We Left Delhi for Jibhi at 1 AM... By Noon, the Trip Had Already Changed

The Trip Finally Began... Or So We Thought

After celebrating our friends' first wedding anniversary, dancing till midnight, and somehow finding enough energy to pack our bags, it was finally time.

The real trip was about to begin.

Or at least, that's what we believed.

We changed into comfortable clothes and settled into the car. After all, this wasn't going to be a short drive.

According to our research—or more accurately, according to Instagram Reels—we were heading to a beautiful little place in Himachal Pradesh called Jibhi.

A hidden paradise.

At least that's how the internet described it.

The reels showed rivers flowing through forests, wooden cottages, mist-covered mountains, and roads that looked straight out of a travel magazine.

The best part?

It was supposedly just 6–7 hours away from Delhi.

Without giving it a second thought, we decided that this was exactly where we wanted to go.

So at around 1 AM, we started our journey.

The roads were mostly empty at that hour.

Delhi was asleep.

The city lights slowly disappeared behind us as we headed towards the highway.

Everybody was excited.

Some were busy discussing what Jibhi would be like.

And some were simply enjoying the feeling of finally being on the road.

Road Trip Rituals At Murthal

Like every North India road trip, there was one mandatory stop that couldn't be missed.

Murthal.

A couple of hours into the journey, we stopped at Amrik Sukhdev.

Even at that odd hour, the place was buzzing with people.

Families.

Groups of friends.

Road trippers like us.

It almost felt as if nobody in North India actually sleeps.

The parking area was packed, the lights were bright, and the aroma of food was impossible to ignore.

We stretched our legs after sitting in the car for hours.

Ordered tea and some quick snacks.

Clicked a few pictures.

Talked about how smooth the journey was going.

Little did we know that the easy part of the drive was already behind us.

At that moment, we were still confidently calculating our arrival time.

"Another six or seven hours and we'll be in Jibhi."

We couldn't have been more wrong.

After a short break, we got back into the car, full of energy and excitement, completely unaware of the endless traffic waiting ahead.

We were confident that by 9 or 10 in the morning, we would be sipping tea somewhere in the mountains.

Life, however, had other plans.

The Traffic Nobody Warned Us About

For the first few hours, everything felt perfect.

The roads were quiet.

The excitement was high.

Everyone was discussing what we would do once we reached Jibhi.

Somewhere in our minds, the trip had already begun.

Then came the traffic.

And not normal traffic.

The kind of traffic that makes you question every decision you've ever made.

The kind where you spend more time staring at the same vehicle ahead than actually moving.

Hour after hour passed.

Morning arrived.

Then noon.

And by around 12 PM, we had barely covered half the distance.

Half.

Not even close to Jibhi.

At this point, everyone was exhausted.

But the person suffering the most was undoubtedly my husband.

He had been driving continuously for hours.

Very little sleep.

A full night of driving.

Traffic.

Heat.

And still no destination in sight.

Something had to change.

The U-Turn That Saved The Trip

Our original plan was to continue driving and stop at the first decent hotel we found along the way.

The problem was simple.

The traffic wasn't allowing us to move anywhere.

Even reaching the next town felt impossible.

So after discussing every possible option, we made a decision.

A complete U-turn.

Quite literally.

Instead of fighting traffic endlessly, we decided to turn back and find a place to stay nearby.

And honestly, it turned out to be the best decision of the entire trip.

After driving for another 10–15 minutes following the U-turn, we found a property that immediately caught our attention.

The moment we saw it, we knew we had made the right choice.

A Surprise Stay In The Mountains

The hotel looked beautiful.

It was surrounded by mountains.

There was water flowing nearby.

A large open ground spread across the property.

The rooms were scattered between greenery and peaceful surroundings.

After spending half a day trapped in traffic, it felt like we had discovered an oasis.

Fortunately, we had already spoken to the hotel staff while standing in the traffic queue, so the rooms were ready when we arrived.

We parked the car, collected our luggage, and headed straight inside.

Nobody wanted sightseeing anymore.

Nobody wanted adventure.

At that moment, we wanted only two things.

Food.

And sleep.

Food First, Then Sleep

The first thing we did after reaching the room was order lunch.

By then, even the thought of food felt comforting.

After freshening up, we sat together and finally enjoyed a proper meal.

It was one of those meals that tastes extra good simply because you're exhausted.

Nobody was talking much anymore.

The excitement had temporarily been replaced by tiredness.

Once lunch was over, everyone disappeared into their beds.

Especially my husband.

After driving for so many hours, a good sleep wasn't a luxury anymore.

It was a necessity.

And honestly, all of us needed it.

The Evening We Didn't Expect

A few hours later, we woke up feeling like completely different people.

The exhaustion had faded.

The frustration of traffic was gone.

The mountains looked beautiful.

The weather felt pleasant.

And suddenly, the trip was exciting again.

In the evening, we stepped out to explore the property and its surroundings.

We walked around the grounds.

Admired the mountain views.

Enjoyed the calm atmosphere.

And then naturally moved towards food.

Because every good trip somehow revolves around food.

Tea.

Coffee.

Maggi.

Pakoras.

Everything tasted better with mountain views.

We sat there for a long time, simply enjoying the moment.

No rushing.

No schedules.

No traffic.

Just peace.

Another Night Of Fun

Since we had no plans for the night, somebody came up with a dangerous suggestion.

"What if we have another party?"

Nobody disagreed.

So naturally, that's exactly what happened.

We ordered snacks.

Ordered dinner.

Found a comfortable place to sit.

And began doing what we do best.

Talking.

Laughing.

Playing games.

Sharing stories.

Making fun of each other.

Repeating old jokes that somehow never get old.

Hours passed without anybody noticing.

The funny thing was that we had spent an entire day doing almost nothing that we had originally planned.

We hadn't reached Jibhi.

We hadn't explored Himachal.

We hadn't completed our itinerary.

And yet, somehow, it had become one of the most enjoyable days of the trip.

Maybe because the best memories are often unplanned.

Tomorrow, Jibhi

Eventually, the food disappeared.

The conversations slowed down.

The games ended.

And one by one, everyone headed back to their rooms.

This time, there were no alarms for midnight departures.

No traffic worries.

No office work.

Just a comfortable bed and a mountain view waiting outside.

Tomorrow, we would finally continue our journey.

Tomorrow, we would reach Jibhi.

At least, that was the plan.

And by now, we had already learned that travel plans have a habit of changing when you least expect them to.