Dharamsala

" Whenever I meet even a foreigner I have always the same feeling..Iam meeting another member of the human family. This attitude has deepened my affection and respect for all beings. "
* His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Trekking through the Himalayas is Dharamsala’s major attraction, as are trips to the Dalai Lama’s home in Mcleod Ganj, with excursions arranged by guesthouses and hotels. A Tibetan-influenced cultural hub, Dharamsala offers inexpensive yoga classes, as well as courses in cooking, regional dance and arts and crafts. Eat the Peace Cafe in Mcleod Ganj, where visitors dine among monks, sampling momos (Tibetan dumplings filled with goat meat or pork), thukpa (noodle soup) and stir-fried noodles. Stay at the 17-room Grace Hotel, a 200-year-old country manor perched in the mountains with a view of the Kangra Valley and nearby Pongdam Lake. (Shiegemitsu Takahashi/Alamy)