Manali - Winter Wonderland (after lockdown)

I had rented a scooty which costed me around Rs. 500 for sightseeing around Manali. The cost may differ according to the type of the bike and season of renting.Started my day having filter coffee in nearby cafe.

My next stop was the famous Hadimba Devi Temple which was just 3 minutes from the cafe.

The Hidimba Devi Temple has intricately carved wooden doors and a 24-meter-tall wooden tower and is surrounded by beautiful cedar forest at the foothills of the Himalayas.

Interesting Facts: Few movie scenes of "Roja" and "Yeh Jawani hai Dewaani" were shot in this age old temple.

The next stop was Beas River View point.

Beas river banks at scenic hill station in Manali has the most picturesque backdrop. Just 50 kms from Rohtang Pass and gateway to Leh, one must stand and feel the flow of river here.After this I stopped in another famous touristy stop called Jogini falls.The majestic Jogini fall cascades down from a height of around 150 feet.One can also trek to the falls ,the trek is very scenic through beautiful villages, apple orchards, tall pine trees and small water streams. There are fews stalls at the base of the fall selling tea, coffee maggi and local delicacy.

After visiting the falls, went to famous Monasteries in Manali.The Von Ngari Monastery was founded by the 2nd Dalai Lama and established in 1524 in Tibet. It was expanded by the 5th Dalai Lama and restored by the 14th Dalai Lama after it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.The peace and tranquility that comes down on you as soon as you enter is amazing. One must not miss this place if you are in Manali.Another famous Monastery in Manali Himalayan Nyinmapa which is point of attraction among for its two two-storey statue of the historical Buddha built in 1957.

Called the day off having a hearty meal at Chopsticks,Mall road.

Day 2 was booked for adventures in the snowland. I wanted to explore the beautiful landscape of Lahaul Valley and Atal Tunnel which has made this really accessible and super easy.Best way to explore this is hire to rent car or bike. I took a cab ,its around 40 km drive and takes roughly 1 hr. Driving through the tunnel has a different level of excitement and pride.One enters into beautiful landscape in other side of the tunnel.You can never stop admiring the mesmerizing , changing landscape.The roads are maintained by the Border Road Organization (BRO).After witnessing the intriguing views in Sissu and enjoying maggi in the snow capped mountains I decided to head towards Solang Valley for the adventures that was planned.

The Valley of adventure(Solang Valley) had very less to offer me. It is over-crowded and not worth visiting. There are touts selling the activities for an unreasonable price. The bottom of the mountains had no to almost non- existant snow.The activities like skiing, tube sliding and zip lining along with the snow costumes costed me around Rs.1400 which was not worth it.The paragliding in Solang Valley is charged around Rs. 3500 for 10-15 mins which is very high as compared to the rates charged in Dhobi.After all adventure activities I was tired and returned back to the Hotel.

Next day started with the paragliding at Dhobi. Dhobi is a beautiful village located between Manali and Kullu and is is the most popular destination for paragliding in Kullu-Manali. If you dream to fly in the sky then paragliding in Dhobi is the best location at reasonable prices. One can directly book the session through indiathrills.After the thrilling flight , I was excited for another sports-river rafting.If you are looking for something that can liberate your soul and can take you on an exciting, bumpy ride on river beas, then rafting in Kullu you should definitely check this sport out. After all the adrenaline rush, I was all tired and returned to my hotel.Went to the famous Johnson's Cafe for the dinner.The live music which starts at 7pm and the ambience creates all the magic in this place.Do try the famous trout and chilly garlic fries here,its worth trying.

For the last day of the trip I decided to head towards the Gulaba and hence rented a bike.The ride through the curved roads of Manali was the one of the most memorable memories I have taken back from the trip.Gulaba is a hill station which is located in Leh- Manali Highway. It is 25 km away from Rothang Pass and 27 km away from Manali and 4,000 Meters above from sea-level.This place is surrounded by snow capped mountains and certainly wont disappoint youAfter Gulaba my next destination was Naggar Castle in Kullu.Built 500 years ago, this age old castle is 24 kms from Old Manali amidst breathtaking forested hills.The entry fees is 15.0 per person and Rs 25 camera carges . Mask is mandatory for entry.Timings: 10 am - 5 pm on all days.Reputed artist, Nicholas Roerich had chosen Kullu as his home when he came to India in 1929. The house has now been converted into an art gallery with lots of rare paintings and art which is 1.5km from the Naggar castle.The nicholas roerich art museum has an entry fee of Rs. 30.0 per person

The last day ended with a big fat meal at Cafe 1947, which is known for its pizza, burger,pasta.