Manali

Manali highway

     Manali (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft), in the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley.Tourism in Manali received a boost after the rise of militancy in Kashmir in the late 1980s. This once quiet village was transformed into a bustling town with many hotels and restaurants.

Manali is split into two distinct areas: Old Manali and New Manali. New Manali is where both the public bus station and the tourist bus station are located and is the area with most shopping and larger hotels to cater for Indian tastes. Old Manali is more western tourist orientated, located 2 kilometres up a narrow lane from New Manali. 

Manali mall road

Traditionally Manali is a Hindu town with the important shrine dedicated to the Goddess Hidimba and the Temple of Manu.

Manali mall road temple

The second most common way to get around is to hire a motorcycle. There are many places where bikes can be hired (easy to find - just ask around), and it is the most common mode of transport for foreigners. Both cruiser bikes like the Enfield Bullet and sport bikes from Honda, Bajaj, Yamaha etc are easily available, though Bullet is the most commonly seen one on the roads. Rates around Rs. 500-800 per day in the peak season, but discounted at other times.

Rohtang pass

Top 5 places to visit in Manali:

1. Hidimba devi temple

2. Manali mall road

3. Museum of Himachal Culture & Folk Art

4. Manali Sanctuary

5. Manu temple

Top 5 places around Manali:

1. Solang velly

2. Beas River

3. Rohtang pass

4. Old Manali

5. Vashist

Manali mall road

• Walk up to the Hidimba temple on one of the evenings during your stay in Manali. It’s a simple walk through some beautiful forests.
• A beautiful forest walk connects Old Manali to the Manali market. You walk through the thick deodar forest along the Beas river as numerous birds follow you. It’s hard to believe that the road is just a few meters away.
• You can spend some time in the Solang valley to get that adrenaline going
• Naggar palace is well preserved and will satiate the history buff in you.Beyond all of this, don’t forget to be an explorer in Manali. 

After all, that is what travel is all about.

Rohtang pass

Rohtang pass