NEW YEAR IN KASOL (2019)

The plan was to celebrate the new year in Goa but things didn’t work out and we had to change the location. It was Parvati Valley, Kasol. We were a total of 8 people. We aimed to attend a new year party and enjoy new year’s Eve. A chill and relaxing trip, with no treks and all. Volvo buses are the best mode of transport from Delhi to Kasol. They have comfortable seats, no delays, and are also budget-friendly. Due to some reasons, the private buses were not being allowed further and that’s why our bus left us at Bhuntar. From Bhuntar we took the local bus to Kasol. From Bhuntar to Kasol, it is around 2 hours journey. We reached the Kasol bridge by 11 in the morning and before moving towards our stay we had our breakfast. There is a shop near the bridge that is perfect for breakfast, that shop is owned by a lady and she sells the tastiest cheese paranthas in Kasol market.

After breakfast, we left for Choj which was just 20 minutes walk from Kasol Bridge. One of my friends Rohit arranged our stay in Dogra Homestay, Choj. He shares a good bond with Bebu Bhaiji, the owner of Dogra Homestay because of his previous trips to Kasol. Bebu Bhaiji is a simple man who lives here with his wife and a cute little son. A perfect host who takes care of and respects his guests.

The next day our morning was a bit late due to the late-night sessions. By early evening we left for Chalal to find a party. During this time the parties meant to be organized in Kasol are quite secretive for many reasons. We found a few parties but they weren’t like we expected. So we decided to go back to Choj and bought some munchies for the night. It was around 8 when we were back in Bebu bhai ji’s place and we were shocked to see the preparations for the new year’s party. All the neighboring homestays and camps united, it was like a group of parties under one roof. Loud music, tasty food, munchies, drinks, stuff, bonfire there was everything. We all were so involved in the atmosphere that we forgot to click pictures. It often happens when you are with a large group of childhood friends.

On the first day of 2019, we had no plans. We all had the same thing in our minds, relax! After such a great new year’s party, we all were tired and the hangover was crazy. Since there were no plans for the first day, I told them we should do something and that’s how we went to Evergreen Cafe in Kasol for dinner. Having dinner at the best cafe in Kasol sounded good.

We had the plan to leave for Delhi on 2nd Jan but at the last moment, we came to know that there was snowfall in Tosh. Not all but me, Rohit, Parth, and Rahul were up for Tosh, the rest of my friends stayed in the homestay because they were being lazy and it was extremely cold too. From Choj to Manikaran we went on foot and from there we took an alto to reach Barsheni. It is barely any distance from Barsheni to Tosh. A short trek but a very beautiful one. The time when we were trekking there was no snowfall but the snow was there on the track and that’s why the path became slippery.

After reaching the top of Tosh, there are many amazing cafes. We went to Pinki Didi’s Cafe 360 (The Last Resort). It was a great experience having lunch in this beautiful cafe. The service was great and the food was delicious. It is built in such a way that the view from the inside is mind-blowing, you can see a chain of snowy mountains.

We reached back to our homestay by the evening and then booked our return tickets to Delhi for the next day.