Reaching the sky 2400m above sea level - Bir and Billing make a beautiful weekend destination ....

Billing - reaching the sky (image courtesy: Ekta Abhay Lather)

I first visited Bir Billing in 2014 and later visited in 2017, must say not much had changed between the two trips. Bir Billing is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. The remarkable quality of the town is its very calm and quiet environment with the towering mountains around the town forming a backdrop of sorts.

My first trip to Bir Billing, I went with friends was to experience the para gliding - Bir Billing is considered one of the top 10 destinations for paragliding in the world. The best time for para-gliding is between Oct - June, however beware of rains which can be a spoiler. There are couple of options to get to Bir.

- Taking a train to Pathankot from Delhi and the getting a cab which takes about 3 hours or so.

- Taking the plane to Kangra and driving down to Bir will take you around the same time [Flight to Kangra at times are very expensive].

-There are also buses available from Majnu Ka Tila which mostly go towards Dharamshala, you can get a cab mid way

Monastery in Bir with Billing in the view

Cottage for stay

The very first visit, I took the train and the second time I drove down from Mcleodganj. The drive from Mcleodganj was quite tiring especially due to the high altitude. Those with motion sickness could avoid it. The options for stay when we visited the first time were few, now there are quite a few options. We had stayed at a very homely cottage in Bir run by a French National, the cottages were cosy and cute. Great for stay with friends, the surroundings were also very pretty and enough space to walk around. The lights did go off at times, and yes mosquitoes were common. The town is very walkable, Bir also has a little Tibetan settlement.

Monastery in the local market, Bir

Bir does not have much to do for sight seeing, there are some monasteries which you can look around. Otherwise most people choose to camp at Billing and then paraglide to Bir the next day. There are many service providers and difficult to pin point which is the best, given the increase in people interested there are quite a few around. Its best to go with recommendations of hotel owners. I chose not to glide I totally got cold in my feet when I got to the height. Its inexplicably serene and beauty at such heights, the feeling that you can touch the sky and lift yourself off the feet in the silence.

Tibetan treat - Mutton Shapta, Tingmo, Bokchoy, Soba noodles

The Indian and the Tibetan sides are very different. If you are looking for Indian food especially vegetarian you may want to choose the Indian side of the town. Though in the Tibetan village too you will find Maggi and parathas at Dhabbas. If you are a non vegetarian you will be able to indulge in some Tibetan food. They make it fresh to order so take time to serve. If you intend to shop some memorablia, there are many Tibetan shops selling variety of silver jewellery, mantra flags, woodworks, stoles etc. There are some coffee shops and joints that have late night parties and events, you need to look around for notices.

A lovely weekend spot you can relax and enjoy...if you are travelling from Pathankot you will be able to visit Baijnath- the Shiv Temple situated neatly surrounded by mountains..

One of the top 10 locations for paragliding in the world

Tips:

Make your bookings and inquiries for paragliding in advance. Choose a reliable one, based on good reviews.

Check the weather before you leave, especially rainy season is avoidable

If you plan to camp carry the required items, must carry an odomos as mosquitoes are plenty