I travelled solo to Jibhi on a Diwali vacation in 2022. I had 4 days in hand and didn’t want to waste it alone at home.
Don’t we all need a quick break to rejuvenate? We do right? Jibhi is one of those untouched and refreshing places which has not yet been commercialised. Hence, that is MY kind of place.
How to Travel from Delhi?
There is no direct Bus from Delhi to Jibhi. You can board a bus from Majnu ka Tila or Kashmiri Gate and get down at Aut. From Aut you can hire a taxi or take the local Bus.
I had booked Zingbus and it departed from Kashmiri Gate. I had already booked a taxi from Aut a day before so I didn’t have to struggle in the morning. The duration from Delhi — Aut is about 11:30hrs -12hrs. Then after from Aut it might have taken me about 1hr 30mins if you don’t stop in between for breakfast.
Where to Stay?
You can book a hotel or an apartment on Airbnb. I had booked a cottage away from the crowd. It was a duplex that could easily accommodate 5 people but I was staying alone which cost me 7K for 2 Nights and Breakfast was included. I had 2 days all to myself, surrounded by greenery and serenity. It is the best kind of feeling one can ever experience.
Places to Visit
There are couple of beautiful places and lovely cafés which you can visit while you are in Jibhi.
Mini Thailand
I had done some research and many people had suggested “Mini Thailand”. I didn’t understand what it was until I saw it for myself. I had already slept in the Bus so after reaching the cottage, I freshened up and headed towards Mini Thailand. It was a small trek down towards the river. At one point in time, I felt lost. There was nothing around and nobody to ask. I kept walking and finally, there was a small stall in the wilderness. I checked with the lady there and she explained that there are two big rocks conjoined and that is what people call as Mini Thailand. I finally reached where I intended to be. It gave me a feeling of Krabi in Thailand so I assumed that maybe that could be the reason why it is called Mini Thailand. Nevertheless, it was a very refreshing place. Not a single human was around, I was the only one there. Those are the kind of places where you can sit and reflect. I had my share of nature therapy and headed back to the stall with the lady selling tea and momos.
Jibhi Waterfall
The next place you can visit is Jibhi Waterfall. People were in the vehicles but if you like walking, you can cover it on foot. You might have to walk a bit but that’s fine as you’re breathing fresh air and enjoying nature. It might have taken me about 20 minutes to reach this place from my cottage. There was so much greenery and freshness around. It was October so the weather was chilly too. Once you enter the gate, you have to walk a bit to reach till the Waterfall. It is not very tall, I have seen better ones. But I guess rather than the Waterfall, it was the surroundings that was nice.
Jalori Pass
You should not miss the Jalori Pass. I had booked a taxi from my hotel to Jalori Pass and it was about 40mins away. The taxi driver will charge you Rs2500 for the day. There are a lot of tiny cafés around. All the cars have to be parked here. From Jalori Pass you can further trek to Serolsar Lake and 360degree. I preferred to trek to Serolsar Lake as that was farther than 360 degrees. However, after I came back from the lake I thought I would cover 360 degrees too but I could manage to go till halfway. If any of you don’t want to trek for 6km each way to the lake you can choose 360 degrees as it is just 3km up from Jalori Pass.
Serolsar Lake
My driver did not want to trek with me so I headed alone. The trek’s difficulty level was moderate to easy. The distance is about 6KM and it will take you about 2–3 hrs depending on your speed. I started alone and kept walking hoping there might be people around but couldn’t see any. At one point, I almost gave up because I was scared. I could hear only my footsteps and I was startled once thinking someone was walking behind me. I started thinking what if something happens to me.. there was no one around for help too. That feeling just engulfed me so badly that I was on the verge of returning. There were so many cafés on the way but all those were closed, maybe because it was Diwali.
I don’t know what happened, I gathered all the courage I had and moved ahead. On my way, I came across a shepherd with his sheep in the pastures and at that moment is what I felt I wanted to stop. I was frozen because everything looked so beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more than what I was looking at. No material things can give you that kind of satisfaction. I didn’t give up this time until I reached a point where I saw one open Café and the Lake was a minute away. Ohh what an achievement! I visited the lake, it wasn’t very big but pretty enough. There was a temple on top and the lake was below. Spend some time there and head back to the café for tea. That tea was a saviour, seriously!! I was so tired till the time I reached, tea was all I needed. So, I had tea and Maggie and the best what I saw was that she was making Rajma Chawal and Rajma she was making in Chula. As Indians, we all know how tasty food can be if cooked in chula right? I had to have a bowl of Rajma. So I sat there, sipped tea, had Maggie and waited for Rajma. Wrote my journal, had rajma and headed back to Jalori Pass.
Restaurants to Visit
Books & Flowers Café
Please do not miss to visit Books & Flowers Café in Jibhi. I loved the place so much that I visited them multiple times. It is right next to the river and they have indoor as well as outdoor seating. Indoor seating is on the floor and very cosy, I simply loved it. They run a hostel too and that is what I got to know.
The Pink Panther
On the last day, I walked from my cottage to Jibhi market coz I wanted to see what the market looked like. The market is very small and you’ll find multiple cafés there too. I was again trekking so was pretty tired when I finally decided to relax and sip coffee at The Pink Panther. Nice place to hang out. I relaxed a bit and moved back to Books & Flowers for lunch as my driver was supposed to pick me up at 4 PM.
So, that’s where my trip ended but I must say it was one hell of an experience. A tiny little hill station where I explored myself. I was so near to nature that everything else looked so trivial and nothing mattered. This kind of soul-searching trip is very important for all of us, for our mental health.
Hope you enjoyed reading.
Cheers!
