experience total silence and quietude.

How to Reach

By Air :There is always the option of flying to Shimla. This flight operates only when the weather is favorable, but that will be like fast forwarding a wonderful beginning and landing yourself in the middle of a story.

By Train :The ideal way of covering the Kalka-Shimla track is by the toy train. It takes five hours from Kalka to get to Kandaghat. These five hours mark the beginning of this sojourn into the world of make-belief. The toy train with a maximum of half a dozen bogies chugs through the most thickly forested tracks, breathtaking bends, deep ravines and never-ending tunnels. 

By Road : Chail is about 86 km from Kalka via Kandaghat (roughly 380 km from Delhi). The approach of Chail is along the Kalka-Shimla route. One has to take a detour from Kandaghat. From Kandaghat, it is an hour and a half's journey by road to Chail.