It all started when two of my friends and I decided we needed a break from our corporate lives. All of us were desperate for a trip, so we planned a long weekend in June 2023. The plan was for my friend and me to head to Gurgaon from Varanasi and meet up with another friend at her place. We had everything booked, including a bus from Delhi to Manali.
But of course, things didn’t go as smoothly as we thought.
One of my friends, in all her wisdom, decided to book a cab from Gurgaon to ISBT during evening rush hour. And yep, you guessed it—we missed our bus. We tried calling the driver, begging him to wait just 10 more minutes, but no luck.
When we finally made it to ISBT, we were in full panic mode. Luckily, we found a random tour agent who managed to get us tickets on another bus. It wasn’t luxury, but it was decent enough, and soon enough, we were on our way to Manali.
Here’s how the day’s travel expenses added up:
Varanasi to Delhi Train (BSBS - NDLS): ₹1200 per ticket
Metro from NDLS to Gurgaon: ₹50
Delhi to Manali Bus: ₹782 per ticket(Rs 4834 for the bus we missed)
We finally reached Manali, full of excitement, but little did we know the adventure was just getting started. Our hotel was in Sissu, and finding a cab turned out to be a bit of a hassle—everyone was quoting sky-high prices. Thankfully, the hotel staff came to the rescue and sent their guy to pick us up from the Manali bus stand. After waiting around for an hour, he arrived in a humble Alto, and that's when it really hit us—yes, our trip had truly begun!
On the way to Sissu, just before entering the famous Atal Tunnel, we made a quick pit stop. I snagged a pair of sunglasses for just 100 bucks, and we grabbed some roasted corn from a roadside vendor. Simple joys, right? But entering the Atal Tunnel was something else. At first, I felt a bit claustrophobic, like I couldn’t breathe, but once we emerged on the other side, the view was breathtaking. The crisp mountain air, the snow-capped peaks, and the winds felt like a warm welcome. We, of course, took tons of pictures.
The closer we got to our hotel, the more our phone signals started to fade. I wasn’t too worried, thinking we'd get WiFi at the hotel, but when we arrived—surprise! No WiFi either. If you wanted to use your phone, you had to step outside in the freezing cold. But honestly, that only added to the charm of the place. The hotel itself was cozy, the rooms were great, and we loved our one-night stay there.
Later, we changed quickly and headed out to Sissu Lake. The hotel owner was kind enough to drop us off, saying he’d pick us up on his way back from Manali. We were perfectly fine with that. The lake was stunning, with the sun setting behind snow-capped mountains, the river gently flowing, and the winds adding to the surreal atmosphere. It was cold, yes, but the beauty around us made it all worth it.
As the sun dipped lower, it started to get really chilly. Most people had left, and it was just us and a few locals who were, well, drinking. We started to get a little nervous as the shops closed one by one. We ended up waiting for almost three hours before our ride finally showed up. I was frustrated, but determined not to let it ruin the night, so we picked up some booze on the way back.
We also asked the hotel owner for some local liquor, Lugdi. At first, he said it wasn’t possible, but after some pleading, he managed to get us a little. We drank it, but it didn’t have the kick we were expecting. That night, we met two guys from Mumbai who were there on a workcation. We all hit it off and decided to sit on the hotel terrace, which had no railings by the way, but the view made up for it. The sky was blanketed with stars, the cold was biting, but honestly, I could’ve stayed there forever. We spent the night stargazing and chatting with these newfound friends.
Eventually, we went back to our room, and I crashed into bed, exhausted but happy, and slept like a panda. The entire experience was so magical, it almost felt unreal.
Cab from Manali to Sissu: ₹1500
Sissu hotel to Sissu Lake (drop-off): ₹700
Sissu hotel stay: ₹2575 per night
That day, I woke up a little early and decided to step outside to enjoy the sunrise. I sat there alone, taking in the view, listening to the birds chirping—it was peaceful. A bit later, the hotel owner came over and told me that our cab was about to arrive. He had booked us a ride from Sissu to Chandratal. Initially, our plan was to visit Rohtang Pass on the way, but due to time constraints, we had to skip that and settle for just going to Chandratal after some discussion.
Since the roads to Chandratal are pretty rough, a 4x4 vehicle was arranged for us. However, the driver started delaying, and then he stopped answering calls altogether. The owner suggested we leave for the meeting point where the driver was supposed to pick us up, so we did. But then, we ended up waiting for almost three and a half hours. It was so frustrating—I was annoyed, and my friends were too.
After a lot of back and forth, the owner found another 4x4 vehicle, but that driver also took an hour to arrive. Finally, we got into the vehicle around 2:30 pm, but the drama wasn’t over yet. The entry pass to Chandratal closes at 3:00 pm, and we were running late. When we got there, the army personnel were not allowing any more vehicles through. Everyone was pleading with them, and we were left wondering what to do since our entire plan was centered around reaching Chandratal. If not there, then what?
We waited again, this time for about an hour and a half. Eventually, the young drivers managed to get us a pass, and we set off on a new adventure. The views were incredible, but the roads—or lack thereof—made the journey pretty intense. It was pitch dark, and at one point, we even got lost because there’s no network for maps to work out there. At one point, we nearly landed in a ditch! We were all scared, but our young drivers were just laughing and loving the thrill.
It was freezing cold, but finally, we found our campsite and reached safely. The camp was nice, the food was good, and the stars were shining beautifully. We had come all this way for stargazing, but in the end, I was too exhausted—my head was spinning, and I just crashed into bed.
Despite all the hiccups, it was a day to remember.
We woke up at 4:30 A.M. and got ready quickly. The weather was freezing, but it felt invigorating. We roused our drivers and set off for our main destination, Chandratal. We wanted to get there early because the drivers had told us it would be less crowded, letting us enjoy the lake in peace. After driving to the parking area, we had to trek a bit to reach the lake. The view was absolutely breathtaking. There was a narrow path through the flowing water that we crossed, and the trek itself was stunning—words can’t really capture how amazing it was. Chandratal is definitely a must-visit place.
We took plenty of photos as usual and then headed back. On the way, our drivers suggested a detour to Sethan, and since we had time, we agreed. They also took us to their village near Manali to try *siddu*, a local dish, which was delicious.
Back in Manali, we dropped off our luggage, freshened up, and headed to Mall Road for a bit of sightseeing and food. Later, we returned to the hotel to get our things together and head to the bus stand, as we had a night bus from Manali to Delhi.
And that was the end of our adventurous girls' trip!
Camp name : Samsong Camp
Price for one night : 35000 Rs
4x4 vehicle cost for one night and two days: ₹9000
#manali #roadtrip #himachalpradesh #chandratal #girlstrip #memories