Mountains have forever captivated us with their awe-inspiring beauty, leaving us speechless in their majestic presence. The thrill of gazing upon these towering peaks and embarking on climbs and hikes is unparalleled. There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of reaching the summit and beholding the world below, feeling as though we’re on top of the world.
The breathtaking beauty of the location may tempt you to consider staying in the resort town indefinitely, if only for a brief moment. I recall a friend expressing upon our arrival in Manali that she would even consider marrying a local just to call this place home. Manali stands as one of India’s most renowned hill stations, drawing tourists from across the globe with its heavenly snow-capped mountain vistas.
Best time to visit Manali
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If you love mountains and enjoy chilling weather, to be honest, WHAT ARE YOU REALLY WAITING FOR? Go pack your bags and plan a trip to Manali and allow me to guide you to the beauty and activities the place has to offer for you. The following article covers my in-depth raw experience in the place.
If pictures of mountains covered in snow excite you, you have come to the right place to seek guidance. If you enjoy cold weather more than everything, a trip to Manali is going to be a great option. If you ever wonder about the luxury of nature and wishes to capture the dazzling and graceful Himalayan range, congratulations Manali satiates the desire.
No matter you are traveling solo seeking solitude in the lap of nature –
“those who travel to mountain tops are half in love with themselves, and a half in love with oblivion”
(Robert Macfarlane);
OR
couple craving for some quality time; or with your familyhoping to get some family bonding time-
“climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees”
(JOHN MUIR)
Manali is the town you would not regret spending time and a little bit of money in.
Best time to go Manali
If you want to enjoy the snowfall during your travel to Manali, the best time to visit is between October and January. As the temperature runs down to the 0-degree Celsius and may fall even lower during the winter season. The visit during this time frame would allow you to delightful basking of the snow.
Trust me being the eye witness or rather a body witness to snowfall is out of the world experience if you have never been to the hill stations earlier ever.
Best time to visit Manali for snowfall
For snow play, one has to head to Solang Valley, Gulaba, or to Rohtang Pass. I have been there and witnessed snowfall with my best friends. It is the best time we have ever spent with each other while having fun- yes you get it right – it includes throwing snowballs at each other and slipping on to the ice playing and feeling like kids again making our bonds stronger. Yes, Manali is the place for Bonds.
Rohtang Pass, Reserve a whole day separately for this. Enjoy the lush green winding roads that slowly leads to snow. The way up to Rohtang pass is a beautiful valley. You can see the snow melting on the sides of the road and see it flowing. At parts of Rohtang Pass, the snow never melts meaning what you see and touch and hold in your hands might be really ancient.
The place’s name comes from Persian words RUH + TANG which means a pile of dead bodies. Scary no? Well, don’t be afraid it’s an ancient old trade route which has witnessed the people’s death while trading to the sides. If you really want to enjoy the route to Rohtang Pass do not try to visit the place in extreme winter you might get stuck on the road or simply might not be able to go to the highest point as the way to Rohtang Pass might get closed due to the roadblock because of the heavy snowfall.
Best season for Manali
Manali is amongst the best choices for the newly married couple for honeymoon. I mean come on what can ever be more romantic than a cold and chill breeze touching your face and hairs and mountains covered in snow to drive your sensuality.
Best time to visit Manali for honeymoon
It is a picture-perfect town to enjoy quality time with your partner. No matter even if you are married for 5 years or even more. Manali has been the witness to budding love relationships and romance.
The best time to visit Manali (for couples) is all through the year except the monsoon months from mid of July to mid of September.
Activities to do in Manali
Rock Climbing
Untamed mountains of Solang Valley call you to get a taste of raw adventure. If you are planning to trip solo this activity suits you the best. It is the most adventurous way to know the place even better. It costs you Rupees 700 (per person). The best time to visit Manali for Rock Climbing is during April-June.
Paragliding In Manali
If thrill and adventure is the thing you are looking for, then this is the activity you must get your hand on. Nothing can be more thrilling than watching the picturesque while sailing in the air.
Its cost varies according to the category. If you are going to try SHORT FLY- it costs you Rupees 600 per person. If you are going to try High Fly it would cost you Rupees 1500 to Rupees 3000. Perfect time to visit Manali for Paragliding is during April-June
Skiing
Embark on the Himalayan adventure down to the slopes of Solang. It is a must-try of all the activities. It costs Rupees 300 per person. For Skiing you have to go to Sethan Valley which is about 10km from Manali. The best time to visit Manali for Skiing is during December to February
River rafting at Manali
I am going to discuss it in detail because this is one of my favorites. Manali has always been a travel destination for everyone all-round the year, situated in the northern part of India. The above-mentioned activities of skiing, paragliding, snowboarding, snow surfing, and ice skating have been the primary attractions in Manali. However, only a few people know that Manali also possesses river rafting stretches (and some of them are one of the bests in the mountains of India.
If you are planning a trip with your friends this is the best thing you could do with them as per my personal experience. Just head to the mountains between January or February. Though not the most amazing season to enjoy river rafting, it is quite a match for those who do not mind a dash of thrilling adventure anytime and love the winter season. Trust me I would never forget the moment when I dived into the river while the river rafting and was in there into the freezing water for FIVE SECONDS.
It is a lifetime experience for me. Yes, I was afraid too, the man who guides us to the rafting was well-trained for everything including emergency situations. He had to ask me thrice before I agreed to dive in. But nothing can be compared with those particular FIVE SECONDS.
It costs Rupees 500 per person but if you are a group and want a video recorded for your river rafting, they offer you a group payment of rupees 2000 extra (as far as I can recall my memory on the details of charges).
Other activities include trekking, gondola rides, snow scooter, and skating which costs around Rupees 300 to 500.
And for your kind information, all the activities are performed within the guidance of well-trained coaches who are all prepared for every situation including emergencies.
They provide you with all the safety equipment and tips to enjoy the activity without any fear. For example, the costume suppliers on the roads for snow play on rent provide you with extra warm clothes, gloves, and shoes just for snow. To be honest the risk is worth taking as these activities make you even stronger and enrich your experience.
The entire route from Bhuntar to Manali is full of adventure operators on the roadside.
Manali Mall Road
This is the main street in Manali (Himachal Pradesh). This is the place particularly for the people who are planning the trip with friends and family. As you are well aware of the fact of how crazy are family members for shopping while on a trip. The road has a number of showrooms, department stores, cafes, shops, and restaurants. It is an emporium offering handicrafts products of Himachal Pradesh including locally designed woolen clothes, branded cloths, pottery items, wooden products, and jewelry (women’s favorite) all in one place. What a treat to eyes and to the purse.
Local Sightseeing Tour Manali
A simple walk to Hidimba temple in the evenings during your stay in Manali is a good choice according to me.
A beautiful forest walks. It connects Old Manali to the Manali Market. You actually get to walk through the thick forests along the Beas river. As numerous forest birds chirp and follow you it’s hard to believe that the normal hustle-bustle of city life is just meters away.
You can spend time at the side of rivers just sitting there and enjoying the calm, serene and tranquil view of the river soothing your soul and mind. This is one of my favorites. It is really peaceful.
Don’t’ forget to explore Manali on your own besides all the things I have mentioned above. Look beyond the obvious. You will find numbers of trails all around Manali and if invites your soul just ask any local and set an expedition to adventure. Find where it leads to, follow your heart.Also go for Jogini Waterfall Trek.
Tips on what to pack?
During summer and spring season – of course, summer clothes along with the light jacket and windcheaters for mild winter evenings you know just in case.
During the winter season- heavy woolen clothes and warmers. Yes, everything as you know it is going to snow.
Your medications- yes either you are traveling solo or with family, you need to keep your medicines with you, and even if you are not advised any medications just keep the headache medicines. As you know if you have never been to a cold place before your head might hurt a little.
P.S. trekking boots, comfortable walking shoes, and a good quality camera to capture the best shots.
P.P.S. as I am a great fan of Francis Bacon, I would highly recommend you to keep a diary with you to record all the moments on the paper in your own words, so that whenever you read your travelogue you can re-live the journey.
HOW TO REACH MANALI?
Well, if you are a nature lover and enjoy a peaceful trail, I would recommend you to go for a road trip. Yes, you get it right. You can’t really enjoy the track (way along) to the Manali if you would opt-out for any other mode of transports. As it would allow you to enjoy the breathtaking sceneries nature has to offer; capture that every moment of beauty and mesmerizing landscapes. Stop by roadside eateries for tea, food, and talk to people to enrich your travel experience. With the stories of the native people, you understand the place better.For information about History Of Manali Himachal Pradesh you must visit Wikipedia.
HOPE IT HELPS! Keep traveling.