Cecil, Shimla
 

Has anyone been to Oberoi's Cecil Resort in Shimla? Is the hotel nice? What's Shimla like?<BR><BR>Thanks!

I was at the Cecil at Easter last year.It is a beautiful hotel with a lovely health suite.There are monkeys on the roof of the swimming pool (on the outside)and as you do lengths of the pool they follow you on the roof.<BR>The hotel must be just like a gentlemans club.The rooms are luxurious and the service superb.<BR>Shimla is quite different from anywhere I'd been before-the people in particular looked more Tibetan.The main street could have been in England but when you drop down the hill the shops and stalls there are definitely not England!Essentially Shimla is a walking base and if you are not going to do that then 2 full days is enough.Don't travel both ways by toy train as the journey would amount to 10 hours.Its certainly worth doing it one way by train-the views and stops give you a picture of India you've not seen before.<BR>The hotel provided chauffer driven cars to drive us back down to Chandigarh.Our chauffer stopped in the station car park and unwrapped chilled drinks from the boot which we drank standing in the dust and heat.He was in full uniform too .We were provided with the most luxurious packed lunch ever.<BR>One point of note it was quite chilly in Shimla and because of the authenticity of the hotel there was no double glazing.You could forgive that when you saw the view.

I havent been there myself but have family who visited there last year and were all praise. Have fun!

Thanks for the reply thus far! Any recommendations for side-trips from Shimla? I've heard great things about Udaipur. Anyone been there?<BR><BR>Also, is it safe to travel to India in late-June given the current India-Patisktan tension?<BR><BR>Thanks!

I travelled to Shimla as a side trip from Dehli and spent 3 days there.We didn't travel out of there partly because two of our group were ill.As to the current political situation,I travelled to india after Christmas when the tension was cranking up. There are always border spats in kashmir and I noticed nothing out of the ordinary.I returned at Easter and the situation was quieter.Now I believe the position is worse and very fragile .I do not feel it would be safe. At this moment my daughter is flying home from India having brought forward her return.I am very relieved that she has left there.<BR>You also need to consider that even if you are a particularly gung-ho type of traveller,you could stand to lose all your money if the situation gets so bad after booking that you decide to pull out.If the Foreign Office advises against travel you may well be reimbursed but otherwise it is a tough decision trying to decide whether to cancel and lose thousands of pounds or take the risk and worry all your family in the meantime.<BR>As for me I'm counting the hours-11 and I shall be in the airport to meet my daughter!

Udaipur is nowhere near Shimla. Its is in a different state altogether so i dont think you can think of it as a 'side trip'. There are however other places nearby you can go to. <BR><BR>Regarding time, june is HOT HOT HOT in india! If you're not Asian or have never lived in a warm place, the heat might "get to you" badly. I know foreigners who travel to india in the summer months and get sick primarily because of heat strokes. Shimla will be better. Much cooler. You can concentrate higher altitude places to be safe. <BR><BR>Enjoy your trip!

Shimla is a nice hill stop (that's what it's called in India)... from what I hear, it's a lot dirtier than it used to be 10-15 years ago. I wouldn't plan on spending too much time there, not much to do, but very relaxing if that is your intent. Udaipur and Jaipur are worth the visit if you can arrange it. Have a fantastic trip! Overall, no matter where you go in India, the experience is incredible.