Manali, at the northern end of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, is a hill station situated at a height of 2050m (6398 ft) in the Himalayas. Situated on the Beas river (Vyaas in Hindi) and near its source, it is a popular tourist spot for Indians in summer and a magical, snow-covered place in winter. A staging point for a number of treks (Beas Kund, Chandrakhani Pass) and sports such as white-water rafting, Manali is also on the road to Ladakh via the valley of Lahaul and Spiti and the Rohtang Pass which is the main attraction near Manali
Minimum temp could be below -5°C from October ‘thru March. December, January and February are the coldest months. Rest of the year, the minimum temperature would be 15-20°C.
There are various ways of getting around in Manali, if you are not already travelling with your own vehicle. Most tourists hire a taxi (various kinds available), which takes you around to all the sight-seeing spots in and around Manali (Rohtang, Manikaran etc). It costs about ₹1,800 per day, or little over ₹3,000 if you book together for 3 days (in the peak season). Dress for Rohtang cost around ₹150 for each set including boots and skiing set will cost you around ₹200. These detail are mentioned at a board at Mall Road. Be sure to bargain.
The second most common way is to hire a motorbike. There are many places where you can hire a motorbike (easy to find if you ask around), and is the most common mode of transport for foreigners. Both cruiser bikes like Bullet and sport bikes from Honda, Bajaj, Yamaha etc are easily available, though Bullet is the most commonly seen one on the roads. Rates hover around ₹1000-1500 per day in the peak season, but much discounted at other times. A good place worth a look will be in Bike rentals Manali office in Vashisht 9816044140, have a good selection of Royal Enfields and Pulsars. Also ‘Tinku’ Bike mechanic near old Manali bridge is an honest shop for bike rentals.
Public transport is not so good. There are cheap bus services, but they are not so frequent. Yet, if you are going to stay for a long time, it is better to know the times and use them, as other modes of public transport are exorbitant compared to bus. For e.g., auto rickshaws take ₹200 from manali mall road to Solang valley, while the bus will cost you just ₹10. The buses are not punctual specially because they seem not have a written schedule. The best option is to ask about timing at the bus terminal. Buses starts to run at 07:00. Frequently a bus can be cancelled or late. You can get in / out almost at any place on the route just wave to the driver.
Comments
Mark
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.