Manali

Manali is a city of about 11,000 people (2023) in Central Himachal Pradesh. A staging point for a number of treks (Beas Kund, Chandrakhani Pass) and sports such as white-water rafting, Manali is also on the road to Ladakh via the valley of Lahaul and Spiti and Rohtang Pass, which is the main attraction near Manali.

Understand
Manali, at the northern end of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, is a hill station at a height of 2,050 m (6,398 ft) in the Himalayas. Situated on the Beas River (Vyaas in Hindi) and near its source, it is a popular tourist spot for Indians in summer and a magical, snow-covered place in winter.

Weather
The minimum temperature ranges between -15 and -5 °C from October till March. December, January and February are coldest months. For the rest of the year the minimum temperature would be between 15 and 20 °C.

Climate
The climate in Manali is predominantly cold during winters, and moderately cool during summers. The temperatures range from 4 °C (39 °F) to 26 °C (68 °F) over the year. The average temperature during summer is between 4°C (39°F) and 15°C (59°F), and between −15°C (5°F) and 05°C (41°F) in the winter. Monthly precipitation varies between 31 mm (1.2 in) in November and 217 mm (8.5 in) in July. In average, some 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation is received during winter and spring months, increasing to some 115 mm (4.5 in) in summer as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1,363 mm (53.7 in). Snowfall often takes place between November end and early February. The weather in Manali is not stable.

By bus
Manali is about from Delhi and there are buses connecting the town with Delhi, Shimla, Dharamsala and Leh. For service from Delhi to Manali, tickets and reservations can be made at the Inter State Bus Terminus as well as at the Himachal Tourism office on Safdar Hashmi Marg near Mandi House in New Delhi. Privately owned Volvo buses offer 60% cheaper ticket prices than the government owned Volvo buses. The approximate travel time from Delhi to Manali is 14 hours; from Ambala to Manali is 10 hours; and from Kulu to Manali is 1½ to 3 hours. Volvo buses&mdash;which depart at around 5PM and reach at 9-10AM next day&mdash;are available from Delhi and is the best option in terms of comfort and value for money to reach Manali but you need to book these in advance. Some hotels will book your Volvo with WiFi connection and personal LED screen along with their hotel package.

By private taxi
If hiring a private taxi, ensure that the driver has experience driving in hilly regions and does not have the habit of drinking alcohol. Also make sure the driver has done the trip at least once before and knows all roads. Also make sure that the driver is used to drive for long hours. Many operators turn off air-conditioning during the majority of the hill journey, or demand to be paid extra if asked to. Best to confirm this prior to booking. If you are going to Manali through Chandigarh-Ropar-Kiratpur-Bilaspur-Mandi-Kullu highway, then your driver would need to drive on hilly roads for at least 6 hours. The expected price is somewhere around ₹3000 to ₹4000/day for an Indica hatchback or a bigger Innova car from Delhi. To get the best deals on cabs, look for cabs that came one-way from Manali/Kullu to drop tourists at Delhi. These cabs (usually with HP01K registration plates) offer 60% cheaper fares, as they've been paid fully by the previous customer. Also, you can find them at parking station near Majnu ka tilla/ New Aruna Nagar.

By train
The nearest Broad Gauge Rail Head is Chandigarh (310 km). Ambala Cantonment en route Chandigarh is on the Delhi - Amritsar and Delhi - Jammu main lines and is well-served by rail, but you will need to travel to Ambala to get a bus for the 10 hour ride to Manali. Jogindernagar and Kalka are other, less preferable, rail heads for Manali.

The nearest Broad gauge station is Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab near the city of Nangal. It lies in Ropar district of Punjab. The station lies on the Ambala Cantt - Una route of Indian Railways. From here you can easily get buses for Manali.

By plane
The nearest airport is Bhuntar (Kullu) Airport ; Tel: +91 1902–265037, 265603), 50 km from Manali, 10 km from Kullu, about one hour away. Air-India has a morning flight from Delhi operated by Alliance Air.

Delhi is the nearest international airport, 560 km away from Manali. That airport is well connected to major cities in India as well as cities abroad.

Get around
There are various ways of getting around in Manali, if you are not already travelling with your own vehicle. Most tourists hire a taxi (various kinds available), which takes you around to all the sight seeing spots in and around Manali (Rohtang, Manikaran, etc.) It costs about ₹1800 per day, or little over ₹3000 if you book together for 3 days (in the peak season). Dress for Rohtang cost around ₹150 for each set including boots and ski set will cost you around ₹200. These detail are mentioned at a board at Mall Road. Be sure to bargain.

The second most common way is to hire a motorbike. There are many places where you can hire a motorbike (easy to find if you ask around), and is the most common mode of transport for foreigners. Cruiser bikes like Bullet, Royal Enfield Himalayan, and sport bikes from Honda, Bajaj, Yamaha, are easily available, though Bullet is the most commonly seen one on the roads. Rates hover around ₹800-1500 per day in the peak season, but much discounted at other times. A good place worth a look will be in Bike Rentals Manali office in Vashisht 9816044140, have a good selection of Royal Enfields and Pulsars. Also 'Tinku' Bike mechanic near old Manali bridge is an honest shop for bike rentals.

Public transport is not so good. There are cheap bus services, but they are not so frequent. Yet, if you are going to stay for a long time, it is better to know the times and use them, as other modes of public transport and exorbitant compared to bus. For e.g., auto rickshaws take ₹200 from Manali Mall Road to Solang Valley, while the bus will cost you just ₹10. The buses are not punctual specially because they seem not have a written schedule. The best option is to ask about timing at the bus terminal. Buses starts to run at 7-8AM. Frequent a bus can be cancelled or late. You can get in and out almost at any place on the route; just wave at the driver.

Public bus routes
 * Kullu - Manali. Price ₹60. Every 15 min
 * Manali - Naggar. Every 1½ hr
 * Manali - Solang. Every hour

See
There are several beautiful places that you can visit around Manali. You can either use your own vehicle or Hire local taxes. There are even buses are running frequently to these places except Rohtang Pass, Hadimba Temple etc. with very less cost. Below is list of places with detail expalnation.

There are some interesting temples of Tibetan Buddhist lineages located between old and new Manali.



Kothi: 

Kothi is at the bottom of Rohatang Pass. It is a beautiful and photographic village where tourists can capture different thrilling views of the deep gorge through which the Beas swiftly runs. This is an amazing place to experience the natural beauty of high altitude mountain.



Do

 * Get your photos clicked with either rabbits or yaks (near the Hidimba Temple). It will cost about ₹10-20 for a single photo.
 * One can also enjoy paddle boating in a fun park near Hidimba temple.
 * River rafting, skiing, zorbing, trekking, snow scootering, and river crossing. One of the best adventure companies is the High Himalayan Adventure, based in Vashisht village.


 * Paragliding- Paragliding is quite popular in Manali, especially in the peak season. The scene is located at Solang Valley. There are multiple levels, starting from the basic 1-minute flying for ₹450 (the most common), progressing to a more fun 5-minute flight for ₹1500. But the ultimate is the half an hour flight for ₹2500, for which they take you up almost halfway to Rohtang, and bring you back to Solang all the way by paragliding. In such a long flight, wind plays a big role, and sometimes it is not possible to fly all the way to Solang, something to keep in mind while going for it. Generally, later in the day you go for it, better are the chances you will do the whole flight. However, before you decide to paraglide in Manali, have a look at the "Stay safe" section of this article.
 * Rock climbing- there are some fabulous routes, however, go with a reputable company that can provide you suitable gear, otherwise this can become a dangerous sport. Look for the bright orange building across from Pizza Olive. The company also does abseiling trips, in which you can swing down into 9 tiers of a waterfall using rock-climbing equipment. Another contact is Dave Morahan (9805346007) who takes you to all kind of rock climbing trips for all difficulty levels, and is quite skilled himself.
 * Bookworm in NAC Market behind the bus stand has books including travel literature, Indian Himalaya maps, postcards and coffee table books.
 * Early morning walks as Manali are best enjoyed before the town wakes up.
 * Go camping. Camping in this town is one of the most incredible experiences to have. You can camp at the alpine meadows, pine forests, by the lakes, or the base of snowy mountains. Beas River, Tirthan Valley, Solang Valley, Bhuntar, Sarai and Kothi village are some of the most scenic camping spots.

Trekking:


 * Deo Tibba Base Camp Trek: This trek is a technical trekking trail in Manali. This trek is a famous trek among the experience climbers. This trek gives a magnificent view of Deo.
 * Friendship peak Trekking: This is one of the majestic mountains in the beautiful valley of Kullu. This mountain is situated at around 5289 m above the sea level. Best way to go for this trek is from Beas Kund and Dhundi.
 * Hampta Pass Trek: This trek is one of the most famous trekking trails in the Manali region. This trek is suitable for those who have some prior trekking experience and are reasonably fit. This trek passes through lush forests and eventually to scree and pebbles.
 * Himalayan Caravan Adventure: Offer you an array of adventures from off-beat safaris, less-known but more-interesting trekking paths, rock climbing, canyoning, white water rafting, paragliding, skiing & snowboarding etc. www.himalayancaravan.com
 * Brighu Trek : Brighu is very good place to trek. A lot of tourist heavily enjoy this trek. Mostly 2-3 day is enough for this trek. Local people often visit Brighu because it really memorable place.

Buy
Keychains, name plates, etc. which are customized to ones own message are worth buying as mementos. Also you can get your name carved on a single grain of rice. One can also visit Manali Market to buy woolen stuff like sweaters, pull overs, shawls, and blankets. Hippie clothes and jewellery can be found in Old Manali.


 * Chingu. Local shops are aplenty selling chingus (a type of blanket) claiming to be warm in winters and cold in summers. Be wary of these. They will show you parcel ready chingus. Do not fall prey to them.
 * Fruit products, honey and apricot oil at Himcoop Juice Bar Manali are also something local produced in the valley. Jam from Himcoop taste like real fruit due to high contents of fruit pulp and apricot oil is good for joint pains and also general massage.

Do not buy saffron (kesar), musk (kasturi), or shilajit from street vendors; most of these products are fake. Buy from government-authorized shops only.

Eat

 * The Himalayan Gothic Castle in Manali, Himachal.jpg

Drink
The locals drink two kinds of alcoholic beverages: Lugdi (plains) or Chang (Himalayan), a kind of crude beer made from fermented rice or barley and Sharab (plains) or Arak (Himalayan), an alcoholic drink distilled from Lugdi/chang. Arak can also be made from jaggery or apples or any other fruit.

It might be an interesting experience to visit a local home when the ladies make arak (quite regularly). You can sit in the fields where the ladies make it, have hot water from the distilling to wash with and "test" the product at frequent intervals.

Because there are apple orchards all around Manali, it's often possible to find apple cider. Besides this, there is alcohol available in bars, larger restaurants and the larger hotels.

Kullu-Manali Valley is known as fruit bowl of India. Himcoop Juice Bar at The Mall Manali is one of the well known corner shop since 1972 selling 100% Natural Apple Juice and fruit drinks made from local fruits besides some syrups known as "Fruit Crush" to carry home to prepare fruit drinks after diluting with fresh water. Himcoop Juice Bar is on the Main Mall as one of the corner shop next to Temple.

Budget
As of May 2023 it is still definitely possible to get a comfortable room with a great mountain view for around ₹800. Bargaining is a must if you're a foreigner and coming without an online booking, to avoid pushing the prices further up.


 * Footloose Camps, +91 8800763430. Hamta Valley, 9 km from the Mall Road. Backpacker hostel and campsite costing ₹500-900 per bed.
 * Blue Guest House, Castle Road Naggar, Brahman Kothi, Naggar, Kullu Manali, +91 9817287347, +91 9816421109 (Mrs. Lata Sharma), +91 9816377076 (Mr Chander Shekhar Sharma), hot water, CTV, view of Kullu Valley and Beas River and roof-top restaurant. This is a family-run guest house and the couple is very courteous. The guest house costs ₹200-500 per night and is on the way up, about 0.5 km before the Castle. Manali is 30 min by local bus.
 * Blue Guest House, Castle Road Naggar, Brahman Kothi, Naggar, Kullu Manali, +91 9817287347, +91 9816421109 (Mrs. Lata Sharma), +91 9816377076 (Mr Chander Shekhar Sharma), hot water, CTV, view of Kullu Valley and Beas River and roof-top restaurant. This is a family-run guest house and the couple is very courteous. The guest house costs ₹200-500 per night and is on the way up, about 0.5 km before the Castle. Manali is 30 min by local bus.

Stay safe
Manali is a safe city but during seasonal time a surge of visitors keep visiting this beautiful place and some transients exploit this opportunity for their own benefits. Best be exercise caution if in a crowd.

If you get lost and don't have enough directions get around the city then just ask for Mall Road (Manali town centre). From there you can easily head to any destination of your choice.

Don't exchange currency in illegal market. Always ask for receipt after doing currency trade with exchange dealer. There is a Western Union office on the Mall Road.

A word of caution about paragliding in Manali. Many pilots of these parachutes are un-trained and obtain licences in the usual way any licence is obtained in India. Many a tourist visits the Lady Willingdon Mission Hospital with broken bones, sometimes protruding out, after accidents. Some para-gliders crash into innocent bystanders who end up with spinal injuries and paralysis. Serious, complicated cases with multiple organ injuries and heavy blood loss are stabilized to the extent possible and referred to either Chandigarh or Shimla. Sadly, some don't make it. Blood availability is very very limited in this hilly area. So think very carefully before deciding to paraglide in Manali.

Women should avoid going into small lanes and by-lanes after it is dark and make sure that you are not wearing any jewellery while walking on the streets. There were two reported rapes of tourists in 2018 alone.

Go next
Travelling northward from Manali is the breathtaking region of Lahaul and Spiti across the Rohtang Pass. The highway crosses the pass and forks at Gramphoo (12 km) the left one goes to Lahaul and is the Manali Leh highway and the road on the right leads to Spiti via Kunzum La. The Rohtang pass also marks the boundary between the fertile Kullu valley with its lush greenery and the sparse vegetation Lahaul and Spiti. The Ladakh, Zanskar and Changthang areas further on are even more barren.


 * Beas Kund - It is named after the sage (Rishi) named Beas and this tiny lake is situated at upper Solan valley, which is a heart of summer and winter games in Manali.
 * Deo Tibba - It is one of the peaks set back in valley of Manali. It is famous among trekkers who have substantial mountaineering knowledge.
 * Friendship Peak - Friendship peak is located in Beas Kund region of Manali, facing other different kinds of peaks such as Shiti Dhar, Hanuman Tibba and Seven Sisters. It is the only peak in Himachal where no royalty needs to be paid to IMF.
 * Hamta Pass - At a height of 4,268 m, Hamta Pass is made of various snow bridges which pass over Hamta Stream. It is highly renowned trekking base and as a part of trek, visitors can also explore Bara Shirgi Glacier.
 * Purola - It lies in the state of Uttrakhand and leads to almost identical geographical location of Yamunotri. There are ample transportation facility available to reach Purola.
 * Indrasan Peak - After crossing Hamta Pass one will find Indrasan Peak (Throne of Indra)