As everyone who is fond of traveling or cold weather or with a good knowledge of Geography would know, Manali is a town situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. The thing it is famous for is it being a hill station. Go and spend a few days there, take it from me, you will never want to return, at least I didn’t.
Now as of Northern India climate, the coldest weather arrives in December and January. So if you want to experience freezing weather, go there during that time or else pick a month in between November to February, if you want to experience snow.
Personally, it will be much better if you go through by road, that is, either by your own car or a rented car or a bus. The sites you get to look at that way are what make the traveling fun. There isn’t any fun in flying except less time of course.
I made the trip in June (weird choice, I know) because that is the month when you get holidays in India. So obviously, there wasn’t any snow in Manali but there was in Rohtang Pass which was also just the remains with chilly wind.
Let me tell you about a few places to visit in Manali. These are the mixture of few things that I personally did and other things that are fun but I didn’t do.
1. VISIT HIDIMBA DEVI TEMPLE
The Hidimba Devi Temple is though a religious spot in Manali, since the people of Manali worship Hidimba. She was the wife of Bheem, one of the Pandavas from Mahabharata. The place is much more than just a temple, the way it is built, in Pagoda style, architecturally; it is worth taking a look at. Historically speaking, the place resembles to be a part of the past. It clearly proves to be very old yet very soothing. You should definitely go and visit.
2. GO TO ROHTANG PASS
Rohtang Pass is quite far from Manali, but if you go to Manali, Rohtang Pass is a must to visit. The personal numbers of cars that are allowed to enter are limited, keeping the pollution in view. So you can either wait for your turn or rent a car of the local drivers who drive to Rohtang Pass and visit it. The valley is very mesmerizing; the nature tells you to be there a little while longer.
3. HEAD OVER TO VASHISHT TEMPLE
Vashisht Temple too is quite far from Manali unlike Rohtang Pass, it isn’t that much far and you can easily reach there since there is no restriction on number of cars or any similar stuff. When you reach Vashisht temple, it will simply invite you in, calling to your soul and making you to appreciate the beauty nature has created there. There are hot water baths and springs available where you can take bath. It is said that the hot water comes naturally there and that, no geyser or any such similar stuff is required to keep the water hot there. So it is a must to visit.
4. GO TO MANIKARAN
Manikaran is a place that is very famous for the Gurudwara and many temples it has. Many people arrive there to visit it. The Gurudwara is built in such an atmosphere and naturally beautiful condition that anyone is going to love being there. The bridge that leads to the Gurudwara is the main attraction of it all. The water flowing beneath it will give you goose bumps. Hence, must visit it.
5. GO TREKKING
Trekking is a sporty thing that not everyone enjoys. But when you have such a pleasant and beautifully natural environment in front of your eyes, trekking is the most pleasing idea you can have. The various locations where you can go trekking in Manali are Beas Kund, Hampta Pass, Bhrigu Lake and Chandratal Lake.
6. OTHER SPORTY THINGS
When you reach a place so beautiful, when you feel so close to nature while being there, you are definitely going to want to be a little adventurous and to do some sporty things.
A few things you can do when you feel adventurous in Manali are:
- Paragliding:
Paragliding is a thing everyone has wanted to do ever since they knew the word Paragliding. Everyone wonders about how flying would feel like. The air blowing on your face when you are flying, Paragliding can make these wishes true. You can go to Solang Valley to have a flying experience through Paragliding.
- Rafting:
Now not everyone loves being in the water, some people even have fear of water due to childhood incidents or some other accidents. But for those who love water, who love the feeling of being in water or over it, Rafting is an ultimate adventure. Rafting can be done in Beas.