MANALI: Abode of peace and greenery

Manali a small hill stations in India..

nestled on the banks of the Beas river in the foothills of  Himalayas,in kullu district of Himachal. The Himalayas covered with snow,small streams,spell-binding views,and the tall pine trees spreading its freshness. Manali is blessed with its scenic views, people all over the world come for trekking and exploring the breathtaking views of the Himalayas,this is what makes Manali a popular tourist destination and honeymoon destination in India.

Nevertheless,this is one place that should definitely be on your bucket list.

Like everyone else it was in my bucket list also to explore those high snow cladded mountains.So,finally I along with my partner decided to travel to Manali from Delhi on the last week of April 2018.

How we reached-

We booked a Volvo (Himalayan Nomad K.T.C) from redBus app which cost us around Rs1200-Rs1400 per person.We started our journey at 8:00 PM and reached our destination by 11:00 AM,we almost traveled a distance of 540.4 KM from Delhi to manali.

It took us almost 12 h 30 min when we reached Manali in the morning,it was quite refreshing to see the jolly environment around Mall road and the mesmerizing natural views.

              VIEW FROM THE BUS

Our stay in Manali-

It was 11:00 AM in the morning, the bus stopped near mall road Manali, from there we took an auto and headed to our hotel (Himalayan Ecstasy Cottage and Spa) which we have booked from Oyo rooms, cost us around Rs 4000 for 2 nights and 3 days, It includes complementary breakfast also.

The view from the cottage was so beautiful, the pine trees and apple trees were so fresh and alluring.

Address-Near club house,Shnag road, old manali.

  

            VIEW FROM OUR COTTAGE

                     

Exploring the abode of peace and greenery-

1.Old Manali -Old Manali is definitely a places where you can find peace and happiness in between the woods and pines, small eateries, many cafes that serves your favorite continental food, birds singing and the sound of the streams of kullu river is so blissful.

   Mall road, Manali

                                         Local fruits

                Bengali thali near Mall road

And the Mall road Manali, which often referred to as The heart of the town, the main market.

There are various hotels,restaurants,this busy Centre houses various  number of shops and emporiums.

You can just sit there with a cup of tea with your loved ones and enjoy your time.

I still remember that rainy evening sitting idly with my love with a glass of tea. It was a perfect evening.

*Try some delicious Tibetan,Japanese,Chinese,Asian,soups in CHOPSTICKS RESTAURANT.

                  A popular Tibetan dish in Manali 'THUPKA'

2 MARHI- A place located midway between Manali and Rohtang on the Manali-Leh Highway.We booked a car from mall road which cost us around Rs 2000.You can easily find a guide or book a car from mall road to Marhi .

It is great to visit if you wish to calm the foodie in you.It has numerous roadside restaurants with rolling green hills which serves you Maggie and tasty paranthas. But in winters the restaurants are closed due to heavy snow fall.

Distance-34.9 kms from Mall road

Tips- 1.Choose a sunny day if you wish to travel to Marhi.

         2.Carry some eateries and power bank for your phone with you, if by chance the road gets  blocked you might have to spend some hours in the car.

3.SOLANG VALLEY- It is located at a distance of 13 kms from Manali. The valley has beautiful view of glaciers and fine ski slopes, the snow clad mountains and the slopes is a perfect place for skiing. For snow lovers the best time to visit Solang Valley is between December to February.

When the snow melts in the summer skiing is replaced by parachuting,zorbing,paragliding and horse riding.

It is at a distance of 11.8 kms from Mall road,28 mins drive.

TIMING- All days of the week 10:00 AM-6:00 PM

4.HIDIMBA DEVI TEMPLE- Also known as Dhungiri temple located between the tall pinewood forest,dedicated to Goddess Hadimbi (wife of Bheem,one of the five Pandava brothers of epic Mahabharata) which was constructed in 1533.it is made of wooden doorway and mud walls adorn stonework.The temple does not have an idol of Goddess but a huge stone carrying her footprint is kept there.

I personally loved that place apart from its religious and holy environment,the temple is no less of a wonder to nature lovers.

            Cannabis sativa near the temple

It is a distance of 2.5 kms from Mall road to the temple, a 10 mins drive.

TIMING-8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

NO ENTRY FEE

5.CLUB HOUSE MANALI-It is a popular entertainment zone in manali near Mall road,It is popular for indoor as well as outdoor activities for all ages like carom, table tennis, pool etc. If you want to relax for some time and enjoy you can go to this place.You can just sit there and admire the pristine river that flows along the Club House. 

But if you are a adventurous person you might find it boring.

We just checked out from hotel and spent some time there as we have to catch our bus in the evening.

 TIMING-10:00 AM -8:00 PM(all days of the week)

 Entry fee Rs-10

THINGS YOU CAN DO IN MANALI-

1.Trekking-One of the best places to trek is in Manali, where there are mountains so beautiful you will love to climb them. Manali is the best place if you are trekking for the first time. The vast landscapes and mountains make the whole experience worthwhile. 

2.Paragliding-Solang valley is a place and treats to seekers of wanderlust and gives a chance to soar high under the cap of blue sky like a free bird. One can conquer all the inner fear and can feel the adrenaline in the veins with exciting and adventures sports activities.

Best time-January to May and October to December 

Time-9:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

rates varies from Rs600 to Rs1800 per person

3. Rafting- Manali is a great place for all the enthusiasts who love rafting. It is done in the river Beas for around 14 Km right down to Jhiri. Which will cost you around Rs 1000-Rs 1200

4. Zorbing-Zorbing is one of the most interesting things to do in Manali. Due to the hilly region, it makes the experience of zorbing even better. You can enjoy the beautiful view when you go zorbing in the Solang valley.

It may cost you around Rs 500 but it may vary depending upon the person offering you

5.RIVER CROSSING-River crossing is also one of the most popular adventure sport in Manali, which is done in Beas river.

 It was an awesome experience, the icy cold water of Beas river touching my foots.

HOW WE RETURNED TO DELHI-

We booked our bus tickets from reDBus,the same bus we came(Himalayan Nomad).We started our journey from Manali main bus stand at 5:30 pm in the evening, and reached Delhi the next morning at 6:00 AM.
*FINALLY WAVING GOOD BYE-

  And finally the time came to wave our hands to the beautiful mountains and valley, with a promise to come back soon. One of my favorite hill station till now and always will be in my favorite list.

So, guys if you haven't been there yet, then what are you waiting for?

The Himalayas are calling you.

TAKE VACATIONS AND MAKE MEMORIES  IN THE MOUNTAINS AND 

STREAMS OF HIMACHAL