Winter Sports at Kufri in Simla in India

Most Americans like to visit India in the winter to play all types of winter sports. There are many spots in India where winter sports can be played at various hill stations in the Himalayan Mountain range. I have visited one such beautiful place with our son where the winter sports are actively played. This was Kufri, situated 30 miles away from the famous hill station of Simla.

One can easily reach Simla by getting down at the railway station of Kalka on Delhi- Jammu line. The most beautiful toy train is available to travel from Kalka to Simla, around four times a day. The toy train takes around 4 hours to travel the distance of around 60 miles to reach Simla. The entire route passes through the most beautiful hills, valleys, and the forests. However, it is necessary to book the ticket for this toy train in advance, mainly during the peak season of winter. Simla is situated at the height of around 6600 feet from the mean sea level. If you are interested in winter sports, plan your visit from December 20^th to February 15^th, as Simla would be fully covered with thick snow during this period. You will have to travel to Kufri by hired taxi, which is around 10 miles away from the town of Simla. The people from all over the world visit Kufri for enjoying the winter sports. There are three nice resorts and many hotels available at Kufri for stay. We had stayed at the Kufri Holiday Resort at Kufri. This resort is operated by the state Government and offers nice double rooms and the luxury suits to the tourists. The rates would be in the range of around Rs.3000 ($75) to Rs.5000 ($125) per day for a nice double room. The central heating is also available at this resort along with many indoor games and a full-fledged gym, which contains sauna, steam bath, and the Jacuzzi. The excellent Indian and continental food delicacies are also available at the resort restaurant. We had stayed here at Kufri for 3 days to enjoy the winter sports.

There are many slopes available at Kufri for ice skating and skiing. The slopes have various degrees of difficulty, starting for the beginners to the fully professionals. The ice skating equipments are also available on hire from Kufri at very nominal rates of around Rs.100 ($2.50) per day. There are coaching classes also available of 3 days to 30 days duration. Our son had taken mini course of three days for learning ice-skating at the rate of Rs.1000 ($25). Lots of tourists gather here at Kufri after the longest moon night of 21^st December every year. The famous national skiing and skating championship tournaments are played here at Kufri during the winter sports carnival in February every year. Kufri becomes full of tourists during this time. You must make sure to book your resort accommodation, well in advance so as to avoid last minute hassles and the tension. There are some packages also available through some travel agents of Delhi and Mumbai, which cover the air or train fare, lodging and boarding charges at Kufri, the coaching classes for the beginners, and the free supply of the skiing equipments. The package of three nights and four days can be available at the rate of around Rs.7600 ($190) per head. Traveling through such complete package can really be very convenient, though, slightly expensive. One must carry proper winter clothing's, as the winter is extremely severe here in the range of subzero temperatures. You must also carry your rain protective coat as the rains are also quiet frequent here during this season. The stay of around three days can be sufficient for the normal tourists. However, if you are professional, stay of even two weeks may not be sufficient.

We had enjoyed our stay here at Kufri tremendously during last winter in the month of January. If you are fond of playing winter sports like ice skating and skiing, Kufri at Simla is the place for you. How about making visit to Kufri at Simla in forthcoming winter?