Dharamkot & Bhagsu, India | Cool Towns in the Himalayas

Exploring the peaceful little towns of Dharamkot and Bhagsu near McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala in the Himalaya Mountains of India.
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Music during the video (in order):
"Bollywood Trip 1" by Magnus Ringblom
&
"Bansure Raga" by Doug Maxwell
&
"Dhaka" by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/
&
"Tango in Mumbai" by Quincas Moreira
&
"Shiva's Morning" by Pawan Krishna
Need some good music for your KZbin videos? I use and recommend Epidemic Sound. To get a free 30-day trial click here: share.epidemics...
Video created by Gabriel Morris, who is the owner of all video or photo content. Filmed with a DJI Osmo Action: amzn.to/3gSi8rA
**Disclaimer: Gabriel Morris is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, Gabriel earns revenue from qualifying purchases.
Gabriel is a world traveler and travel writer who has been adventuring around the world since his first trip to Europe in the summer of 1990 when he was 18 years old. He is author of "Gabe's Guide to Budget Travel", "Following My Thumb" and several other books available on Amazon.com and elsewhere.
Thanks a lot for watching and safe journeys!

[@matthewmorris7510]

Wow, really well made Gabriel. Loved that, nice music mixes were good as well, Both dharamkot & Bhagsu look unrecognisable, but Dharamkot looks like the better place to stay now. Dharamkot still looks fairly pedestianised whereas Bhagsu looks noisier and busier nowadays. It was a great scene up there in the 90's. It looks like it still is pretty cool. I used to walk to Dharamkot every morning to do Yoga there. Last time I was there Tony Blair had just been elected.

[@forsakingfear3652]

My favourite youtube traveller in one of my favourite countries.

[@CYBORGOne]

Where are you from

[@forsakingfear3652]

@@CYBORGOne North Yorkshire in Northern England.

[@ErvuJukl]

@@forsakingfear3652 you should be in Newcastle instead

[@JSdottir]

My thought exactly

[@forsakingfear3652]

@ErvuJukl Newcastle is nearly as good as Yorkshire. If I was to ever leave God's own county, then Northumberland would be my second choice.

[@explorernikita]

I am blessed to see this series. Your videos on the Himalaya are so satisfying and eye relaxing. I also watched your whole Nepal series, specially about langtang village. It was quite emotional. THANK YOU.

[@matthewmorris7510]

That spot up the top of the ridge where you got dropped off. Well I remember there was a party up there one night, and everyone in the area was told about it, and they asked if everyone could bring guitars, instruments etc. Well I was still really just learning guitar at the time, and carried my guitar up there thinking i was going to be strumming in the background of 5 or 6 other guitarists only to find I was the only one that had brought any instrument and had to sing and play in front of 60+ people. I've had more relaxed evenings than that. Lovely seeing all that again, thanks.

[@stephenworthington-white8294]

It doesn't look so quaint up in the villages anymore!! Growth is very expected in such an amazing area so no surprises in that regard. I really enjoyed the mix of cultures. There are so many classes to take as a traveller. You are right say that it is a great place to spend some time. Been three times and stayed for at least 3 weeks every time!! Best pizza in India was in between those two villages! Happy Travels

[@DCTravelerExperience]

I think the place in the photo you saw at the temple was of a monastery in Mundgod which is a town in the state of Karnataka in South India. That also is one of the largest Tibetan settlements.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Looks like you're right, it's in Karnataka.

[@ripudamandixit4192]

I kind of lived here and graduated from high school at CST Mundgod, awesome place with my fellow Tibetans.

[@stankormy5717]

It seems so peaceful there!

[@BoguslawSzedny]

You are again in India. Nice! I love Dharamkot 💛 I hope I will get back there 🙂

[@BoguslawSzedny]

and Bhagsu as well 😊

[@kenlygreat9010]

Weed ? 😂😂😂​@@BoguslawSzedny

[@apostolia2124]

Stunning nature and ... COLORS and beautiful clothes !! so joyful ambience !! ✨✨

[@ErvuJukl]

Positive vibrations man

[@isamaaltaein8672]

Hi Gabe, thank you for sharing your adventure. We are waiting next video. chaos

[@VickySafari108]

Hey Gabriel. Mungod is in South India and is a huge Tibetan settlement. I have attended teachings there with The Dalai Lama. You have to apply for a PAP, a permit to enter the area. There are several large monasteries there.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Right on, good to know.

[@Norbulhamo62]

It was hilarious wheb Gabriel asked the local Indian man where’s Mundgod and he pointed like it’s around the corner. How Gabriel pronounced Mundgod was cute

[@sethschmucker4238]

That is where I want to go to in India!!

[@flysky6248]

I bet that India is a favorite destination for Gabriel.Cheers.

[@BoguslawSzedny]

14:10 On left there is very popular restaurant "Space Out cafe" in Dharamkot. The owner is a polish lady 🙂

[@BoguslawSzedny]

Greetings from Zakopane - a beautiful town in a Polish mountains 😊

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

I've heard about it, sounds nice.

[@ArcAudios77]

Great watch, thanks Gabriel. Best wishes are sent, stay safe.

[@MMA_FAN556]

it's india not Pakistan🇵🇰😂😂😂

[@gascid]

Gab

[@BoguslawSzedny]

19:31 the white building on the right it's a small but nice international Ashram with a lovely host 🙏

[@mariadange06]

The Mata Lal Devi Temple in Amritsar is a larger version that has tunnels and surprises around corners.

[@wilfredotorres6628]

Hi Gabriel, oh yes, the two towns are more inviting for Westerners Dharamkot and Bhagsu have more of a relaxed feel and great retreats for Yoga and camaraderie with other travelers. I see you mentioned some great trips and I'm guessing you're going to visit some new areas that you have in mind. Pleasant walking around these two towns with plenty of places to eat and cafes to enjoy live music. You should have kept a warm hat. You'll need it soon it's going to get cold in November and especially if you move further North.

[@JustDaveIsFine561]

I wanders around Northern India for about three weeks a few years ago. A traveler could spend a year there and not see it all. Thanks for your content 👍

[@19bendunk]

I spoted Hebrew 5 times 😁 have a good trip gabe

[@kunera1]

I absolutely love this series so far and I can't wait to visit the Himalayas myself!

[@microsatellites]

Om Namah Shivay... great track at the end. Thanks Gabriel.

[@glennplumlee9155]

Dharamkot looks sweet!!

[@ketoauntie7301]

I like that your travel videos aren't overdone when it comes to editing, as this simpler way makes it completely authentic @Gabe 👍

[@jennyoshea1958]

Just catching up with all your videos now, Gabriel. India is so exciting 🌟🍁🤗

[@SwiftyTravels]

I absolutely love your dreadlocks! Great memories!!

[@kunchokdolma7666]

Mungkod is in South india, where there are many tibetan settlements and monasteries.

[@janeldunn65]

I love this place ❤… McLoud with its connection to Scotland and Fort William I looked up his father wow so interesting .. the son buried in London after he had been trying to help the poorest people in poorest areas of London back in the 1800s .. but I expect you knew that 😊

[@jillytravels9317]

Certainly see it has a cool vibe, probably part of its charm, is getting lost amongst the colourful lanes.....Never a dream to visit India, but can see its attraction, especially this area....

[@user-zn1ww6sl9r]

The balancing act that needs to be achieved for the bird (Soul) to reach the fruit of enlightenment by balancing the thoughts (Run hither tither like a rabbit), which must control the human mind (Distracted like a monkey) which must live in and control the physical body(elephant), hence Yoga!

[@Nature_with_Peter_Kane]

6:00 It's strange...3 passenger vans passing by with Canadian flags on the back side and on the front bumper... I wonder what''s the connection LOL Cheers

[@ErvuJukl]

Don't really care bruh

[@jonnyreggae100]

Canadian Sikhs on holiday?

[@AnimalChatter-br1cv]

@@ErvuJukl If you don't care keep scrolling

[@ErvuJukl]

@@AnimalChatter-br1cv he saw 3 vans with maple leafs 🥱

[@ErvuJukl]

@@AnimalChatter-br1cv c'mon man!

[@solarml469]

It's very interesting to follow you, especially in the same places where I have visited

[@jampuppy]

I am surprised to see so much Hebrew. Interesting. I shaved my head in 1995 too! Never had dreads though. 😊 Looking forward to more from amazing India!

[@SK-xw4gu]

It is called Mini Israel as a lot of tourists from Israel come and stay there. Hence the Hebrew signages.

[@gogadev]

India is a Izzy friendly country

[@user-cm6hr7kw3z]

So Beautiful episode Thanks Gabriel

[@klesstur]

I stayed there for a while a few years back and love it when you notice the vibes of good places, you should definitely go again for dinner at bodhi greens and hopefully a jam in the area

[@ErvuJukl]

Positive vibrations man

[@youtooaromatherapyyoga2991]

Oh my! I so need to get back to India!

[@avi2125]

8:00 Right next to Tushita is the Goenka Vipassana Center, which you seem to have breezed past 😮😅. Bhagsu has a fairly clean public swimming pool/tank, a rarity for India...

[@Ugtraveleatbhappy5]

Total Nostalgia Loving it even tho it’s crowded a little dusty well it seems so And the strains of Om Nama Shivaya Ohh so soothing

[@0anant0]

I was at Tushita last month (Oct '23) for 10 day course in Buddhism and visited Dharamkot, Bhagsu, Dharamshala and Khanyara -- remembered walking all those streets in the video. Was lucky and honored to attend a talk by His Holiness Dalai Lama. This video brought back good memories!

[@ronrash5895]

Cool temple and cool video. Hopefully, I will be in the Dharamkot after December 1st. I know, it will be cold!

[@christinasweeney9428]

Hello Sir....hope you are about to do the Lahaul , Spiti route back to Kinnuar . The drive from Kaza to Rekong Peo truely is epic and some of the biggest landscape you will ever see . Then rest a few days in KALPA for one of the best Himalayan vista's right in front of you ,,Kinnuar Kalaish Range . enjoy !!

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Good plan, thanks for the tips.

[@VickySafari108]

Yesterday I commented that McLeod Gang looked quieter than I have ever seen it. Now I see that Dharamkot is even quieter - probably because Dharamkot is largely populated by young Israeli tourists, and many of them have probably been made to return to Israel.

[@ErvuJukl]

They went to Dagestan? 😮

[@peterhadley1654]

You are late for the Spiti Valley. We went via Lahoul in 1983. Dalai Lama was in Lahoul for festival where sand painting mandala ceremony was held. Too cold after September. Best in summer.

[@dee74raz]

Most of the foreign tourists who go there to that place are Israelis and since early October many have gone back to Israel 🇮🇱 as army reservists. Basically when you complete compulsory military service in Israel, you still remain as part of army reservists in case they get called up during wars, which Israel 🇮🇱 is now facing. Hence why there maybe not many foreign tourists (I.e. Israelis) you see, as many of them have gone back to join the army reserves.

[@BomBoyzhiphop]

Exactly that might be the case 🤔

[@Azokyjuf902]

Aur Jewish Rothschild family tou Congress ko fund karti h hume gulam banaye rakhne k liye🤦‍♂️Mulle or Inme koi difference nahi. Inko sar m chadana band karo.

[@dee74raz]

@@BomBoyzhiphop Also the Israelis want to go back to their country because it is in war and many were worried that they maybe stranded abroad, because many flights going to Israel 🇮🇱 were cancelled because of the war situation there.

[@BomBoyzhiphop]

@@dee74raz man I think slowly but kind of surely we are Sleepwalking into WW3 🥺🫴

[@junglie]

Great sounds the best time to go there then.

[@lkm5462]

Itchy boots was just all over on her bike in Kashmir

[@laurencericheletlechapelie6500]

Whaaaaaa je suis restée 1 mois a baghsu en 2014 c'est génial de revoir tout ça 10 ans après... A l'époque il n'y avait qu'un sentier de baghsu a daramkot et tous les rikshaws pour rentrer a mac load ganj n'existent plus ils n'y a que des Taxi blanc... A pieds encore mieux! Bravo la vidéo est top!

[@E5330]

Hi Gabriel. I have been watching since you started off the journey with "Gokarna Beach". :D Stay happy and blessed mate

[@jerrykorolchuk6114]

Gabe i really love this content i give u like 👍 i very much enjoyed watching this video 📹.

[@stevenpentz5188]

Hi Gabriel it looks like an interesting city.

[@ErvuJukl]

Are there some Christian temples there too?

[@elizabethcraig5825]

Love walking with you and listening to your past experiences, such a treasure you are to us.😊❤

[@thewillsfamilyaccount6486]

Beautiful!! 😊

[@TheSwede70]

Those vibes are great! Can almost feel it through the screen. I will always remember the vibes in Kovalam beach (at least in the mid 90's) as my reference for the Indian traveler vibe.

[@arjunraj823]

The nearby Varkala beach is now more popular.

[@BoguslawSzedny]

6:30 when you wake up around 50 meters they have good food 😊

[@commoneuropeanstarling]

Looks amazing!! Would love to visit.

[@gerry9306]

Buy a ticket and go!

[@dextardextar]

that temple was so neat

[@thortessem271]

Great story.

[@jksezhey1]

I’m ready for more Greece videos…when you checkin on your Pham in Santorini?

[@ErvuJukl]

He can't visit the Schengen zone for 90 days

[@gerry9306]

The Greece vids were boring. Time for new destinations

[@jksezhey1]

@@ErvuJukl thank u

[@jksezhey1]

@@gerry9306 yeah be nice to see some new spots from Gabriel the legend. Australia was new territory for him and absolutely beautiful videography!

[@ErvuJukl]

@@jksezhey1 Yes, Australia and the South Pacific would be awesome. But I fear that he'll show us boring Cyprus again.

[@StartLivingNow1963]

Another Awesome Adventure Gabriel through streets of Dharamkot & Bhagsu so Beautiful and Amazing India is🙂Watching from New Brunswick Canada🙂

[@ivysprieto6058]

Fantastic, saved for later 👏 ♥️🙏

[@Sonamkunchok108]

Now i remember. That MUNDGOD. Is in karnataka state. .just a One hour bus distance from Hubbali city. You may remember you was there at Hubbali old bus park. In 2019 i was there at. SHAR GADEN MINASTERY STUDENT. & GADEN JANGTSE MINASTERY also near from. You went to OM BEACH. 🤔. At MUNDGOD there is so many monasterys and university. Also tibetan refugee camp.

[@pamelamann9293]

So glad to see more India videos. Looking forward to finding out where you are going next.

[@Rafa_Llamazares]

Great video Gabe

[@subhrodey6043]

Gabe come to my state West Bengal ❤

[@janerikkvarsten2273]

I think you got the direction wrong about the direction to the triund trek. There is also some good village treks to around the area, and a nice waterfall you can go to if you ain't afraid of heights :)

[@DiscoveringDestinations90]

Thanks for sharing Gabriel.

[@gerry9306]

Sharing? It's his livelihood.

[@rafaelw.1132]

Are you going to collab with Harald? It would be awesome

[@ErvuJukl]

Oil and water

[@MdeRuiz]

Love you Gabriel! Could you move camera a bit slower and show some store fronts ? Thank you!

[@Pureexhiliration]

07:45 here's the background story on that mural en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_harmonious_animals. Enjoyed this video, thank you

[@craigleewhite6317]

Hey Gabe. Craig the soo delighted at your travel show. WOW! You don't mess about. If I were a hip traveler too I would go there! It's as though your training has you in good stead where anyone else wouldn't be savvy enough. Thanks Gabriel. From UK.

[@ErvuJukl]

I think you're very hip Craig Lee

[@gogadev]

Bro didn't have his meal in the end.💀💀

[@ErvuJukl]

Nah bro

[@naveex6968]

Hinduism and Buddhism are brothers from the same mother. Both are non religions, have common origins in the culture of Ancient India. Buddhism arose in the eastern Ganges culture of northern India during the "second urbanisation" around 500 BCE. Hinduism is basically the yogic culture. Both have many shared practices, but also pronounced differences that have led to much debate. in both people wear Saffron clothes, say namaste, Chant OM(AUM). buddhist and hindu monks used to live in india and share same common language - sanskrit and both go hand in hand with each other and they do samadhi which buddhist too do. hindu and buddhist monk used to sit and learn together in one of world’s oldest and then largest university nalanda university. gautama buddha is considered as 9th avatar or reincarnation of lord vishnu in Hinduism.

[@costaloppas7480]

Hi Gabriel, loving the music in the videos , reminds me of The Silver Gun by Robert Palmer , great track , not sure if you know it

[@sunnygillstar8661]

film your travel adventures as well

[@seventhsun1]

11:31 what a place, even cows are so chilled over there :P

[@TravelonlineWalk]

Nice

[@JesseStLouis]

I hope you max out the 6 months that you can stay at a time on your visa 🙏

[@ash9x9]

havent seen a dog accompanying you yet on these trek this time around..?

[@larrymaietta5912]

Should of tried Joy vegan restaurant @10.11min into the video.,😗

[@KevinSolway]

I did the Manali-Leh bus trip back in the 90's, and it was dangerous. Many wash-outs, break-downs, and rock-falls.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Sounds intense. Probably a better road now. There's a tunnel through the high pass now, which I went through later in my trip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmiaiYupo6d5nMU

[@KevinSolway]

@@GabrielTravelerVideos When I did it, I don't remember any of the road being sealed, except for the last bit into Leh. The bus journey was supposed to take three days, but took six. Half of the people on the bus were suffering from altitude sickness.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Sounds like a crazy journey. I think it's all paved now. Not as much of an adventure. But you don't have to go far to find other roads that are more exciting, such as the one to the Spiti valley. I was planning to go there but decided against it due to reports of the road conditions combined with the possibility of winter weather. Hopefully I'll get the chance to give it a try another time during summer.

[@TravelingEddie]

Gabe Dharamkot looks like a very chilled out place for foreign travelers similar to Tapovan and Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. My kind of vibe. That temple was really something on the flipside of things and I've been to quite a few temples in Incredible India. Boob Marley the dude called you🤣🤣 . Was it because he mispronounced Bob? Thanks.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@SK-xw4gu]

Hi Gabe: Interesting video of Dharamkot & Bhagsu. The former looks like the better place. By the way, I had commented in your earlier video that the "kot" in that place is pronounced like "coat" and not "cot", as you pronounce it every time. You can certainly be very obstinate at times.

[@Roblynch5550]

We are all enjoying walking the paths of india with you. We wish you a safe adventure, you are a loved adventurer by all your subscribers. Did you read Matthew Perry, passed on, in the USA. 😢

[@brianr5920]

good video

[@reeshavgohain]

Hey Gabriel, I don't know if you'll see my comment but please do visit the North Eastern states of India! I know you've visited Sikkim but true North East is Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. I think you should do Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh atleast once.

[@HuckleberryDread]

No Woman, No Cry, No Chapati, No Chai...

[@gerry9306]

Chapati is not healthy

[@HuckleberryDread]

@@gerry9306 Ok....

[@gerry9306]

@@HuckleberryDread chai is very good sir, but only if not too sweet. Too much sugar is very bad Mr Huckle.

[@HuckleberryDread]

@@gerry9306 Thanks for the health tips! Ram Ram

[@gerry9306]

@@HuckleberryDread you're welcome Mr Huckle. Also, you should cut down on your red meat intake.

[@annkk5037]

My favourite traveller, thanks for the great video and narrative!

[@gerry9306]

I like the long rambling, inane stories

[@BoguslawSzedny]

26:50 I spent 10 day very close to this Temple but haven't visited. Next time I will 🙂

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Hey Bo. ✌️

[@aguimars]

Many people in cities, my question is whether sewage treatment in these Indian cities is effective? A lot of people bathing in rivers, I worry about whether the water is clean. But one thing is interesting at least. A lot of people but everyone works, very different from LA or San Francisco or Portland and other cities in the USA, and this crazy world with a lot of homelessness and a lot of problems.

[@woesartenzin5184]

I find Mcleodganj relaxing and fun or felaxing

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Sounds good to me.

[@kubsang]

Gabriel, Mundgod is Tibetan settlement in South Indian.

[@mcmagdayoga]

I went from Leh to Manali in July 2003, I went to Amarnath in June 2001, I thought the Manali Leh , although less so, was as spectacular as Amarnath, someone informed me that now, October 2023 thst route is only open for the local residents, hope you can make it any way somehow

[@VK-sb5tf]

This is not the season, this is goa season for all the foreigners

[@seeingyouontube]

I have to say the temple does look like a Halloween Spook house! Quite seasonal!

[@gerry9306]

You speak sacrilege

[@seeingyouontube]

@@gerry9306 I guess I’m an infidel for expressing my thoughts. Dear me, peace on brother!

[@gerry9306]

@@seeingyouontube the temple is a sacred place of worship not something for your "Halloween" amusement. Try to respect other cultures and religions lady.

[@seeingyouontube]

Please respect my right to speak, Sir. Chillax!

[@gerry9306]

@@seeingyouontube Absolutely, I respect your right to speak, and I'm chill. However, at the same time you should respect my right to give my opinion on your comment. It works both ways lady.

[@yakuzaboy99]

It is great to be back in India again Gabriel. 👍👍 Just to let you know Mundgod is a small city in south India in Karnataka state. Have a great times !

[@shreyanshrai9300]

You should definitely visit rishikesh and kasol best faces to be in India

[@bartonsky]

Always enjoy your videos. Best travel Vlogger out there! You motivated me to trek in Nepal and now I want to see India. Do you think August would be horrible to visit India w the rains? Have you ever traveled in India during August? Thank you.

[@GabrielTravelerVideos]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying the vids. I've never traveled India in August but I think it would be pretty rough since it's right in the middle of the monsoon. Lots of rain and potential flooding throughout much of the country. I'd say better to wait until October. But who knows, maybe it would be an amazing experience anyway. Perhaps there are certain places you could go where it wouldn't be as rainy, though if it wasn't raining then it might be crazy hot.

[@bartonsky]

@@GabrielTravelerVideosthank you for your helpful feedback.

[@rajivchowdhury904]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤