I started my journey for Mumbai airport from home at around about 11pm. It was my first solo trip to north. Being a female (same old stories family n friends worried coz how being a girl you will travel alone).
But i was so excited to experience a life changing journey of my life.
Note:- As I had less days have to make this trip little hectic.
My flight was at 2.40am from mum to Amritsar, travelling in Mumbai alone is safe. And I landed Amritsar at 5 in the morning - being a mumbaikar I have never experienced that cold climate it was about 7 degrees and freezing cold.
I found few boys staring n following me at the Amritsar airport at the luggage area or even till I come back from washroom they were standing out. That was just landing to the destination- my journey had just begun , and facing such things definitely made me nervous.. but since I have started I have to be strong . So I decided to wait at the airport for sometime - I waited one hour at the airport another flight landed n with other passengers I moved out to the airport , those guys were gone..
and the beautiful bus was standing outside with the hoardings of free service to the temple .
I had a deep breath n relief - I got into the bus and I met someone in the bus who helped me to get the accommodation at the gurudwara and guided me with few things.. i had some rest and started my most exiting trip had prayer at the temple did some shopping and eve 6 I had a bus to Manali.. so I reached at the bus stop n got into my bus for the most beautiful dream destination..
day went good so far everyone was very helpful and genuine in the city ..!!
I
After a bus journey from
Amritsar to Manali - I reached Manali at around 7am.
My hotel has sent cab n driver to pick me up.
The beautiful snowy captured mountains were enough to make me forget my tiredness of night travelling.
It was second day where I have hardly had any proper sleep in the last two nights. The bus stop near beas river and the snowy mountains made me feel so good.!
I reached hotel it was as beautiful as shown on the Internet. They offered me some cookies n tea (will share the beautiful picture clicked from the lobby).
I got an amazing room with a private lawn offering abeautiful view of snow capped mountains of himalayas. I started my journey at around 11am deciding to cover local places of Manali on day 1. I first visited Hadimba Temple, which was constructed in the 16th century, is one of the best places to visit in Manali and is located amid a beautiful deodar forest on top of a hill in Manali. he temple premises has a temple of Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhima and Hadimba and a hero of the Mahabharatha war. I den visited to The Van Vihar Park, which is beautifully adorned by deodar trees and is a perfect place to spend memorable time, and had a delicious lunch of parantha near the ghatorkach temple and tasted the local dish named Sidhu. I also covered Vashisht Temple , Vashisht is a small village located around 3 km from Manali across the River Beas. This beautiful village is famous for its sulphurous hot water springs and Vashisht temple, built just next to the springs. Vashisht also houses many temples that are dedicated to a local saint Vashisht and Lord Rama.
I than went to Himalayan Nyingmapa Gompa is a Buddhist monastery located in Manali and one of the most famous monasteries situated in north India. Right from the entrance, the divine and tranquil vibe of the monastery can be felt. The icon, statues and the colourful paintings on the walls add to the beauty of the monastery. A few minutes of meditation is highly advisable to get a glimpse into the peaceful lives of the Buddhist monks. It is Located very close to the Mall road in Manali, it was getting dark as the sun sets early due to winters and the cold breeze was increasing so I decided to have a delicious Maggie at Mall Road and enjoyed the local shopping experience! Drove back to the hotel.!
Had a buffet dinner at hotel and experienced the late night black coffee in freezing minus 4 temperature in my room’s lawn.!
Overall it was a tiring day enjoyed local Manali beauty!
Remember you cannot sustain without heater in your room! Temperature literally goes below minus 3 or 4!
After spending an amazing day at Local Manali.
Now it’s time to move towards Kullu and Kasol, morning after buffet breakfast facing heavenly view of sunkissed mountains ????
My car was waiting at 9:30 I started my road journey towards Kullu to experience some frightening adventures. Car was moving with beas river at the left and snowy mountains all over.. it’s nearly 40kms from Manali but before bhuntar there r some small viallage The strategic location, with its gushing waters and Rocky Mountains, make it the perfect place for a wide range of adventure sports to be conducted like Paragliding and River Rafting. I have never done any such activity in my life and have already decided to do paragliding. Manali is easily becoming one of the most preferred places to paraglide due to its breathtaking location. Driver stopped the car at one place his own person and I asked him about the rates he confirmed and asked me to carry my important belongings and to sit in some jeep which will take me to the highest peak of Kullu Manali for paragliding approx 15kms up to the mountains.
I reached at the top of the mountain I was so afraid seeing the location but I wanted to do this. So somehow gathered the courage and walked down to the mountains ⛰ and the time has come when I was going to Fly freely up in the sky while looking down at the Dhauladar ranges and taking in the impressive vast expanse of the Kullu valley is an unforgettable moment which kicks in a highly intoxicating adrenaline rush. The act of paragliding here is conducted from a height of about more than 3000 meters. The incensed feeling of exhilaration is one which is not to be missed. Manali is quick becoming an attraction for adventure junkies to try out some energizing and soul-stirring sport activities. Paragliding, being a task of utmost vitality, tests a person’s physical and mental endurance to a high limit and in return offers a magical moment to be carried on and reveled throughout one’s life!
It was already 12:30 in the afternoon and I was already late for my destination - Manikaran.
I started again with a newer bold version of me, towards Manikaran which is located in the Parvati Valley on river Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of HP 4km ahead of Kasol. I reached Manikaran , this place is a pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Sikhs. Sikh Saheb Gurudwara I had langar in the gurudwara and seen the hot water cave. It is claimed, that even before 1905, these hot water springs, sprang with full force. Making an 11 to 14 feet high fountain. The temperature of different springs at Manikaran is 64 to 80 °C . There is no Sulfur in these springs. Food for langar is cooked in these springs. Bathing here is known as a balm for arthritis.After this I went to Shiva Temple of Manikaran, which is also famous for lord shiva and Parvati story (read it on google). I was enjoying the beauty of Kasol by the time it started drizzling and driver has already warned about the weather in January. So I quickly started my journey back to Manali. While driving back I had an amazing snacks at some dhaba and hot tea. While in return seen shawl factories of Kullu.!
After the long beautiful day at historical Indian places, had a nice sleep in freezing weather of Manali.
Today was my last day at Manali. I was not at all in a mood to going back to routine. I started my day early did check out had my breakfast and started for the most awaited place names Solang Valley located at a distance of around 13kms from Manali it lies between Solang Village and Beas Kund.
Yes ..!! Full of Snow and Masti..
Kept my luggage in car and we drove towards Solang Valley , those narrow streets just WOW! It offers a beautiful view of glaciers and snow capped mountains. Since the valley has fine ski slopes, it is a perfect place for skiing ⛷
Note: We have to rent an outfit and gum boots , costing nearly 250rps !
As it was so so so cold.., I enjoyed playing in snow like a kid, lots of snow the place was covered with tourists. I decided to walk where there is less crowd and I sat on one snow covered rock, i wanted to feel the place the beauty of nature it was magical , I was surrounded with the snow capped mountains ???? deodar trees ???? clouds cold breeze , it is so heavenly place ! To appreciate the beauty of snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in cold!! So I did.., it was getting so freezing still I was going ahead it’s just a beautiful feeling of walking in a snow where no one else have walked on. I clicked so many pictures of the beautiful place. I had to catch my bus at 5, and it was already 2 and I was not satisfied with the place I wanted to enjoy there for some more time, so I decided to miss the bus and booked another bus to delhi online of 8pm. Yes , it’s crazy but that’s how I wanted to be., and trust me it was the best ever decision I took during the trip, coz it’s not over yet and after 15 odd mins, I experienced THE First Ever SnowFall of my Life !! Yes, the first snow is like first love! It started slowly but it was beautiful I have no words to express, i walked towards the exit gate as the climate was getting bad n I was all alone at the other side of the Valley! I found some tea stalls I had hot tea n biscuits there! Enjoying the snowfall the place was surrounded with lots of tourists doing snow activities like skiing, Yak Ride Etc., it started increasing so I decided to move towards my car , as it was Saturday so traffic jam was expected while way back, my driver was more worried for my bus ???? we started the car but it was stuck in snow took
Help from some boys, and we started heading towards Manali, snowfall increased so much and it was looking the most beautiful traffic jam ever , and driver said if it falls like this for one hour roads will get block and you will be stuck here! I was ok with it, as I was enjoying the moment the nature at its best!! We reached some dhabba in between after few hours and it has stopped snowfall but it has started raining heavily.. I was carrying umbrella with me the temperature was getting worst the cold was getting below zero degrees! I reached Mall Road at around 6:30 I had some food in one restaurant and drove to bus stop, it was so dark as there were no electricity due to heavy rains., my driver waited till my bus arrives and safely dropped me into the bus!
Here the most wonderful solo experience ends..!
As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal!!
Traveling alone will be the scariest, most liberating, life changing experience of your life. Try it at least once! As you travel solo, being totally responsible for yourself, it's inevitable that you will discover just how capable you are!
I reached safely to Delhi. I met few of my friends and enjoyed there! Shared Manali stories. As they knew Manali is the place I always wanted to go!!
Evening I took flight to Mumbai.. and reached home safely !!!!
If you don’t get out of the box, you will never realise how big the world is!!
