India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (331 page)

VISITOR INFORMATION
Check out the website of the
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
(
HPTDC;
0177/265-4589;
www.himachaltourism.nic.in
) if you really must, and you can even pop into their office for what feels like a sharp, unenthusiastic slap in the face. Much better to simply ask at your hotel or guesthouse for help—they’ll be more likely to (a) respond, and (b) recommend interesting and decent places to stay elsewhere in Himachal. Be extremely wary of advice suggesting you should stay at one of the HPTDC-run establishments, which generally offer some of the most appalling lodgings and service in the country.

GETTING AROUND
On Foot
Central Shimla is free of traffic, which means that you’ll spend a lot of your time exploring on foot. You’ll need some degree of stamina to deal with the numerous steep inclines, and as much patience dealing with the constant mob of fellow pedestrians, especially during the summer. A two-stage elevator,
The
Lift,
operating between 8am and 10pm, connects The Mall with Cart Road; ticket prices are nominal.

By Car
Shimla has a number of restricted and sealed roads, and farther routes are no-go zones for heavier vehicles. Should you arrive in town by train, you can find a taxi (or even the odd auto-rickshaw), which will drop you at your hotel—although you may be surprised at the route necessary to get around “no traffic” zones. Day trips (see “Excursions Around Shimla,” below) will generally require a taxi or jeep—but the prices can fluctuate wildly. Get advice from your hotel on hiring a car and driver at reasonable rates. For prepaid taxi trips, contact the government-run service at
0177/265-8892,
or
Vishal Himachal Taxi Operator Union
at
0177/265-7645.

GUIDED TOURS & TRAVEL AGENTS
For intelligent, entertaining, and exclusive
tours of Shimla
itself, your best bet is to make contact with noted local historian Raaja Bhasin, author of
Simla: The Summer Capital of British India.
Raaja conducts interesting and tailor-made walks around Shimla and will provide you with fond memories of the town and an acute understanding of its juicy history. E-mail or call Raaja in advance to make sure he’s available (
0177/265-3194;
www.raajabhasin.com
; [email protected]). Tours normally start from your hotel and run from 10am to 5pm for a charge of $170 (for two people this includes lunch, for larger groups evening tea). In 2010, Raaja plans to start doing
customized Himachaltrips
around the entire state, arranging everything from transport toaccommodation, and including some of the very best insights into Himachali life.

Government-operated tours are annoying, claustrophobic excursions, best avoided unless you’re on a tight budget. The office of the
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
(
HPTDC;
0177/265-2561
or -8302;
www.hptdc.nic.in
; Apr 15–July 15 and Sept 15–Jan 1 daily 9am–8pm, rest of year daily 9am–6pm) is
along The Mall, near Scandal Point.

The Mall has an abundance of
travel agencies;
you may need to approach one of them to arrange transport, tours, and trekking around the state. Be warned, however, that we’ve been increasingly disenchanted with the service provided out of Shimla, so you might want to contact one of the operators recommended in other parts of this chapter and have them collect you in Shimla (or Delhi if you prefer). One agent you can approach is
Band Box
(9 The Mall;
98-1606-1160
or 0177/265-8157), although because it’s a small business (and operates from the back of a clothing store) you don’t always find someone in the office.

Shimla

Ambulance
Dial
0177/280-4648
or 0177/265-2102.

ATMs, Banks & Currency Exchange
The Mall has outlets of HDFC, City Banks, ICICI Bank, and UTI Bank. You can change cash and traveler’s checks, and organize cash advances on certain credit cards Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm. In an emergency, guests at the Cecil and Wildflower Hall can also draw money against their credit cards for a small percentage.

Hospital
For around-the-clock service, call
Tara Hospital
(
0177/280-3275
).