The hippie village of Dharamkot

Dharamkot is a small hippie village near McLeodganj, ideal for a few days’ time off from real world or working from the mountains away from the hustle bustle of city life.

Dharamkot is the perfect base for multiple treks such as Triund, Illaqua, Indrahar Pass, etc.If you’re looking for a relaxed vacation that doesn’t involve hiking or walking around, then Dharamkot is NOT the place for you. This village doesn’t have any roads, except for a single road that leads to it and pretty much ends where there’s a very famous café called “Trek and Dine”. After this café, the road narrows down to a pathway, ideal for aimless walks through the village to various other view points, rocks, waterfalls and some treks.

I had checked about a backpackers hostel named The Zostel, which is situated in Dharamkot before coming to bhagsu so I took off straight to the place but since it was already completely booked I decided to spend the night at The Bunker Hostel which is almost next to The Zostel (Backpacker Hostels). It is run by Ashish and his team who are doing a great job .Both of these places are based on a great idea promoting the backpacker culture, so you get to live in a dorm with 3 bunker beds spending the night with 5 people who most probably are traveling by themselves just like you and are probably not from the same country.

So I ended up spending the night around the bonfire with a group of Germans , an Argentinean traveler based in the US and the owners of the place; sharing stories, ideas , music and culture from different parts of the world. Ended up listening to German Rap songs for at least 2 hours even though I could not understand much of it I enjoyed the music and then the Germans explaining parts of the songs.

The best thing about Dharamkot is the vibe. Let me try to describe the vibe here if I can. The vibe is a mix of some of magic, pure spiritual energy of the Himalayas, happiness of the simple folks that live there, peace & serenity and a feeling on oneness with the nature. The sounds of mountain birds, the whistling of air though deodar tree leaves, the distant smells of farm animals mixed with herb based cooking will awaken all your senses. This is a good spot for early morning yoga and meditation – if you’re in that sort of stuff.

While food makes for a important part..dont forget to stop by at small tea shops for a cup of tea and a nice view. And definitely try Tibetan Momos at the local shops. And walk around, explore and enjoy yourself… because life is too short and we must live each day like it’s our last. Some of the best cafes I found out in the area were: 1. Spaced Out 2. Open Heart Cafe 3. Om Cafe 4. Moonlight Cafe

You can also visit Bhagsunag Falls and Shiva Cafe although that area is pretty crowded and it spoils the vibe of the place with extremely loud crowds.

There are also a few monastries that you'll find in this area and a tibetan musuem which showcases their history and their fight with the chineese army. It also houses the home of Dalai Lama.