Discovering Manali

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Travelling in Himachal in June - 2007
Shimla >> Manali >> Rohtang >> Chandratal >> Ki/Kibber/Tabo >> Kalpa >> Shimla
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The first light of the day came at Kullu on my way from Shimla to Manali. My bus made its way along the banks of Beas that flowed in the opposite direction in a great hurry. From my bus, I could here the gurgle of slightly turquoise and transparent water rushing down the valley. The river bed was littered with boulders of all sizes. It is such an inviting flow that you would feel like stopping the bus and getting right down there.

Names like Kullu and Manali sound remote and dreamy when you hear about them from the plains below, but it is hardly so. The road is a highway and is put to good use by hoards of buses, trucks, private cars and yellow-board cabs. Resorts and camps are lined up all along the road, packed so densely that if you were to drive from Kullu to Manali stopping at each one of them for 15 minutes, it would take many weeks to reach the destination. But the journey gives many hints of what is in store further deep in the mountains. River runs cold and its color leaves the evidence of glacial origins. Temperature dips slowly and the road climbs up giving a sneak preview of white washed summits and tall trees. The anticipation of tomorrow rushes into the mind and overwhelms the moment.

Manali is a typical tourist town with hotels and resorts filling up every street, making room for tourists arriving in bus loads from the plains below. Trekking and adventure companies, cab hires, tour agents and restaurants are all that you see on the main roads. Oddly, I wasn't harassed by touts on my arrival even though a few people gently asked me if I need a room. I offloaded my bag in the cloakroom and went in search of a place to stay.

A short walk put me in love with Manali despite its tourist crowds. Nehru park is quiet and charming with its alpine trees. You look up and you see snowy peaks in every direction with rocky slopes and coniferous forests below it. Picturesque is an overused word, but it perfectly fits what Manali is. I walked away from the bustle of the town and found a quiet hotel in old Manali right next to Manalsu stream coming down from the adjacent mountains.

Later in the day, I met a friend who arrived from Delhi by bus and we charted plans for rest of our journey and made preparations for it.

About Manali

Manali town itself doesn't offer much in terms of sightseeing. There are a few temples - like the Hadimba temple and Manu Maharshi temple. Vashist, a village just outside Manali has hot springs and many budget guest houses. Solang Nala, which is a 30 minute drive from Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass is a place much visited by tourists. Solang has a ski slope operating in winter and turns into a place for paragliding and a few amusement-sports in summer. In summer, people visit the cave temple which is a short walk from Solang.

Most travellers use Manali as a base for a day-trip to Rohtang Pass. Rohtang Pass is one place which has an easy to access motorable road that can take you above the snow line for most of the year. Besides this, Manali is home to many travel agents and adventure companies that can organize treks, river rafting and jeep safaris in the Himalayas.

Accommodation is in plenty, and nearly every other road is full of hotels and resorts. Considering the number of tourists coming in from the plains in the peaks season, it would still be wise to book ahead if you are looking for mid-range accommodation.

Manali can be reached by buses from Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla. Many people drive from these cities. Kullu has an airport which is 2 hours away from Manali.

Continued at Solang Nala