A Relaxing Weekend Gateway: Manali

One of the best weekend gateways from Delhi is Manali. It is easily accessible and can be managed perfectly on a shoestring budget. Also, Manali is the best destination to visit with your friends as well as a solo to unwind. 

Lying at an altitude of 6730ft, Manali has beautiful weather all year round. A resort town of Himachal Pradesh, Manali lies in the northern end of the Kullu Valley with Beas river passing beside. 

A decade ago, Shimla was more popular as a tourist destination. But Shimla gradually lost its luster because of the growing commercialization. And therefore, as a result, Manali moved up to the first place. 

Best Time to Visit Manali

As I mentioned before, Manali is beautiful throughout the year. And each season has its charms. 

If you prefer to see greenery and do not like much cold then summer to autumn would be best. On the other hand, if you want to see snow then winter season will give you a frozen version of Manali. While in summer the trees are green and the weather is pleasant, in autumn the wind starts to become chilly and the leaves change color. 

Autumn by far is my personal favorite because of the following factors: 

• Firstly the crowd is usually less.

• Secondly, the weather is superbly pleasant and not too cold. 

• Thirdly the color of the leaves in autumn makes the whole scenery colorful. 

Although monsoon at the destination Manali is not so bad the chances of landslides en route are quite high. And therefore it is better to pause for the peak monsoon month that is August. But if you get clear weather do hop on the bus and enjoy your vacation. 

Best way to reach Manali

If you want to make a budget trip then taking a bus from nearby cities like Delhi, Chandigarh is the easiest option. The direct train is not available. And the distance from Bhuntar airport is 50Km. Therefore considering all the factors taking a bus is the best option. 

Bus fares would cost you roughly 2-2.5k INR for a round trip. Different types of buses are available for example like normal seater, non-ac, ac seater, semi-sleeper, and so on. You can use online portals to book the buses. These buses usually start in the evening and reach Manali by the next day morning. The distance of 536km between Manali and Delhi is usually covered within 13-15hours with one-stop on the way. 

Word of caution: If you have motion sickness please be prepared with sick bags. The winding road can turn you blue. 

Budget Stays

Budget to luxury, you will get what you seek for. Although in peak tourist season charges are quite high, you can still get a good deal online. 

Hostels are gaining popularity. If you don't mind sharing the room with others then experience do the hostel life. 

Getting Around

Manali is a pretty small and relaxing destination. You can complete sightseeing in a day along with the visit to Rohtang Pass or the snow point as they call it. And after that, you can spend the day either by doing nothing or exploring the surrounding. 

The Mall Road is the main stretch that contains the markets and food joints. Getting around from here is easy. The handful of sightseeing destinations are usually around 1-2kms from here. You can either walk or book an auto to take you around. 

Best Places to visit in Manali

• Hidimba Devi Temple: The first in the list, Hidimba Devi Temple or the Dhungari Temple, is dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima (Mahabharata). Built-in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh, this temple is surrounded by cedar trees. 

• Museum of Himachali Culture and Folk Art: If you are interested in folk arts and want to know more about Himachali culture, you can visit this place. Quite close to the Hidimba Temple and the entry fees are nominal. 

• Tibetan Monastery: Quite close to Mall Road, it is a small Buddhist Monastery. It contains a two-story statue of Budhha built-in 1957.   

• Manu Temple: Dedicated to sage Manu, this temple is located in Old Manali. The area is a bit congested. If you are interested in temples you can visit this place  

• Manali Sanctuary: A wildlife sanctuary which starts about 2km from Manali. Popularly described as a heaven for nature lovers, this place has a variety of flora and fauna. 

• Van Vihar: Easily accessible from the Mall Road. Here you can take a long walk and sit beside the Beas River and relax. 

Manali Through My Lenses 

When you are on a vacation the first thing on your mind is relaxing and rejuvenating. And Manali is very fulfilling in these matters. I visited Manali in the autumn end. It was just a few days before snowfall started. The colorful leaves were all over the place. The sky was clear and no pollution. You can breathe in the fresh air for a change. 

My stay in Manali was mostly relaxing. Booked a budget hotel near Hidimba Devi Temple. You can choose Mall Road to stay but I wanted some quiet place so there it goes. Completed sightseeing of Hidimba Devi, Monastery, and Snow Point(Rohtang Pass was already closed by this time-Late October) in half-day and spent the time walking around in mall road and having ice cream. It was cool during day time and cooler at night. Tap water was really cold. 

Snow Point was fun. Made my version of an alien snowman(on my defense I did not have the tools or the decorative items). The white snow complemented the blue sky perfectly. To visit Rohtang Pass or Snow points you can book shared cabs from Mall Road itself. There are many tour agencies and cabs are easily available. 

Exploring the alleys was fun. You get to know the real-life of people. On exploring, I found a small Tibetan food shop. The aunty there made awesome thupka and momos. Warm soup noodles in winter is a blessing in itself. 

Apart from this, sitting beside the Beas river was my favorite part. The sound of the river flowing was soothing. Everything was calm and quiet apart from the river. But even that seemed to be in tune with the surrounding. Flowing water, chirping of birds, the cool wind blowing all together makes the perfect recipe you need to rejuvenate yourself. 

A Note to Fellow Travellers: In recent years, the amount of trash generating in these tourist destinations is truly alarming. So if you are visiting any place please be mindful regarding waste generation and disposing of them. I hope you have a nice trip.