So here i started my journey to Himachal- देव भूमि (Land of the Gods) My friend Naishriti was arriving from Chennai while I was arriving from Bilaspur (C.G) to meet at a common point, Delhi for the journey ahead. We took an overnight bus to Manali.
Arriving in the mountains we took an auto up the hills of Old Manali. Two different worlds exist on both sides of the bridge, which divides Old Manali from touristy Manali. Crossing the bridge over gushing Beas River will take you to this paradise, and you will feel as if you have entered a different country altogether. This part of Manali has a striking charm with a blend of foreign and Indian aspects. This village is exposed to the comforts of modern world, but at the same time, it seems as if it is directly from a fairy-tale. You will see some of the cutest cafes and peppy souvenir shops on the streets of Old Manali.
We went off-road and walked through the village where the local women who were tending to the farm animals. Suddenly, we were home. Zostel, A super chilled place with a great vibe. Beautiful location with views to the mountains, apple orchards, a gorgeous garden cafe and away from traffic noise. Akshit were so kind and made us feel welcome and comfortable. This is certainly a slice of heaven that we had a hard time leaving. So I will surely recommend this place to everyone who love nature!
After a relaxing bath after two days and a mouth-watering breakfast we headed to the roads of old manali and rented a Royal Enfield Himalayan! Haha JK, we rented a moped “why should boys have all the fun”
So we are in vashisht temple, approx. 4000 years old. There is a hot water spring known as Vashisht kund, it is said that Beas Kund in Manali is the origin point of the mighty Beas River. Vashisht Manali is dedicated to the great sageVashisht.
After visiting the Vashisht temple and taking a hot water dip we started the trek. This is nearly 3 KM trek from Vashisht temple, the trek route passes through narrow lane by the side of temple and it goes through apple orchids, tall pine trees, and small water streams. While trekking you can see Beas River and snow peaks of Rohtang at your left side. A gentle walk will take 30 minutes to reach the base of the waterfall, yogini mata temple is at the base of the waterfall. From here if you can climb then can reach the top point of the waterfall. The stiff climb will take 20 minutes more to reach at top and it’s worth climbing!
After returning from the trek we took our ride from vashisht temple complex and head back to manali. Just because we had left some energy we went to Hadimba Devi Temple.
After a long tiring day we got lazy at Lazy Dog Cafe, one of the best dinning views in the area with good food, drinks and live music.
Today we woke up early in the morning and went to Manu temple, a beautiful temple with a beautiful mountain view. This temple was near our hostel so it was a quick visit and after strolling on the streets of Old manali for few minutes we asked each other, what’s next bro?
And here we are, again rented a moped and decided to go on a 25km ride to Naggar Castle. An architectural marvel, the Naggar Castle is build using woods and rocks. This unique way of building has helped it stand through centuries. This style of building also makes this place, one the residence of Kullu Raja, significantly Earthquake-proof!
Back to old manali, my friend Gaurav recommended this place to me and forced me to eat their famous wood pizza. “Thank you Gaurav” Best pizza in manali, with beautiful ambiance and some amazing drinks, yes drinks to keep you warm in fucking cold weather!
So this was our last night in Manali and after the great food and drinks we headed back to our hostel, we had a high night at the garden area with our fellow travellers and some great conversations.
This morning we took a HRTC bus to Bhuntar and from there we took another bus to Kasol. Somehow we managed to reach Kasol at 2PM. Kasol is a beautiful hamlet, It is situated in Parvati Valley, on the banks of the Parvati River.
After lunch we spend some time near Chalal Bridge over Parvati River that connects Chalal village to Kasol. And headed to Visit Manikaran Gurudwara, A holy place of worship, with hot springs, valley views & free food called ‘Langar’ for everyone.
After a peaceful visit to Manikaran we hitchhiked to get back to kasol and hiked a little to reach Jimm Morrison cafe. one of the best and oldest cafe in kasol village. Due to its location in isolated area very less people know about it but if one takes the help of sign boards it's easy to reach there.
We changed 2 busses and 1 shared taxi to reach Raju Bharti’s guest house (Kasol-Bhuntar-Banjar-Gushaini) but it was totally worth it. For my love of Homestays, we stayed at Raju Bharti’s guest house. Located at milestone one, Gushaini, it is one of the best experiences you could have in the Tirthan valley. With the cottage located right on the bank of Tirthan River, the Homestay is beautiful in it's own way. Also, on entering the place, you will be greeted by few lovely Himalayan dogs and a couple of cats. There is an expensive orchard- growing persimmons, Apricots, Apples and many other fruits. Bliss! Indeed!
This was the hardest goodbye to this heavenly place and to the fluffy dogs and cats.
Next morning with a heavy heart we left for Jalori pass, again we changed two buses to reach there (Gushaini-Banjar-Jalori pass). By reaching Jalori pass we got amazed by the view, we were on top of the world not by saying but literally on top of the world with the clouds! At hight of 10800 ft above the sea level.
We stayed there in a tent and that was the totally different experience for us. We were the only travelers staying at that camp site because of off season, we got little nervous but the locals made us very comfortable.
We woke up early in the morning in the clouds with a beautiful mountain view, we ate our last breakfast in the mountains and headed to shimla.
To reach shimla we took a bus to Narkanda and then a shared taxi to shimla, we reached shimla in the evening and had few hours to explore shimla just before leaving for Delhi. After an overnight journey from Shimla to Delhi, here we are- Back to civilisation. An epic journey was completed.
Life is beautiful, everyone should take time from their busy life and experience the beauty of nature! Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature makes you feel better emotionally and physically.
So get up, pack your bags and explore. Happy travelling!
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