Day 3 & 4 in Himachal: Trip to the Fairy Forest in Pulga – Back to Tosh – Next Day in Kasol

Himachal was everything we expected it to be. Every bridge had a view like this.

With clear blue skies and rivers at every step of the way, I could feel the clean air fill my lungs with peace.

After spending the night in Tosh, we were on our way to visit the enchanting Fairy Forest at 9498 feet above the sea level.

This was the route from Tosh to Pulga:

Downhill climb from Tosh to Barshaini > Continue descending, until we crossed the bridge> Start the uphill climb once again to Pulga.

The trek leading up to the Fairy Forest was easier than the rest of the treks. Especially since we got acclimatised to the altitude.

On our way up, there were donkeys, mules, and mountain dogs for company. And since the paths are rather narrow, all of us had to jump on to nearest rocks possible to give them way.

The Pulga Village

While walking through the village, we saw people busy with their daily chores. There were calves being fed and I couldn’t help but pet one myself.

Some of these homes were just single-storied.

While others were two- and three-stories.

But mostly the village seemed rather empty and quiet. Perfect for escaping our world filled with chaos.

This is what an apple orchard looks like before the snowfall.

And right before entering the forest, I spotted my dream home.

Nestled in the Parvati Valley, here’s the beginning of the charming Fairy Forest.

There’s a very clear drop in the temperature when you enter the forest. Especially since not enough sunlight passes through once you’re in.

As we lounged for a while and gazed at the sky, the sun almost disappeared on us.

So, we knew it was time to head back.

We used the same route to reach Barshaini, and from there we cabbed our way back up to Tosh.

Then we sat by the bonfire. Can never get over that, the sky and stars!

Encounter with some pure souls in Tosh

The next morning, as we were ready to leave Tosh, we were a little amused when it was time to pay the bill. Raj and the other staff at the homestay gave us the menu, a book and a pen; and asked us to write down the things we ordered and calculate the bill ourselves. They didn’t keep a tab! That’s how trusting and naïve the people are; they don’t cheat and I sincerely hope nobody ever cheats them!

Next Day in Kasol

We visited different cafés and small stalls to taste some of the best food in Kasol. You can read about that and all the other Himachali food explorations we had here.

For the rest of the day, we shopped!

There were a zillion dream-catchers, fine silver and junk jewelry as well as bags and winter-wear to choose from. I stopped by an old man’s stall because of his kind smile. He helped me choose some adorable dream-catchers and earrings. We got talking and he told me that his ancestors have always lived in Kasol and that it feels nice to have tourists who come and talk to him. Especially because he gets a glimpse of our world too.

He hopes his children can see India someday and I hope they get to see the world.

As I recount my experiences of the last two days in Himachal, where I saw the sun and moon in the same sky at the same time, I know I’ll need a whole new post for that. Stay tuned!