Nagrota Surian is a small town on the edge of the Pong Dam Lake wetlands, and the most practical base for exploring this Ramsar-designated bird sanctuary. The lake and its surrounding marshes attract hundreds of thousands of migratory birds between November and March, including bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, and various species of wader. The lake is also one of the best places in the western Himalayas for mahseer fishing.
The best reason to arrive here by train rather than road is the Kangra Valley Railway, a narrow-gauge line running from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The stretch from Kangra to Nagrota Surian passes through rugged Shivalik valleys and canyons, crossing rushing rivers on narrow bridges. It is one of the more scenic rail journeys in Himachal Pradesh and a worthwhile experience in its own right.
Day trips from town can reach the Masrur rock-cut temples (35km east), and between March and June the Bathu Ki Ladi temples emerge from the reservoir as water levels drop — an unusual and photographically striking sight. The town itself is quiet and agricultural, surrounded by farmland and the flat marshy fringes of the lake. There is little in the way of tourist infrastructure, but that is part of its appeal if you are coming for the birdwatching.