Many of you may want to visit the world famous Vaishno Devi temple near Jammu. The base for climbing the mountain either on foot or via horses is a small town called Katra. From there it is a 13km hike up the mountain to the temple. You get horses for hire or you can hike up with family and friends. If you are looking for quality accommodation in Katra, look no further than Best Western Swing High Katra
The 1st thing that I loved about Best Western Swing High katra rooms are that they are very spacious and tastefully done up. All the modern facilities including air conditioning, flat screen TV, fridge, hot running water are available and though it’s on the main road, it has got very good sound proofing so that you can get a sound sleep which you definitely require after a trek up to Vaishno Devi temple!
Each of its 45 rooms and suites is comfortably appointed with a host of ultra-modern conveniences, and provide a personalized, home-away-from-home stay experience. Also they provide a free pick up and drop service to the place from where you have to trek up to Vaishno Devi temple. This is provided 24 hours, I was picked up on return at 3am!
The washroom is quite large and very luxurious providing good facilities to freshen up and to shower. The amenities provided were also of good quality. Though the pricing of the rooms is like 3 star, I felt the entire facilities looked like 4 star quality!
As it a holy city, there is no non-vegetarian food or alcohol allowed in Katra. The multi-cuisine restaurant Cafe Western, with an all vegetarian menu, is located at the lobby level and caters to a wide palate, for people from all regions of India.
I wanted to have a heavy lunch at around 2pm before I head for the trek up to Vaishno Devi temple. So during lunch, I opted for Palak Paneer, Dal Tadka and chapatis. These provided me much required energy as the next meal I had was at 12am, almost 10 hours later after trekking for 10kms in sub-zero temperatures.
In breakfast the next morning, there was good buffet breakfast spread with lots of North Indian and South Indian specialties. You could also order fresh breakfast to be served at the table like puri bhaji or masala dosa. I really liked the flavor of the food which was also less oily.
Another thing I loved about Best Western Swing High Katra hotel is that it provided Jacuzzi facilities which you generally don’t find in a 3 star hotel. I guess the main reason is because you can enjoy the relaxation after trekking the 13km one way trek up to vaishno devi temple.
As an inspiration, the snow capped mountains are visible from the jacuzzi, spa and gym facilities itself. It motivates you to conquer the peaks and give yourself a fitness challenge to do the trek not just for holy reasons but health reasons too!
There is a multi-use exercise room which provides unique relaxation and rejuvenation opportunities. There is also a spacious and well-appointed multi-purpose hall (which comes with its very own kitchen to serve customized requirements and special needs) that completes a multi-dimensional experience.
Exercise facility which is available 24 Hours is located on the 4th floor of Best Western Swing High Katra, providing views of the majestic Trikuta Mountains where Mata Vaishno Devi resides!
To summarize, I would say that Best Western Swing High Katra is the perfect spot for families to stay at Katra not just to visit Vaishno Devi temple but also to visit wonderful snow capped mountains of Patnitop which can be visited by riding in India’s highest gondola (cable car) ride at Skyview Patnitop by Empyrean