Manali

Manali, located on the northern edge of the Kulu Valley, is the most popular resort in the area. The continuing interest in this city is certainly due to the beauty of the landscape, in addition, there are numerous mountain trails and well-developed tourist facilities.

At the turn of the years 70. i 80. Manali attracted numerous groups of hippies from the West, and this is because… good quality marijuana grown in the area. Admittedly, small hippie communities still live in the nearby villages, however, for about ten years Manali has been a completely different city. Today, instead of rebellious youth, Mostly Indian newlyweds come here. An extensive hotel network guarantees them a successful honeymoon. Due to its popularity, Manali is not one of the quietest cities, but it's still worth staying here for a few days. The picturesque location of the city and the charming surrounding villages attract tourists. Hikers can go on a two-day trek that starts in Manali on the trail to Lehu, Ladakh.

The old charm of Manali's old town has disappeared in the rush of hotels, which makes the undeveloped areas around the city look much more effective. So far, the main branch of the economy has been the cultivation of apple orchards. However, many of them were turned into campsites or sold for the construction of new hotels, and today the city benefits most from tourism.

Planning a trip to Manali, let's keep in mind, that the low temperatures remain here for quite a long time and snow lies even until the end of March.

Orientation and information

The bus stop and most restaurants are on the main street of Manali. There is also a tourist office here (2325), and there is a taxi rank opposite. A well-run office can provide you with a list of hotels with given prices, as well as the tariff list for taxi journeys.

The shopping center is home to travel agencies that organize trips to the mountains. Most of the offices previously operated in Kashmir, however, the unfavorable political situation forced the owners to suspend their activities and move to Manali.

Manali's Warning is famous for. from the cultivation of marijuana. In addition to private plantations, you can often find plots of wild marijuana. However, it is better not to tempt fate and refrain from collecting it. It is illegal to possess marijuana, and being caught by the police can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Hadimba's Temple

At distance 1 km from the tourist office, in a small forest clearing there is a gloomy wooden temple of the goddess Hadimba, one of the main characters of the holiday Dussehr.

In the epic Mahabharata, Hadimba is presented as Bhima's wife, the son of King Pandu. Coming from 1553 r. the building is also called the Dhungri temple. Every year in May, the most important festival in Manali is celebrated here. It is also open to non-Hindu people.

Stay Manali

The old part of Manali is now a separate village, away at 2 km from the new city. To get there, you have to cross the Manalsu stream and follow the road leading uphill. Old Manali is popular mainly among less wealthy tourists, who find cheap accommodation here. A temple was recently erected in the center of the old village.

Tibetan monastery

Beautiful rugs and many other Tibetan handicrafts are made and sold in a recently built beautiful monastery.

Skis

Tourist offices in Manali organize skiing trips to Solang Nullahu (tooth.: Manali area). The equipment does not need to be shipped from Manali, because there are also rentals in Solang. Wealthier tourists can rent a helicopter (600 $ per day), to get to the virgin slopes. Helicopter flights are booked at the Himalayan Joumeys (2365; fax 3065), PO Box 15, Manali, 175131 (near State Bank Of India), representing the Himachal Helikopter Skiing office.

Guided expeditions

Guy Robins & Gerry Moffat organizes one to three days of rafting on the Beas River. The office also organizes sightseeing tours, m.in. do Spiti, mountain bike tours and kayaking trips, both for experienced canoeists, as well as for complete beginners. For more information, please contact the Himalayan Journeys office (see earlier).

For some time now, other travel agencies have been organizing rafting trips. The season for this type of trip lasts in Manali from May to August, and the cost of the trip with lunch is 600 INR per person.

Bus tours to Rohtang Pass are organized daily during high season (100 INR; departure for Fr. 9.00, the return of Fr. 16.00). These offers are mainly used by Indian residents, who are going there, To see – and touch – snow. Special trips are organized to Manikaran (there is a Sikh temple and hot springs; 140 INR) and to the castle of Nagar (100 INR).