Exploring Manali

Places to visit in Kullu Manali

Located in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the Kullu valley, Manali is one of the major destinations of the state which attracts an extremely large number of tourists every year.  Manali is a home to the amazingly beautiful snow capped mountains, various monasteries and temples. There are many places to visit in Kullu Manali. Each of these places hs their own significance. So, it would be unfair to compare each of them with one another. 

Manali is a perfect place for the people who wish to experience snowfall and for those who want to rejuvenate in the lap of nature. For adventure seekers, Manali provides diverse options like trekking, paragliding, skiing, zorbing, white water rafting etc.

My week long trip to Manali was an amazing experience. From source to destination, the journey was hurdle free. The roads leading to Manali are well constructed and wide enough to support the two-way traffic. While travelling, the scenery of the snow capped mountains visible from my car, was extremely mesmerising.

  FAMOUS PLACES TO  VISIT IN KULLU MANALI:

Solang Valley(Adventure/Trekking & Nature) 

       

     Solang valley is a side valley, located at the top of the Kullu valley, is 14 km north-west of the resort town Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass. Solang valley is mainly known for its summer and winter sports adventures. The sports offered are paragliding, parachuting, skiing, zorbing, horse riding and skating. Skiing can be done only during the winter season whereas zorbing(a giant ball with room for 2 people which is rolled down a 200-metre hill) is available mainly after May when the snow melts.Wonderful views and various sports adventures make Solang valley an ideal tourist attraction.These are one of the few places to visit in Kullu Manali where tourists can experience various adventures in the lap of nature.

 Rohtang Pass(Adventure/Trekking)

         

     

     Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass located on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around at a distance of 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India. On the southern side of the pass, the Beas river emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River (flows from the eastern Himalayas), a source stream of the river Chenab, flows westward.The roads from Manali to Rohtang Pass are quite dangerous so the vehicles are susceptible to accidents. These are one of the best places to visit in Kullu Manali. The roads leading to Rohtang Pass have sharp and curvy U-turns which makes them dangerous. Another problem one can face while travelling to Rohtang Pass is the huge traffic. During my trip, I was stuck in traffic for 3-4 hours which wasted a huge chunk of my time. But that happened during my return journey from Rohtang Pass. A day before my visit to Rohtang, I met a local guide in Manali, who advised me to leave Manali for Rohtang early in the morning. As I was already aware of the traffic problem so I left Manali, the next day, at sharp 5 AM and reached Rohtang Pass at 7 AM without facing any problem. If you are planning a trip to the Rohtang Pass then do keep the above-mentioned pointers in your mind otherwise be ready to face the problems.On reaching the Rohtang Pass, one can literally feel to be at the top of the world.Snow scooter ride is quite popular in Rohtang Pass.There are many tea stalls available for tourists at Rohtang Pass.Tea sellers travel 40-50 Km. daily to Rohtang to sell the tea.

 Hadimba Temple  (Nature & Pilgrimage)

         

     Built in 1553, the Hadimba temple is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hadimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in Indian epic Mahabharata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest at the foot of the Himalayas. Hadimba temple has a 24 m high tower and three tiers of its square roof  is covered with timber tiles. The unadorned walls are covered with the stonework whereas the doorway is decorated with the miniature depictions of goddesses, animals and stylised foliation.These are one of the few places to visit in Kullu Manali where tourists can experience the beauty of nature. Outside the temple, there are many yaks available for the ride.Then there are many rabbit festers who charge around 10 rupees from tourists for holding the fluffy rabbits. After the snowfall, Hadimba temple looks much more beautiful. Hadimba temple is located at about 2-3 km from the Manali mall road. The roads leading to Hadimba are uphill so most of the people prefer to go there by foot. Driving the vehicles at such a great slope becomes quite difficult.

Van Vihar Park (Adventure)

     Located on the Manali mall road, 0.75 km from Manali bus stand, Van Vihar park has the dense population of deodar trees. This park is an ideal picnic spot for the tourists and the locals. Boating facility is also available in the park.

   Best time to travel:

·                            Manali: All months except July, August & September.

·                            Rohtang Pass: From May/June to October/November.

·                            Solang valley: To experience snow, December to February, are the best months.

          Van Vihar park:  All months