Deodar Ridge — 3-Bedroom Cottage in the Cedars, Mashobra

Deodar Ridge is twenty-five minutes beyond Shimla's Mall Road, where the traffic thins out and the cedar forest begins. Three bedrooms sleep six, with room heaters and electric blankets for the winter months.

The living room has a wood-burning fireplace; the deck outside looks across the valley to the Shali peak. Kamla ji cooks Himachali meals on request — siddu, madra and rajma — or you can use the kitchen.

The last 80 metres from the parking are a paved walk. In January and February the road can close for a few hours after heavy snow.