Hotel Snow King Retreat

We have spent an excellent Christmas day at the Snow King retreat in Fagu today. We arrived there by chance because we have been staying in Kufri for a week and were especially avoiding Shimla on Christmas day because of it's infamous crowds. We headed to Fagu, further away from Kufri today afternoon and reached this resort after visiting the potato research farms. The place was decked and lit and warm but almost deserted. We ordered some pakodas and chai, left our napping preschooler with my mother in the restaurant and brisk walked up 300 steps to a famous temple called Deshu temple. Again, there was hardly a soul there, just us, the mountains, tress, chilly winds, some monkeys and of course blessings, because we did feel so blessed to have an entire mountain side almost completely to ourselves. Upon our return we were grateful to find out that the kitchen staff was waiting for us to come back to serve us hot pakodas and chai. The restaurant and the resort are over 20 years old but made of wood and that lends them a lovely warmth. It is overflowing with the owners souvenirs from everywhere and looks homely and welcoming. The staff is polite and accommodating. We spent around 3 hours there, visiting the resort, clicking pics, lounging and finally having our dinner. The food was tasty and the portions huge. We ordered Pahadi chicken with spinach and Dal makhani, both the dishes were flavorful and yummy. The food is very decently priced too. Our drive back down the mountain at night through a dense deodar forest was also beautiful. We highly recommend this place for it's food, ambiance and the drive. The staff and the accommodation too are worth recommending for their welcoming nature and warmth.