My 2019 McLeod: what’s good for you?

Have a great day out at Peepal Farm: stray animal
rescue and vegan organic farm

In case you visit magical McLeod Ganj without first attending the planned 60-hour slide night at my place – here are my recommendations and tips for visiting McLeod culled from my time here in 2019.

Some old favourites have retained their rankings this year:

• RK Barbers’ Amid is still the best hair cutter in town in my opinion, with the added value of providing one the best chair massages ever. How did he know I had a sore back and strained lower arms that day?
• Mukti, still an eyebrow artist with his careful re-dying to threading. But he carries a grudge that I get my haircut somewhere else.
• Surinder and the team at Kailwood Guest House dispense the best fruit porridge and support for their guests with taxi bookings, travel advice (thanks for warning me off trying to get to Dalhousie in the snow) and IT repairs. Plus the valley view from the deck is still the best view in town.

Great day out

Visit Peepal Farm on one of their cow cuddling open days, or just drop in to visit this combined animal rescue shelter and organic farm. The owners and volunteers have developed a beautiful spot on used-to-be derelict land where they are nurse and either re-home or adopt dogs, cats and farm animals. Eat vegan snacks and buy some of their great produce. Watch out for posters around town or find them on Facebook. The farm is 13 km from Dharamsala, in Dhanotu Village.

A holiday with His Holiness – part 2

We can't wait to get through the TIPA gate

“My students tell me they aren’t coming to class tomorrow because His Holiness is opening the new TIPA building,” Cathy discloses over mushroom pizza at the Om Hotel café.

It’s a scoop. We can’t miss this. The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) is just up the road from Kailwood Guest House, where Cathy – who is teaching pre-intermediate English to a disparate group of Tibetans, Bhutanese and a Lao monk with an inappropriate nickname – and Leonie and I are staying in McLeod Ganj.

The next morning I race back up the hill from depositing a bag of malas to be blessed at the main temple [see part 1], and Leonie and I step off the bottom of the Kailwood stairs into a swift river of people heading up the road to TIPA.

“Do you think they know too?” jokes Leonie as we are swept up by the well-dressed crowd, striding with purpose up the hill. 

My McLeod #1: staying and eating

Porridge and fresh fruit and chai (Vegemite and iPad
Supplied by the author)

After nearly three months living and working in this magical town, I would like to share my favourite places, things and people. If you are lucky enough to come and spend time here too, you might find this information handy. (No personal liability is accepted for these recommendations - we bloggers love power without responsibility.)

Favourite guesthouse team

It has got to be Surinder, Sanjay, Akshay, and The Boy who run Kailwood up between Tushita and Tipa roads. Cheerily turning out omelettes and noodle soup, advising on the best way to humanely get rid of monkeys, playing backyard cricket or washing floors - these guys are the tops. They also get my award for favourite breakfast for their bowl of porridge/fresh fruit and favourite chai for Surinder’s morning mug of magic with fresh spices, and also guesthouse view for the horizon views from the south-facing terrace above the whistling kites.