To do around Mcleordganj Dharamshala

Birdwatching in Kangra(Dharamsala, Kangra Valley )

 

Visit Pong bird sanctuary nestled in the sylvan surroundings of the Kangra valley in Himachal, the extensive Pong Dam wetland has emerged as a major habitat for migratory birds in India and has become a popular attraction for bird watchers, anglers and water sports lover.

BirdWatching Festival Kangra Valley

The Bird Watching Festival of Himachal Pradesh is held in the month of January every year. Maharana Pratap Sagar in Kangra is the site of the fest. There are many rare species of birds found in this region. This Festival of Himachal Pradesh dedicated to the birds is organized to attract all the bird lovers of the country to the state.

Maharana Pratap Sagar, the site of the Bird Watching Festival of Kangra is one of the biggest man made lakes of India. This place attracts many Bird Watchers during winters because of the various migratory birds that come here. The biggest attraction here are the ducks from the Siberian region. There are also many other water birds that welcome the visitors to the island. Some of the birds that can be seen here are Black buck, Cheetal and Sukhrab.


The Bird Watching Festival provides a wonderful scope for a family outing. Here you can watch around 220 species of birds belonging to about 56 families. The birds of various colors and origin attract a child's attention quite well.
The Bird Watching Festival can give is the right place for learning with fun.

Birdwatching can also be done during Treks in higher altitude of Dhauladhar Range which allow to watch different species of Birds in the area.

Book : Birds of Kangra by Jan Willem Den Besten

Angling (Fishing) in Kangra Valley ( Dharamsala Around )

 

Himachal Pradesh the abode of gods the land of snows a tourist’s dream and delight, is also an angler’s paradise. It has some of the finest trout streams in the north.treams in the Kangra valley are well-known for mahseer fishing. Each of these rivers has 32 to 40 km of angling reserve area, where one can fish with joy.Pong reservoir from Dehra to the Dam proper offers excellent fishing for mahseer almost round the year when fishing is open. The Pong reservoir can be approached from Pathankot via Jassur, from Chandigarh via Talwara, and from Dharmsala via Dehta and Nagrota Surian.

Fishing fee are nominal. The trout fishing season is from 31 March to 31 October. Generally best months for mahaseer are those that have an 'r' in their spelling - January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December.

Mahseer Fishing

 After having savoured the delicacies of the trout, let us now come down to the comparatively less high Kangra valley, situated in the lap of the mighty Dhauladhar ranges, irrigated with streams which descend from perennial snows, and interspersed with homesteads buried in the midst of groves and fruit trees. Kangra has been known as the home of the proverbial mighty mahseer to which effect a fairly large account of evidence is available from the vivid accounts of various anglers interested in heavy fish. The river Beas and the Pong Dam reservoir provide attractive fish grounds to the anglers. Besides mahseer, the other fish available is malhi, soal, bachwa, god shingara etc. Although there are many places and rivers and streams where mahseer is available, the following beats are considered the best.

Cycling in Kangra Valley ( Dharamsala Around )

 

Himachal Pradesh has all the ingredients for classic mountain biking travel and staggering mountain scenery. You can simply peddle at your own pace along hidden trails to rarely visited local villages where traditional rural lifestyle remains preserved and the friendly smile leaves lasting memories. Riding through this region affords an intimacy with your surroundings that is hard to beat: directly in contact with sights, sounds and smells of the kangra valley and it's mountain range, you will truly feel at one with nature.

Cycling from Dharamsala to Tea Gardens in Palampur

Cycling Dharamsala to Pong Dam Lake - Pong Dam Reservoir

Cycling from Dharamsala to Sidhbari - Watch Monasteries and Norbulingka