Renuka Lake, Nahan - A Rain-Soaked Road Trip with Kids, Parathas & a Turtle Goodbye

Renuka Ji Lake

Some trips begin with a plan. Ours began with a craving — a craving for a weekend away from Delhi’s honking symphony. One phone call to my friend later, we were set for Renuka Ji Lake in Himachal Pradesh. Google reviews on TripAdvisor were glowing, the pictures looked serene, and the dhaba stops were calling.

Chapter One: The Plan v/s The Reality

The plan: leave at 5 a.m. sharp, beat the traffic, kids happily dozing in the backseat.

Reality: 7 a.m., we’re still stuffing snacks, diaper bags and “just in case” sweaters into the car. My son and my friend’s daughter eyed us adults like “these people can’t get their life together.”

We finally picked up my friend, his wife, and their daughter. After battling school buses, office-goers, and cows claiming their lane space, we touched NH-8 and the car breathed a sigh of relief.

We’d planned to leave at 5 a.m. sharp. Reality: 7 a.m. Because kids, packing, and last-minute diaper situations. We picked up my friend, his wife, and their little daughter, and squeezed everything — humans, luggage, snacks, and baby toys — into my car.

Chapter Two: The Dhaba Diplomacy

I was in “driver-on-a-mission” mode, ignoring requests to stop for breakfast. But my wife’s side-eye at 8:30 a.m. could have stopped a moving truck. For my own survival, I swerved into a roadside dhaba at Karnal.

Breakfast was a blissful blur of buttery aloo parathas, tangy curd, and masala chai. Kids nibbled, adults devoured. We burped contentedly and hit the road again, now slightly rounder but happier.

Chapter Three: The Drive Turns Bollywood

Past Kurukshetra, we veered toward Kala Amb on NH-73. Suddenly the weather turned cinematic: grey skies, mist curling over green fields, raindrops dotting the windshield. The playlist became our soundtrack as the hills began to rise.

Chapter Four: Nahan Stopover – Tikkas in the Rain

Nahan greeted us like an old Himalayan town should: narrow roads, small markets, and endless greenery. We’d booked a hotel for a night to break our journey. After a hearty lunch and power naps, we set off to explore Pakka Talaab and Rani Tal.

There, locals lounged, kids splashed, and we munched on chicken tikka and paneer tikka as drizzle perfumed the air. By 7 p.m., we were back at the hotel balcony ordering pakoras with steaming chai, watching rain paint the hills silver. The perfect prelude to a good night’s sleep.

Chapter Five: Mission Renuka Ji (Delayed, of course)

Plan: wake up at dawn, reach Renuka Ji Lake by 9.

Reality: woke up late, cursed ourselves, packed in a hurry, left under drizzle. Landslides slowed us but also added a dash of adventure to our morning drive.

Every bend offered Instagram-worthy views: waterfalls cascading down mossy rocks, clouds flirting with treetops. We stopped often — sometimes for chai, sometimes just to breathe in the monsoon air.

Chapter Six: Parshuram Tal – Myth Meets Reality

Our first stop: Parshuram Tal, adjacent to Renuka Ji Lake. Legend says this is the birthplace of Lord Parshuram, sixth incarnation of Vishnu. Hills cocoon the pond, fishes dance below, and a lone turtle became our spirit animal. We fed the fishes; they approved. We fed the turtle; he blinked slowly. My wife did her full influencer-pose photo-shoot while the hills looked on.

Parshuram Tal

Chapter Seven: Renuka Ji Lake – The Goddess

Two minutes later we reached the Renuka Ji Lake, Himachal’s largest natural lake at 672 m above sea level. From above, the lake resembles a reclining woman — said to be Renuka Ji herself.

We parked at HPTDC’s Hotel Renuka Ji, the only property right at the lake’s edge. Basic rooms, yes, but million-dollar view. We sipped hot chai with cutlets in the hotel lawn, watching mist curl over the water.

Things to do at Renuka Ji Lake:

• Boating – Paddleboats in the middle of misty hills.
• Evening Walks – Around the lake or hotel lawns.
• Spiritual Pause – Visit the Renuka Ji Temple nearby.
• Photography – Lakeside, hills, or turtle selfies.

That evening we strolled by the water, no crowds, no horns — just the sound of kids giggling and rain on leaves. Dinner at the hotel was hearty North Indian fare, followed by a short walk under dripping pine trees.

Chapter Eight: A Morning at the Zoo

Next morning we woke up early, had bed tea, and went exploring the mini-zoo encircling the lake. Entry is free if you walk, or you can drive your car in for a small fee — guess which option we picked with kids and humidity. We spotted leopards, bears, a lion, deer, and lots of peacocks. Kids squealed; adults sweated.

Best Time to Visit

July–September (Monsoon): Greenest views, waterfalls, mist — but slower drives due to landslides.

October–March (Winter): Clear skies, crisp mornings, great for walks.

April–June (Pre-Monsoon): Pleasant hill weather, fewer tourists.

How to Reach

• By Road: ~260 km from Delhi. Route: Delhi – Karnal – Kurukshetra – Kala Amb – Nahan – Renuka Ji Lake.
• By Train: Nearest big stations are Ambala or Chandigarh; then cab to Nahan/Renuka Ji.
• By Air: Chandigarh Airport (about 90 km away).

🍲 Food Guide (Because Travel = Eating)

• On the Way: Karnal dhabas for parathas & chai.
• In Nahan: Local tikkas, pakoras near Pakka Talaab.
• At Renuka Ji Lake: HPTDC Hotel Renuka Ji for chai & cutlets with a view.

Tip: Pack snacks for kids; options are limited near the lake.

🐢 Epilogue: Goodbye, Turtle

Before leaving we fed the fishes one last time and waited for our turtle friend. Just as we were about to go, he floated toward us — the slowest, cutest goodbye ever.

With that, our car was ready to “fly” back to Delhi, carrying paratha memories, rain-soaked selfies, and the scent of pine needles.