At a glance A wooded royal retreat at 7,054 feet, 75 km from Kalka
About the city The town was built after Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of the princely state of Patiala, a handsome ladies man, was banned from Shimla for life by the British, following charges of his making immoral overtures to an Englishwoman. According to historians, the lady in question was Commander-in-Chief Lord Kitchener's daughter, hence the collective moral affront. Chail became accessible to tourists after the Patiala royals handed over the 75-acre property to the government in 1972. Its chief attraction is the stunning Palace Hotel, where honeymooning couples and Punjabi businessmen hop in for a day or two of princely excitement. At the height of summer, it is almost impossible to get a foothold here, with tourists, cars, buses and innumerable troops of monkeys roving aggressively around the property. The rest of the year, one can enjoy the place as the royals left it and revel in the surviving cedar tree cover, endogamous forest and wildlife in the countryside. Tiny Chail does not have a Mall, just a huddle of shops. It's leisurely walks in summer and autumn, fun in the powder snow in winters. Spread over three hills Pandhawa, Rajgarh and Siddh Tibba Chail is ideal for picnics and short treks. Pilgrim's progress Faith has three faces in Chail. The most important in this former dominion of Patiala is the Gurudwara Sahib, built in 1907. Located 1 km above Chail's bazaar, on Pandhawa Hill, the yellow distemper-covered gurudwara is a small building with a tiny courtyard. The two tower-like structures fitted into the faade flanking the main entrance enhance the air of austerity reminiscent of some churches in Goa. Siddh-Baba-ka-Mandir is situated on the hill sandwiched by Rajgarh and Pandhawa. Set in the army cantonment area, the temple sits next to the cricket grounds (currently being used by the Army). It is a simple, traditional structure that bears witness to the obstinate but holy ascetic of legend. The temple is roughly equidistant from Chail Palace and the bazaar (approximately 4 km). The third temple is the Kali-ka-Tibba, located on the top of the hill named after the Rajmata's cottage, Blossom. One can see the Choor Chandni Peak and the Shivalik Range from here. It's an easy 6-km trek from the bazaar via the Gauda road.
How to reach Road: Take NH1 to Ambala, then NH22 via Zirakpur to Panchkula. Take the Solan bypass and turn right at Kandaghat to Chail, 27 km away. En route halts Nirula's at Panipat. Rail: Nearest railhead: Kalka (86 km/ 2 hrs) Best option TO Howrah-Delhi-Kalka Mail (dep: Old Delhi 10.50 pm; arr: Kalka 5 am) Taxi should cost you about Rs 1,400-1,700 Best option FROM Kalka Mail (dep: Kalka 11.45 pm; arr: Old Delhi 6.25 am) Journey Time Road: 7 hrs Rail: 6 hrs + road 2 hrs
Distances 351 km North from Delhi From Delhi NH1 to Ambala NH22 to Kandaghat via Panchkula, Kalka and Dharampur State road to Chail via Sadhupul
Best Seasons Chail is an all-year round destination.
Places in and around Cricket grounds The famed cricket grounds laid down by the Maharaja of Patiala some say the highest in the world at 7,218 ft is situated in the cantonment and, as such, is out of bounds to civilians. Walk the walk Chail is all about walking in pairs, with sticks and hands otherwise empty that is, if you wish to avoid the marauding monkeys, who are not averse to attacking walkers on a whim. Treks to Shimla and Kandaghat take you along village shortcuts, whereas the trek to Choor Chandni requires a two-day march to the base camp at Hamirpurghat (roughly 80 km from Gauda via Rajgarh).