Manali
“The honeymoon capital of India”- Manali
Manali is a paradise on earth which is blessed with natural splendor and romance is in the air. With the gorgeous locations and breathtaking sceneries and romantic setup of the place makes it one of the best place for lovers to bloom their romance. Nestled amidst the snow-capped hills of the Pir Panjal and the Dhauladhar ranges, Manali has astonishing splendor accentuated with lush green forests of tall deodar and oak trees, sprawling meadows bejeweled with the majestic wildflowers, gushing streams of astounding grandeur and the mist mixed with the fragrance of pines and local fruit orchards make it an idealistic destination for travelers.
Manali offers the most gorgeous vistas, soothing riversides, marvelous tourist attractions with view of snowcapped mountains, beautiful valleys, natural lakes with the striking turquoise hue, glaciers that are century old, sizzling cascades making the most amazing waterfalls, rivers playing the songs of nature, lush green meadows jeweled with wildflowers and forests that will remind you of the memorable poems of Robert Frost and PB Shelly. Manali celebrates its beauty of being a charming tourist destination loved by Indian as well as foreign tourists. Romance is in the air of this paradise on earth and each year it attracts thousands of honeymooners and nature lovers who want to relax and unwind their mind while soaking in the peace and tranquility. There are lots of places that will enchant you, rejuvenate you and when you return to your own place, you will be left with the mesmerizing memories that will last for a lifetime.
Monasteries:
Gadhan Thekchoking Gompa, Manali
Himalayan Nyingamapa Temple, Manali
Dhakpo Shedrupling Monastery, Kais
Dechen Choekhor Mahavihara Monstery, Sharabhai
Temples:
Hadimba Devi Temple
Ghatotkach Tree Temple
Khatu Shyam Temple
Manu Telmple
Vasihishth Temple
Siyali Mahadev Temple
Durga Mata Temple
Kartik Swami Temple
Local Point of Interests:
Solang Valley
Rohtang La
Nehru Kund
Old Manali
Naggar Castle
Van Vihar
Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art
Mall Road
Jagatsukh
Kothi
Gulaba
Arjun Gufa
Roerich Art Gallery
Jogni Water Fall
Jana Water Fall
Rahala Water Fall
How to Reach Manali
By Air: The nearest airport to Manali is located in Bhunter which is around 50 KMS from Manali. The Bhunter airport is connected to Delhi and Chandigarh with domestic flights. However the frequency of flights is dependent on the weather conditions so, this might not be the best option.
By Road: Manali is well connected by road from Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh. There are frequent bus services and you can also take your own car or hire a taxi to reach Manali.
By Train: Chandigarh railway station is the closest option to reach Manali if you want to take a train. From Chandigarh there are buses and cab facilities.
Spending 2-3 days in Manali
Hiring a motorbike is the first thing many visitors to Manali do. Renting a motorbike provides an affordable and convenient way to navigate around the city traffic and allows you to be flexible with your timings. Wheather you are a first time visitor or someone whose been to Manali often, there are always more places to see and trails to ride around Manali. So let us tell you more about how u can spend your days in Manali with a rented bike.
- Here is a plan for spending 2-3 days on a motorbike in Manali
DAY 1:
You can begin the first day with a ride to Naggar castle, about 20 kms from the main Manali town on the left bank road. The castle used to be the seat of the erstwhile rulers of the Kullu state but now it’s a much photographed destination providing a peep into the history and culture of the valley, not to mention the panoramic view. About 200 mts further from the castle, you can also visit the Roerich Art Gallery, which is a beautiful little house nestled amidst a Pine forest.
After the castle and Art Gallery, you can ride on the small road that leads from Naggar to Jana Waterfall, the distance is about 15kms and though Jana falls isn’t much to write home about, but the narrow winding road offers some of the most breathtaking views of terrace farming that you could see. Also, Jana falls has a couple of very good eat – by – the- waterfall Dhabas that serve up yummy local dishes like Red Rice, Rajma, Siddu etc. So its an ideal place to savor the local cuisine for lunch.
Post Lunch, we recommend you ride towards Kullu and visit the Kais Monastery. It’s a fairly new Monastery but you can see it bustling with life and experience the rich Buddhist culture and architecture. A perfect late afternoon getaway. Ride back from Kais to Manali would take approximately an hour an quarter and you can either retire in your hotel room or head to Old Manali if you want a relaxed evening at a bar with some live music.
Day 2:
On the second day, w recommend you head North. You can start off by visiting Gulaba, and if Rohtang pass is through we recommend you visit The mighty Rohtang followed by the Sissu waterfall and back via the tunnel and Solang valley. This is the perfect northern loop that covers all the points of interest and ideal if you want to return back to Manali the same day. However, depending on the weather conditions, road conditions and the permit status Rohtang pass may or may not be open at all times of the year. In that case we recommend you to visit Gulaba and then head back towards solang valley and continue your journey through the Atal tunnel to Sissu waterfall. Getting back to manali from sisu would take approximately two to three hours and can take more time depending on the traffic conditions. you can plan on starting early this day if you have a bus to catch in the evening so that you are back in town and in time for your onward journey. However, if you have the luxury of a third day, heres what we recommend (LINK)
Day 3:
In continuation of our Day 2 Journey, we would recommend that instead of heading back to Manali you travel about 60 kms further from Sissu waterfall and halt for the night at Jispa. Jispa offers many riverside camping options and you can choose one that suits your budget. Guest houses and hotels are also available. On the morning of Day , you can ride from Jispa to Baralacha pass, one of the high altitude passes on the Manali – Leh highway and one which would almost surely offer you a glimpse of snow in case you missed out on snow in Rohtang. Baralacha is approximately 50 kms or an hour and a half ride from Jispa, but since it’s a high altitude pass, we would not recommend staying there for more than 15-20 mins as AMS might kick in. You would need 4-5 hrs to ride back from Baralacha to Manali and once in town, your ideal three day motorbike ride around Manali would officially be over.
General Info about Manali
I am not a Vlogger but I am a local from manali, and here I am sharing my 2 cents of information about my beautiful