To sum it all up, the Himachal Trip with familiy was overall much enjoyable.The Hotels that we stayed in were easily accessible , cheap and of good quality.We had no problem with availibilty of good food, as most of my fellow friends travelling there have comlained about.Travel expenes, though were a bit high, as we visited all the places in a Traveller mini-car,although it we reached from place A to place B in a very short time.In fact, throughout our travel in the car,the thrilling
![Photo of High up in the North 16/16 by Sankhadeep Saha]()
beauty of the mountains ,valleys, and tiny dots of hamelt-like populace on those vallleys,these scenes are almost out-of-the-world.So, one would never get bored even when one is inside the car.Lots of new people to meet around, their culture to savour, exquisite local foods, their clothing,their activities,etc. will make you want to visit the mountains over and over again.
It can be a bit exhausting in Manali, due to the heavy traffic, and difficulty in access to proper transprt system as most of the Travellers/provate cars are not allowed to drive up the mountains, and one is forced to employ a Government Tourism bus,which does not ensure you reliability,confirmation of a seat, thus making your travel all the more uncomfortable.So my advice to the travellers in the Manali region would be to do as much trekking/hiking as possible, a delight for any adventurer.To get the cheapest places to stay, look for one of those cottages, slightly offset from the main road.
The month of January, February or September-October would be the ideal time for a visit.But if you are looking for pilgrimage or places of worship, summer will do just fine.
I am looking forward to another visit there,which hopefully will be more adventure-oriented then.
Situated close to the foot of the Himalayas, a tinge of calmness can be found to assist one's stay at this place. Mall Road is worth paying attention to, what with all the local restaurants, the souvenir shops, the place gets all lit-up at the end of the day.The magnificent view of Chamba Valley and the mighty Dhauladhar range is something to watch out for when you are here. The Chamba Lake, situated between five mountain ranges, will leave you in awe.
For avid photographers, the Kalatop point is up for grabs to take a few snaps of one of the most beautiful sunsets you can find near the mountains.
From the quiet and calm Dalhousie, we arrived to Khajjiar valley, an experience of sorts for all travellers. Popularly known as the mini-Switzerland of India, there is much to do here-other than sitting idly for hours at a stretch-like paragliding, playing around with those fluffy rabbits, picnicking, bubble-balling, not to mention the famous 'Mataji Mandir' with its 20 ft. tall statue of Lord Shiva.
However, accommodation here is not an option as this place is a few miles only.
A popular pilgrimage destination in the North, Dharamshala provides a scenic view of the snow-capped Dhaula-Dhar peaks all year long.The Holy Temple of Bhagsunath, where people head for a shower near the waterfalls,the residence of His Holiness The Dalai Lama near McleodGanj, and the highest international cricket stadium in the world-the HPCA stadium, are some of the tourist attractions in this place.
To top it all, how can this place be missed when you are travelling to Himcahal Pradesh?
Nowadays, Manali means trekking and mountain climbing for most of the people. However, the experience of traveling by any sort of transport up the mountains is one of its own! Beware the monsoon season as the road to the famous Rohtang Pass is highly obscured by cloud/fog.
But once you are there at the peak, the aura of the place will catch you off-guard.Skiing and paragliding are usually on during the winters.The Bhrigu lake is a tiny little lake situated within the laps of the snow-capped mountain valleys.
Some other places I visited were the Solang Valley(which remains totally inactive during the summer),Vashishtha Devi Mandir(in the photos) where hot springs of extreme temperatures are popular, and the ever turbulent Beas River.The nightlife can best be enjoyed in the Mall Road,a place to hangout, shop,dine among other actvities.
