Giri Camps Himachal Pradesh Review

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• published: 27 Jun 2016
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Honest and Genuine Customer Review about Giri Camp - Badgala, Tehsil Rajgarh, Rajgarh, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh 173101 This is my honest feedback and review about Giri Camps along with my family visited Giri Camps on 24th June. We stayed for 2 nights and left on 26th afternoon. We knew little about the camps as were going there for the first time. . If you are planning to visit Giri Camps this review will help you make an informed decision. Connectivity - Giri Camps are located some 50 Kms from Solan at a picturesque spot next to the river Giri Ganga. The connectivity is bad. The road connecting Ochaghat to Giri Camps is ok but the final stretch of 14 Kms (app 1 ½ hrs drive ) is just a raw path which is treacherous. It is not a proper road, just a 7-8ft wide path cut on mountain face. Our car skidded on loose gravel a couple of times and got stuck on uphill climb. We were able to move on after putting in much effort. To make the approach even worse, after parking the vehicle there is a walk of 1.5 kms and finally one is required to cross the river on foot – though its only waist deep, it leaves one wet and inconvenient. We drove all the way from Delhi early morning and finally reached Giri Camps by 4PM – almost 10 hours drive. There was no meet and greet or assigning of camps. First Impression – Mr.Anurag – the camp owner watched as we crossed the river. He did not welcome us. He was in his own world. He laughed when a guest said that the porter bringing our bags told us it is only 5 mins away. He knew quite well that porters fool the people by telling the visitors that the camps are just round the corner. Cleanliness - The water was brought in steel glasses and there was oil film on surface of the water, so we chose to not drink it. Seeing this Mr.Anurag asked the porter to bring some mineral water bottles. After inquiring, We were shown a bunch of camps which had no beds and were dirty inside. Mr.Anurag told us that the camps will be cleaned in the evening! I told him that we needed to change; still he took his time to understand a basic request for cleanliness. He also made it apparent that our demand was not appropriate. We found it odd that despite his advance knowledge about aur planned arrival; he did not even get the camps cleaned beforehand. Accommodation - We moved our bags into the dormitory and slept on stack beds both nights. The only thing good was that we had comfortable beds and fans under the roof. The temperature was similar to that in Delhi, so the point was why we are here. One side of the dormitory was stacked with mattresses, pillows and blankets. The windows, panes and carpet in the dormitory was old, unkept and unclean. No one came even once for dusting or cleaning while we were there. Over next 2 days we realized that there was a general disregard for cleanliness and hygiene at Giri Camps. The plates were dirty; the food was bland and lacked the taste. There were limited options. The common washrooms and toilets are located next to the kitchen. The pot seats were broken and there was no soap. The camp looked understaffed and the limited staff was overworked. 4 groups – about 80 people checked in while we were there and left within 24 hours without taking the next meal! The discontent with facilities and food was expressed by almost all guests. Activities - In terms of activities there is nothing much to do. There is a short trek to waterfall. You can relax and enjoy by the river or try your skills at archery of shot gun (this is for just a few minutes). For kids they arranged short boat rides just around still waters for a few minutes. But there are no swings or lay things to keep the kids occupied. The evening was slightly cooler and we enjoyed the drinks. The snacks that they offered were too little. On day 2 we were told that the cook had run away last week, so Mr.Anurag was busy making food and there were no snacks available. Not even salad! We used whatever package snacks we had brought with us. Departure - As we were leaving, we were told that the two porters were busy carrying other people’s luggage, so we needed to carry our own bags. They will only bring it till across the river. Next 1.5 kms I carried my bad to the parking lot – after walking across the river thrice at various points and climbing a steep incline – sweating and wondering why we chose Giri Camps for our holiday vacation..There are way better options nearby. Camps at Dhanaulty, Chopta and Rishikesh offer better connectivity, facilities and services at better prices. There is no point suffering to reach Giri Camps and paying through your nose of substandard services, facilities and amenities. Charges - We paid Rs.3500/- per person for 2n/3d. Mr.Anurag also charged us extra Rs.3500/- for water, tea, coffee, snacks which even by Delhi upscale standards is exorbitant. Giri Camps is one example of good marketing and poor service delivery. Will I go there again or refer it my friends? NO Way