Manali Himachal Pradesh
Call/Whatsapp now for bookings and more details - +91 7018319485
Manali is also known as Honeymooners paradise because it is one of the favourite destinations for the newly wed. The place is full of newly married couples from all parts of India and abroad. The natural beauty of the place is mesmerizing and the breathtaking views of Manali are amazing. The exotic places are free from pollution and full of greenly and natural beauty.
Are you planning a vacation to Manali? Do you want to know the best places to see in and around Manali? Are you looking for less crowded and more beautiful places which are peaceful and free from pollution? Do you want to know how you can plan your trip to Kullu Manali in Himachal Pradesh
Places To See and Do in Manali
While in Manali there are so many things you can do. The advantage to be in Manali is that it has snow-covered slopes, Wooded forests, green open valleys and the fast-flowing Beas make Manali an ideal destination for idyllic strolls. The adventure sports lovers also throng to Manali because here is a montaineering institute and lot of adventure sports activities are organized for the people who want to experience the snow.
If you want to watch closely the local culture, you have many villages in and around Manali. The wooden houses with ceilings made of slates and temples around is another attraction. And the food and lazing within town can be memorable.
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The temples in Manali
The temples of Manali are interesting for many reasons. The Kullu-Manali region is rare in its worship of sages, such as the rishi-munis of ancient Indian epics. Sage Manu and Sage Vashishtha are worshipped in the two main ancient temples, which, however, have been reconstructed in stone and new wood. The third deity, local goddess Hadimba, is even more interesting for defying the usual norms by being a demon. Hadimba married Bhima the Pandava when he was exiled to the forest, and bore him a demon son, Ghatotkacha.
Architecturally, the Hadimba Temple is worth seeing as it has been left pretty much untouched in all its 400-year-old wooden glory. The dark wood on its sloping roof glows like burnished metal, tall deodars frame the temple and the protected stretch of woods nearby exudes peace. Every year, in May, the Hadimba fair is celebrated with local music, dances, and animal sacrifices. On the temple walls, you can still see antlers from deer sacrificed many years back.
The temples of this area are also interesting because of their tradition of shamans, called gur. The spirit of the deity enters the gur on important occasions and makes its wishes known.
Walking in Manali
If you enjoy exploring and walking peacefully, go past the Manu or Vashishtha temples (which are the end points for most tourists), past the Old Manali or Vashishtha villages, and soak in some crowd-free beauty. Fifteen minutes past Old Manali, you can sit by the Manalsu stream, with perhaps some horses or sheep for company and usually not a soul in sight. Further on, a shepherds’ trail goes up a hill. Some half an hour’s hike along this narrow path yields utterly enchanting views of the river, eventually seen emerging through a thick, secretive forest. Past Vashishtha Village, you walk through some woods and land up at another stream and eventually the Vashishtha waterfall.
Near Manali bazaar on The Mall, look for the protected Van Vihar stretch. This is a beautiful 20-min trail through pine and deodar woods, which teaches you that darkness can be luminous too. The trail runs parallel to the Manalsu and ends near the Old Manali bridge.
Adventure at Solang Manali
Solang Nallah is a pretty green stretch, 13 km from Manali, where most of the area’s adventure activity is centred. It’s a popular picnic spot, but also has plenty of getaway space for those willing to walk a bit extra. You can make a day trip there by bus, taxi or car from Manali, or even camp overnight.
There are 2.5 km of ski-runs, and come January, even beginners can try their hand at this mountain sport. HPTDC runs skiing courses here, details of which can be obtained from their office in New Delhi. If you haven’t done this before, you can still try paragliding. The 2-min joyride will either scare you out of your wits or whet your appetite for the longer 10- to 15-min high rides (which cost around Rs 500 and Rs 1,700 respectively).
The Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (Tel: 01902-252137/ 206/ 342, 253789), North Face Adventure Tours (Tel: 252441) and Himalayan Adventures (Tel: 252750), among others, organise activities along with the equipment and guides.
River rafting in Manali
The Beas is a wild river and rafting on it requires strong nerves and stamina. The rafting season lasts from May to mid-June and from end-September to mid-October. The trip starts at Pirdi and terminates after a 16-km lurch-and-toss ride at Jhirhi. Prices vary from Rs 600-1,000 depending on the number of people, and include transport, equipment and a guide.
Drive to Rohtang Pass Manali
The 51-km climb up to the 13,400-foot high pass is formidable. The many happy picnickers probably don’t know that ‘Rohtang’ means ‘pile of corpses’ in Tibetan. Many of these corpses belonged to the hapless residents of the Lahaul Valley at the far north of Himachal, which the Rohtang Pass connects to Manali and the rest of India for a few months of the year at least.
But once on top, the stunning panoramas of the glorious array of snow peaks and glaciers, and the desolate Lahaul Valley below, would banish all fears. So hire a four-wheel drive, and head for this wind-swept precious strip of land. It is best to plan your trip to Manali around the time when the pass is open to tourists (July-September usually), if Rohtang is your main interest. Hitting the pass by motorcycle (Rs 300 a day excluding petrol, from Old Manali) is another exhilarating experience.
You’ll pass the Solang Nallah at Palchan. The climb is steep from here on, and if you don’t have a head for hairpin bends, ignore the precipices on one side of the road. You can stop en route at Snow Point — it’s the point closest to Manali with ample snow. Build your snowman, pound each other with snowballs, climb around in snow shoes… but only from January to March, if it has snowed here.
Rohtang’s cold, so rent coats, snowboots and gloves (Rs 50-75 per set, more in season) further up the road. At the village of Nehru Kothi (15 km), you can savour possibly one of the most phenomenal views of the Beas. Further along, you will pass, at a height of 8,500 ft, the cascading Rahalla Falls. If you can, get to the summit at the break of day to watch the earth and sky play out the overture of a Himalayan dawn. Finally, look north for dazzling views of the Sonapani Glacier and down at the Chandra River running west into the Lahaul Valley.
Camps and treks Manali
A number of camps come up in Manali during the season. The Mercury Travels camp is particularly popular. Raison, just 16 km short of Manali, is another serene spot. The trekking season runs from early April to mid-June and then again from mid-September to mid-October. Being the gateway to Lahaul, Spiti, Leh and Ladakh, Rohtang sees plenty of activity in season. It’s best to join a trek through a professional organisation. Equipment can be hired for a nominal price. The frozen Beas Kund, the source of the Beas, makes for an interesting trek with the right equipment.
BEST UNEXPLORED PLACES TO VISIT NEAR AROUND MANALI
Naggar (21 km)
The pretty little township of Naggar is famous for being the home of Nicholas Roerich and Devika Rani. The house is now the Roerich Art Gallery. Naggar is also the starting point for treks over the Chanderkhani Pass and to Malana Village. Hotels Ragini and Snow View can organise porters and guides for you.
There’s also the 12th century Gauri Shankar Temple and the Chatur Bhuj Temple dedicated to Vishnu. The latter is wonderfully located on top of an easy hill climb and offers great views.
The 500-year-old Naggar Castle (Tel: 01902-248316; Tariff: Rs 800-2,500), now a heritage hotel, is an absolute delight with its wooden architecture, old courtyard and wraparound verandahs. Drop in for lunch.Inputs by Rishad Saam Mehta
Rockway Cottage
I write this ode to Rockway Cottage (Tel: 01902-254328; Tariff: Rs 200-300) in Old Manali, in the teeth of opposition, my own included. Rockway is just an old wooden local house (not a cottage the way contemporary resorts call themselves ‘cottage’) set among the owners’ trees and vegetable patches, right on Manalsu River. Silence and the river’s roar co-exist. If you come in March, delightful apple blossoms greet you, like fragile snowflakes still clinging on to the trees, and hundreds of drunk white butterflies wander about from orgy to orgy, like they do throughout the Kullu Valley. In September, you meet luscious red apples instead. You can lie under trees and have paranthas, or doze off in the sun as some fellow European guest plays his guitar.
When I visit, there’s a hasty conclave of concerned Europeans when the realisation dawns that I may write eulogistically about their tiny continent of peace. How to stop the place from becoming a Success? I join in, suggesting hopefully that no one would read my article. But they are nice people and would like me, at any rate, to succeed. Then the solution strikes one. “Say that it’s really basic, ok? Really Basic. That should do the trick. Basssic.”
So. Please don’t go to Rockway. It’s very basic, there’s no TV, you share the bathroom, and you’ve to reach on foot carrying your luggage. Only for backpacking lovers!
Rockway Cottage is on the Manalsu River, reachable by a path cut into the Old Manali hill, starting near Café Manalsu. The old house has one bathroom; a newer house has a loo per two rooms. There’s an oven in every room for warmth. The kitchen runs informally all day. Ideal for those who want to stay cheap and wish to explore beyond touristy Manali.
Tourist officesHPTDC
The Mall, Manali
Tel: 01902-253531, 240516
Email: manali@hptdc.in
HPTDC
Chanderlok Building, 36, Janpath
New Delhi
Tel: 011-23325320/ 4764
Website: himachaltourism.nic.in
STD code 01902
Getting There - How to Reach Manali
Air Nearest airport: Bhuntar (50 km/ 2 hrs), serviced by Indian Airlines and Jagson Airlines. Taxi charges Rs 1,000
Rail Nearest railhead: Chandigarh (313 km/ 8 hrs). Taxi charges Rs 4,500-5,000
Road By car, set off from Delhi (540 km/ 14 hrs) at daybreak, or even in the pre-dawn hours. Highway driving right through. The drive up the Beas after Pandoh is lovely. Bus Himachal Tourism runs overnight Volvo AC coaches daily from Delhi to Manali, including a sleeper bus (dep: 6.30 pm winter, summer 7 pm; arr: winter 9 am, summer 9.30 am; fare Rs 1100) from the Tourist Office at Janpath. Overnight Volvo services (Rs 1100) also from Delhi’s ISBT Kashmere Gate
Call/Whatsapp now if your are planning your holidays in Manali Kullu Shimla Mcleodganj Dharamshala, India and looking for Adventure trip, home stays, organic farm stays,Paragliding, Trekking, Camping, Zipline
Call/Whatsapp now for bookings and more details - +91 7018319485
Manali is also known as Honeymooners paradise because it is one of the favourite destinations for the newly wed. The place is full of newly married couples from all parts of India and abroad. The natural beauty of the place is mesmerizing and the breathtaking views of Manali are amazing. The exotic places are free from pollution and full of greenly and natural beauty.
Are you planning a vacation to Manali? Do you want to know the best places to see in and around Manali? Are you looking for less crowded and more beautiful places which are peaceful and free from pollution? Do you want to know how you can plan your trip to Kullu Manali in Himachal Pradesh
Places To See and Do in Manali
While in Manali there are so many things you can do. The advantage to be in Manali is that it has snow-covered slopes, Wooded forests, green open valleys and the fast-flowing Beas make Manali an ideal destination for idyllic strolls. The adventure sports lovers also throng to Manali because here is a montaineering institute and lot of adventure sports activities are organized for the people who want to experience the snow.
If you want to watch closely the local culture, you have many villages in and around Manali. The wooden houses with ceilings made of slates and temples around is another attraction. And the food and lazing within town can be memorable.
The temples in Manali
The temples of Manali are interesting for many reasons. The Kullu-Manali region is rare in its worship of sages, such as the rishi-munis of ancient Indian epics. Sage Manu and Sage Vashishtha are worshipped in the two main ancient temples, which, however, have been reconstructed in stone and new wood. The third deity, local goddess Hadimba, is even more interesting for defying the usual norms by being a demon. Hadimba married Bhima the Pandava when he was exiled to the forest, and bore him a demon son, Ghatotkacha.
Architecturally, the Hadimba Temple is worth seeing as it has been left pretty much untouched in all its 400-year-old wooden glory. The dark wood on its sloping roof glows like burnished metal, tall deodars frame the temple and the protected stretch of woods nearby exudes peace. Every year, in May, the Hadimba fair is celebrated with local music, dances, and animal sacrifices. On the temple walls, you can still see antlers from deer sacrificed many years back.
The temples of this area are also interesting because of their tradition of shamans, called gur. The spirit of the deity enters the gur on important occasions and makes its wishes known.
Walking in Manali
If you enjoy exploring and walking peacefully, go past the Manu or Vashishtha temples (which are the end points for most tourists), past the Old Manali or Vashishtha villages, and soak in some crowd-free beauty. Fifteen minutes past Old Manali, you can sit by the Manalsu stream, with perhaps some horses or sheep for company and usually not a soul in sight. Further on, a shepherds’ trail goes up a hill. Some half an hour’s hike along this narrow path yields utterly enchanting views of the river, eventually seen emerging through a thick, secretive forest. Past Vashishtha Village, you walk through some woods and land up at another stream and eventually the Vashishtha waterfall.
Near Manali bazaar on The Mall, look for the protected Van Vihar stretch. This is a beautiful 20-min trail through pine and deodar woods, which teaches you that darkness can be luminous too. The trail runs parallel to the Manalsu and ends near the Old Manali bridge.
Adventure at Solang Manali
Solang Nallah is a pretty green stretch, 13 km from Manali, where most of the area’s adventure activity is centred. It’s a popular picnic spot, but also has plenty of getaway space for those willing to walk a bit extra. You can make a day trip there by bus, taxi or car from Manali, or even camp overnight.
There are 2.5 km of ski-runs, and come January, even beginners can try their hand at this mountain sport. HPTDC runs skiing courses here, details of which can be obtained from their office in New Delhi. If you haven’t done this before, you can still try paragliding. The 2-min joyride will either scare you out of your wits or whet your appetite for the longer 10- to 15-min high rides (which cost around Rs 500 and Rs 1,700 respectively).
The Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (Tel: 01902-252137/ 206/ 342, 253789), North Face Adventure Tours (Tel: 252441) and Himalayan Adventures (Tel: 252750), among others, organise activities along with the equipment and guides.
River rafting in Manali
The Beas is a wild river and rafting on it requires strong nerves and stamina. The rafting season lasts from May to mid-June and from end-September to mid-October. The trip starts at Pirdi and terminates after a 16-km lurch-and-toss ride at Jhirhi. Prices vary from Rs 600-1,000 depending on the number of people, and include transport, equipment and a guide.
Drive to Rohtang Pass Manali
The 51-km climb up to the 13,400-foot high pass is formidable. The many happy picnickers probably don’t know that ‘Rohtang’ means ‘pile of corpses’ in Tibetan. Many of these corpses belonged to the hapless residents of the Lahaul Valley at the far north of Himachal, which the Rohtang Pass connects to Manali and the rest of India for a few months of the year at least.
But once on top, the stunning panoramas of the glorious array of snow peaks and glaciers, and the desolate Lahaul Valley below, would banish all fears. So hire a four-wheel drive, and head for this wind-swept precious strip of land. It is best to plan your trip to Manali around the time when the pass is open to tourists (July-September usually), if Rohtang is your main interest. Hitting the pass by motorcycle (Rs 300 a day excluding petrol, from Old Manali) is another exhilarating experience.You’ll pass the Solang Nallah at Palchan. The climb is steep from here on, and if you don’t have a head for hairpin bends, ignore the precipices on one side of the road. You can stop en route at Snow Point — it’s the point closest to Manali with ample snow. Build your snowman, pound each other with snowballs, climb around in snow shoes… but only from January to March, if it has snowed here.
Rohtang’s cold, so rent coats, snowboots and gloves (Rs 50-75 per set, more in season) further up the road. At the village of Nehru Kothi (15 km), you can savour possibly one of the most phenomenal views of the Beas. Further along, you will pass, at a height of 8,500 ft, the cascading Rahalla Falls. If you can, get to the summit at the break of day to watch the earth and sky play out the overture of a Himalayan dawn. Finally, look north for dazzling views of the Sonapani Glacier and down at the Chandra River running west into the Lahaul Valley.
Camps and treks Manali
A number of camps come up in Manali during the season. The Mercury Travels camp is particularly popular. Raison, just 16 km short of Manali, is another serene spot. The trekking season runs from early April to mid-June and then again from mid-September to mid-October. Being the gateway to Lahaul, Spiti, Leh and Ladakh, Rohtang sees plenty of activity in season. It’s best to join a trek through a professional organisation. Equipment can be hired for a nominal price. The frozen Beas Kund, the source of the Beas, makes for an interesting trek with the right equipment.
BEST UNEXPLORED PLACES TO VISIT NEAR AROUND MANALI
Naggar (21 km)
The pretty little township of Naggar is famous for being the home of Nicholas Roerich and Devika Rani. The house is now the Roerich Art Gallery. Naggar is also the starting point for treks over the Chanderkhani Pass and to Malana Village. Hotels Ragini and Snow View can organise porters and guides for you.
There’s also the 12th century Gauri Shankar Temple and the Chatur Bhuj Temple dedicated to Vishnu. The latter is wonderfully located on top of an easy hill climb and offers great views.
The 500-year-old Naggar Castle (Tel: 01902-248316; Tariff: Rs 800-2,500), now a heritage hotel, is an absolute delight with its wooden architecture, old courtyard and wraparound verandahs. Drop in for lunch.Inputs by Rishad Saam Mehta
Rockway Cottage
I write this ode to Rockway Cottage (Tel: 01902-254328; Tariff: Rs 200-300) in Old Manali, in the teeth of opposition, my own included. Rockway is just an old wooden local house (not a cottage the way contemporary resorts call themselves ‘cottage’) set among the owners’ trees and vegetable patches, right on Manalsu River. Silence and the river’s roar co-exist. If you come in March, delightful apple blossoms greet you, like fragile snowflakes still clinging on to the trees, and hundreds of drunk white butterflies wander about from orgy to orgy, like they do throughout the Kullu Valley. In September, you meet luscious red apples instead. You can lie under trees and have paranthas, or doze off in the sun as some fellow European guest plays his guitar.
When I visit, there’s a hasty conclave of concerned Europeans when the realisation dawns that I may write eulogistically about their tiny continent of peace. How to stop the place from becoming a Success? I join in, suggesting hopefully that no one would read my article. But they are nice people and would like me, at any rate, to succeed. Then the solution strikes one. “Say that it’s really basic, ok? Really Basic. That should do the trick. Basssic.”
So. Please don’t go to Rockway. It’s very basic, there’s no TV, you share the bathroom, and you’ve to reach on foot carrying your luggage. Only for backpacking lovers!
Rockway Cottage is on the Manalsu River, reachable by a path cut into the Old Manali hill, starting near Café Manalsu. The old house has one bathroom; a newer house has a loo per two rooms. There’s an oven in every room for warmth. The kitchen runs informally all day. Ideal for those who want to stay cheap and wish to explore beyond touristy Manali.
Tourist officesHPTDC
The Mall, Manali
Tel: 01902-253531, 240516
Email: manali@hptdc.in
HPTDC
Chanderlok Building, 36, Janpath
New Delhi
Tel: 011-23325320/ 4764
Website: himachaltourism.nic.in
STD code 01902
Getting There - How to Reach Manali
Air Nearest airport: Bhuntar (50 km/ 2 hrs), serviced by Indian Airlines and Jagson Airlines. Taxi charges Rs 1,000
Rail Nearest railhead: Chandigarh (313 km/ 8 hrs). Taxi charges Rs 4,500-5,000
Road By car, set off from Delhi (540 km/ 14 hrs) at daybreak, or even in the pre-dawn hours. Highway driving right through. The drive up the Beas after Pandoh is lovely. Bus Himachal Tourism runs overnight Volvo AC coaches daily from Delhi to Manali, including a sleeper bus (dep: 6.30 pm winter, summer 7 pm; arr: winter 9 am, summer 9.30 am; fare Rs 1100) from the Tourist Office at Janpath. Overnight Volvo services (Rs 1100) also from Delhi’s ISBT Kashmere Gate
Call/Whatsapp now if your are planning your holidays in Manali Kullu Shimla Mcleodganj Dharamshala, India and looking for Adventure trip, home stays, organic farm stays,Paragliding, Trekking, Camping, Zipline
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