Being landlocked in the northern part of India, Delhi is extremely hot in summer with temperatures reaching close to 50 degrees in the months of May and June. These are also the months when kids have their summer vacations. In a bid to escape the city heat, thousands of people rush to the hills for a vacation. A high-altitude Himalayan resort town in northern Himachal Pradesh, Manali serves as the ultimate getaway for Delhiites.
The hill station has a reputation as a backpacking center and honeymoon destination. Located along the Beas River, it’s a gateway for skiing in the Solang Valley and trekking in Parvati Valley. It’s also a jumping-off point for paragliding, rafting, and mountaineering in the Pir Panjal mountains.
How to reach Manali from Delhi?
The best and most cost-effective way to reach Manali is by road. It’s well connected to different places including Delhi (540 km), Chandigarh (305 km), Dehradun (227 km), and Ambala (370 km). There are several buses – government and private – that operate seven days a week round the year. However, the bus ride can take nearly 12 hours to reach Manali from Delhi.
The fastest way to reach the hill station is by flight to Bhuntar Airport, then take a cab to Manali which takes about 4 hours.
You can book a semi-sleeper AC bus here.
What are the main attractions in Manali?
Solang Valley
Solang Valley derives its name from a combination of the words – Solang and Nallah. The valley is located 14 km northwest of Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass. The Solang Valley is known for its summer and winter sports.
Avoid going to the Solang Valley in the summers as you will hardly see any snow there and it’ll appear like a dry and boring patch of land.
Beas River
Beas River is located in the heart of the Kullu Valley. It is popular for its camping spots and adventure activities. One can indulge in adventure sports such as river rafting, river crossing, etc. The length of the river is 470 km.
It is also a great source of the generation of electricity in India through hydroelectric power plants.
The age-old river is named Hyphasis in Greek, and Vipasha in Sanskrit. It flows through the two states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. It also marks the eastern border of Alexander the Great’s empire in 326 BC who was forced to stop his expedition here.
Van Vihar
Van Vihar, a municipal garden, is beautifully adorned by deodar trees. It’s a perfect place to spend a memorable time with loved ones. A number of locals and tourists visit the park to relax and get the fresh breeze of the Deodar trees. The peace and quiet you get here are truly remarkable.
The main attraction of the park is a beautiful man-made lake, situated in the middle of the woods. Tourists can enjoy boating on the lake.
There are also a lot of swings for the children as well as adults in the park. The River Beas runs very close to the park and you can hear it in the background as you stroll through the beautiful trails. If you visit the park in the evening, you will get a chance to enjoy the stunningly beautiful view of the sun setting against the glorious backdrop of the majestic mountains.
Vashisht Temple
The temple is located in Vashisht village near Manali and it’s famous for its sulfurous hot water spring, which is believed to have great healing powers. It is 2-kilometer away from the main market area of Manali and you can reach the parking area of the temple in 15 minutes by taxi/auto.
Touted as Sage Vashist’s place of meditation, the spring is said to have formed at the spot where Lakshman (from the Indian epic Ramayana) shot an arrow into the ground.
The Vashisht temple is believed to be more than 4000 years old. Inside the temple, there is a black stone image of the Rishi wearing a dhoti. It is decorated with excellent and beautiful carvings on wood.
Jogini Waterfall
Jogini Waterfall Trek starts from the sleepy town of Vashisht and is about 3 kms long. It’s a gentle walk through the forest with views of Rohtang and River Beas on your left side.
The trek route passes through a narrow lane by the side of the temple and it goes through apple orchids, tall pine trees small water streams. On the way, a few restaurants and guest houses are also available.
Hidimba Devi Temple
Hidimba Devi Temple is locally known as Dhungari Temple. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahabharata. The temple is built around a cave where Hidimba Devi performed meditation and lived with her brother Hidimb.
The temple is over 500 years old and was built by the royal family of Kullu, by Maharaja Bahadur Singh in the mid-1500s. It is one of the most revered temples in the Himalayas. An intricate four-story structure, the temple looks like a deserted cabin in the woods if there is nobody around.
Atal Tunnel
Atal Tunnel, named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway. The 9.02 km (5.6 mi) long tunnel is presently the world’s longest single-tube highway tunnel at an altitude above 3,000 m (10,000 ft).
Rohtang La
Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.
The name Rohtang means ‘ground of corpses’ or ‘pile of dead bodies’ due to the number of people who lost their lives trying to cross it. It is one of the most scenic places in the Himalayas. However, one should go there during the off-season. Otherwise, be prepared for two to three hours of traffic jams.
