Aamod at Shoghi

Shoghi is a tiny piece of paradise tucked away on NH 22, thirteen kilometres short of Shimla. As the car stops, you'll find yourself on a gentle hill slope, under a thick cover of oak and pine trees.

Aamod at Shoghi is an Ecotourism resort set in pristine virgin forest. As you walk towards the cottage, you'll notice a certain design philosophy. Anything man-made at Aamod perfectly blends in with nature. Infact, not a single tree was chopped when the resort was built. And that's incredible. So, when see a cottage, you know it's on a natural clearing.

Aamod at Shoghi offers you the perfect balance of unspoilt rugged surroundings and comforts of modern living, to provide you with a relaxing holiday that would rejuvenate your spirits through various interactions with nature and local culture.

Accommodation is in cute little cottages, both single and double with enough privacy around. While traveling in groups, you also have the option of staying in cottage clusters. This unique concept in accommodation is targeted at those who are bored of concrete jungles in cities (and now even in the hills) and love to stay closer to nature without compromising on quality and comforts. Interior furnishings exude a warm and jungle ambience - simple yet stylish and elegant.

Cottage types
Deluxe Pine Cottage
Set amid the stunning beauty of oak and pine forest scenery, the Deluxe Pine Cottages are designed with a pleasing ambience to redefine the art of fine living. Comfort and Luxury come together in perfect balance with the environment. The cottages feature Sheesham wood furniture, silk furnishings & cotton linen to create a warm ambience. The gracious elegance of the decor combined with the personalized service makes for a memorable experience. The Sofa-cum bed in each room converts into a large size bed if required.

Deluxe Mud Finished Cottages
The pre-fabricated Deluxe Mud finished cottages, have a mud finished exterior combined with a simple yet elegant interior. Elegant chatai ceiling with bedside hanging lights complete the look. Besides its layout, the aesthetically designed Sheesham wood furniture provides luxury and comfort. The Sofa-cum bed in each room converts into a single bed (in 8 rooms) and double bed (in 6 rooms), if required.

Mud Finished Family Cottages
Overlooking the forest & the resort, are 2 pre-fabricated Mud finished Family cottages each a combination of two bedrooms with an interconnecting door in between, where each room has separate ensuite facilities and a large private sit-out, on a wooden deck surrounded by trees, where you can enjoy a private moment with nature. One bedroom has a king size double bed and the other has twin beds. Family cottage can accommodate 4 adults and do not currently have provision of extra beds. Once inside, sink into a comfortable bed or choose to relax at a cozy sitting area.

Mud Finished Deluxe Family Suite
Situated close to the top of the hill is the Deluxe Family suite comprising of two large bedrooms with separate ensuite facilities and a living room in between. Both the bedrooms have King size double bed and double sofa bed as well. The cottage has large private sit outs on both the sides where you can relax and enjoy your private moments.

Dining
To enhance the old world feeling, the resort has a multi-cuisine restaurant & bar called "The Colonial" where you indulge in Indian & local Himachali delights. With rustic ambience, expect a sumptuous treat for your taste buds. An extension of  "The Colonial" restaurant is the bar with Shimla's most beautiful alfresco dining.

At Aamod Shoghi, the bakery casts a tantalizing spell on the sweet lovers. Try the Warm Mississippi Mud Cake and Mascarpone Carrot Cake. The aroma of freshly baked goodies will entice you every waking hour. You can ask them to pack a few assortments to carry back home.

Conferences & Meetings
"The Glade" at Aamod Shoghi is a perfect place for all kinds of corporate programs. Surrounded by spectacular scenery and fresh mountain air, it is ideal for conferences, corporate workshops, seminars, executive retreats, stress management courses and functions. The outdoor venue draws from the inspirational beauty of the dense oak & pine forests.

This spacious open-air conference deck covered with thatched roof can accommodate groups numbering up to 60 pax. It is fully equipped with modern audio-visual equipments like LCD projector, sound system, white board and screen. Surrounded by nature, the Glade offers the perfect environment to relax, rejuvenate and de-stress. A host of activities, both indoor and outdoor, help in team bonding.

Sublime Spa
Aamod welcomes you to an experience that will reconnect your mind, body and spirit with nature and awaken your senses. The spa offers a holistic and earthy blend of relaxation, detoxifying, revitalizing and beautifying therapies and treatments. Pamper yourself in nature's embrace and embark on an adventure infused with delightful sensations to inspire and refresh you.

Yoga & Meditation
Aamod is a haven for body and mind. In this oasis of tranquillity, you can leave your worries behind and detox with a private yoga session. Infact, Aamod has its doors opened to all the spiritual groups for their intensive practice of yogasanas, meditation, group discussions & satsangs. The place puts you in an effortless meditative state.

Open Air Jacuzzi
The open Jacuzzi overlooking the mountains is a great escape from the city stress. A great hideaway for Honeymooners too.

If you choose to pack in a host of activities, this is the place. In fact, there are enough things at Aamod to keep you busy. The team is led by the Activity Manager who has 20+ years experience in conducting adventure activities for individuals and various corporate and institutional groups.

Recreation Centre
Find the recreation cottage nestled next to the Reception to discover a host of indoor activities, video games and board games to choose from. Or if it is Carom, Archery, Table Tennis or even Basket Ball, they have it for you. Try your singing skills with their Karaoke system or play Tambola and other games organised by their team from time to time or on request.

Adventure Activities
Rock-climbing and Rappelling
Experience the exhilaration as you gently rappel down a 40 ft. natural rock face, secured by a rope or climb up a natural rock face with the help of a rope. Experience the thrill of looking down a sheer fall and then racing down gracefully down the mountain face. The activity instructors will be there to guide you through the process and make it a thrilling experience.

Nature Trails
They want to revive the simple joys of walking in the woods with families - things. Nothing grand - just simple nature walks, spotting several species of flora and fauna. The grandeur comes from the dense forests and magnificent views of the mountains and valleys. There are several walking trails of varying difficulty and duration - 1-2 hours, half day, full day, night walks, walks along the World Heritage Kalka-Shimla Train track with its tunnels, bridges.

Camping
Camping within the resort (with the comforts and the toilets of the resort) or out in the woods. Just a fun evening exercise to set up camp, cook a camp meal, and learn about jungle survival or actually camp overnight (with sleeping bags etc.), you choose and they will organize it.

Orienteering
Fancy finding your way around the mountains, with some clues, maps, a compass - of course with guides by your side. You will be dropped off at a starting point and given torches and compass. Your mission is to reach back to Aamod resort within the specified time. e can set a course anywhere from 20 minutes to half a day. They can set a course anywhere from 20 minutes to half a day.

Mountain Biking
Explore the tracks around Aamod on a mountain bike. Several different routes, from simple to tough, mostly flat to all the way down to the nearby river (and back up, if you want to push yourself more). Helmets, knee pads etc. You will have it all. And of course the food options.

River Rafting
Take a thrill ride down the Sutlej River at. Keep it serious, make it fun, single family, multiple families, corporate groups - it is a great day for everyone. You can choose from two options - Sunni to Tattapaani (6 km) with rapids of grade 1 & 2 or Chabba to Tattapaani (12 kms) with rapids of grade 1, 2 &3. Round it off with a Hot Spring bath or indulge in fishing, if that is your sport.

Fishing
Mahasher fishing - Angling in the nearby Giri river at Gaura (1-1.5 hr drive) or net fishing at Tattapani. Advance notice required, as fishing permits need to be obtained.

Sample of Additional Group Games/Team Building Activities
Hangman
Time bound activity for a group for 10 minutes per team, including briefing and set-up time. One of the team members is hung from a tall tree with the help of a rope and other equipment so that his body is horizontal, but upside-down. Other team members have to control the hangman with the help of additional ropes connected to the Hangman, which can move him around horizontally and/or change his direction/orientation.

Sinking Island
This activity requires around 10-15 minutes + briefing time. The group is divided into 3 teams each with some attributed disability - one team is blind, one deaf and one dumb. They have all been told that they are on an island which is going to drown within 10 minutes and they have to help each other and avoid drowning and escape from the sinking island, with the help of 6 golden plates which cannot drown.

Blind Man Walking
Here they divide the group into 2 person teams, with one member blindfolded and the other leading/helping the blindfolded person to walk properly through a selected jungle trail. Lots of fun as each team/personality type, have their own way of leading the other and/or following their partner, requiring a lot of trust on the partner/mentor who is helping you walk through some rough terrain.

Trust Fall
Imagine falling backward (often blindfolded) from a certain height and depending upon or trusting your other team-mates who are standing down to hold you when you fall. Leap of faith? Quite literally, as you have to place trust in your team mates to ensure your safety.

Running Marbles
Split the group into 2 or more teams where each team is provided with a glass on both sides of the marked area, with marbles in one of them and pipe pieces split into half to roll down the marbles. The objective is to transfer as many marbles as possible from one side to the other within the specified time, by making it travel across the pipes. Since the pipes are limited, you have to keep transferring the pipes downstream as the marbles travel onwards. Any marbles falling down have to be returned to the starting point - tough luck!!

The various Sightseeing & places of interest around Aamod at Shoghi

The Mall
The Mall, like most hill stations in North India, is the main shopping centre of Shimla. It is the best market for the handicrafts of Himachal Pradesh. Woollen and pashmina shawls, decorative items, handmade shoes, dolls, woollen caps, carved wooden sticks, toys and other items made from wood are on sale in the Lakkar Bazar.

Jakhu Hill
At a height of 8000 ft, Jakhu Hill is the highest peak and offers a beautiful view of the town and of the snow-covered Himalayas. At the top of the Hill, is an old temple, which is also the home of countless playful monkeys waiting to be fed by all visitors. It is built in the Nagari style with a tiled roof.

Shimla State Museum
The Museum, which was opened in 1974, has tried to project hill-out and the cultural wealth of the state. Art objects in the Museum collection are mostly related to art, archaeology and cultural anthropology of Himachal and other states of India. At present, Museum has about 9000 objects in its collection.

Indian Institute of Advanced Studies
This institute is housed in the Viceregal Lodge, which was built in 1884-88 during the British times. It has spacious gardens and is ringed by beautiful pine trees. All is calm and serene just the right atmosphere for a student of literature or politics.

Annandale
Developed as the playground of Shimla, Annandale is 2-4 kms from the Ridge at a height of 6,117 ft. It is a favourite spot for cricket, picnics and the princely game of polo. An army golf course is also located here.

Tara Devi
Tara Devi has a temple dedicated to the goddess of stars on top of the hill. There is a military Dairy Town here as well as the headquarters of Bharat Scouts and Guides. At a height of 6,070 ft. Tara Devi is an ideal place for a person wanting peace and some rest.

Sankat Mochan
A popular Hanuman temple is located here. We get an excellent view of Shimla from the temple. It can be reached by car or on foot.

Kalyani Helipad
Situated near chharabra is located on a hill top surrounded by towering deodar trees & lush green forest offering a spectacular panoramic view of vast valleys on three sides.

Mashobra
Mashobra has several excellent picnic spots & offers ideal walks amidst oak and pine trees. It is also the site of the annual Sipi fair in June.

Craignano
Another beautiful spot a little ahead of Mashobra. A municipal corporation rest house with green lawns full of flowers is a nice picnic spot.

Naldehra
Under a skyline etched with conifers, Naldehra offers a well groomed nine-hole Golf course; designed by Lord Curzon undulating hills and giant deodars, make it a unique spot for picnics.

Tattapani
Situated on the bank of river Sutlej is well known for its hot springs. River rafting commencing from Chaba terminates here.

Kufri
16 kms. from Shimla at a height of 8,600 ft. Kufri is the winter sports capital. The skiing season is at its best during January and February. Apart from skiing, Kufri is a lovely picnic spot with a beautiful view of the hills around and the snowy peaks. There is also a zoo that delights children.

Fagu
Fagu (near Kufri) is a vantage point on national highway with a panoramic view of ranges and valleys. It serves as a good base for exploring the nearby countryside which is flooded with orchards and forests.

Chini Bunglow
It's on Chail road & is known for Himalayan Nature Park which has a reasonably good collection of wild life. It forms a part of Kufri.

Jatoli Shiv Temple
This is a very old temple and every year an annual fair is organised here on the occasion of Mahashivratri, which makes it a must see place, just 6-kms away from Solan.

Bon Monastery (Yung Drung Ling)
12-kms from Solan, this monastery is the second oldest monastery in the world after the one present in Tibet.

Chail
It combines the charm and beauty of a remote and peaceful mountain resort with the splendor and elegance of a princely reserve. Chail was the summer capital of the Maharaja of Patiala before Independence. The verdant forests around Chail are alive with many species of birds and deer.

Barog
A verdant place of considerable scenic charm and beauty affording extensive views of high mountains stretching range after range and valleys swooping down the Haryana and Punjab plains.

Kasauli
It is charming and quiet; an ideal place for those in search of peace and relaxation. Kasauli is known for dainty English cottages set in flower laden gardens.

Arki
Once the capital of pricely state of Baghal, Arki has experienced many historical events from time to time. It also had been a centre of miniature paintings & famous for Ast Nayika Frescos executed in the Arki Kalam

Jabli
It provides joy ride on a tram (rope way trolley) from Jabli to Nandoh near /kasauli covering a distance of more than 1200 metre through pine forests & picturesque surroundings is exciting & refreshing.

By Air
The Jubbarhatti Airport at Shimla is 33 kilometres from Shoghi. Regular flights are available from Delhi depending on weather conditions.

By Rail
The nearest broad gauge station is at Kalka. From Kalka, climb up to Shoghi in one and a half hours. Alternatively, take the world heritage toy train from Kalka and get down at Shoghi. Aamod is a 5 minute drive from Shoghi.

By Road
From Delhi take NH1 to Ambala via Panipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra. From Ambala take the road to Chandigarh upto Zirakpur after which, get on to NH 22 towards Kalka. Shoghi is around 75 kms from Kalka or a two hour drive. Regular buses ply throughout the year. Shoghi is well connected with Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.