Kullu Manali-Experience Heaven on Earth

Manali, the chilly hill station of Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, is the pride of Northern India. It is popular destination of tourists and Indians alike. The place is thriving with many attractive locations and points.

The market place in Manali is the main hub of eatery joints. You can savor select Indian cuisines from tasty chat to the very popular bhelpuris. You can also taste international delicacies like Chinese foods and Italian Pizzas. They are available in the main market arena close to the Bus stop. The mall road is filled with stalls and small-time dhabas, also stylish restaurants for the fanciful. When you delve deeper into the town lanes, you may come across local joints, where you get local food, Tibetan savories and Dhabhas for the sacred group of pilgrims to Vaishnavi Temple in Himalayas. Some of the popular eatery joints are Mayur restaurant, Vaishnao dhaba and Valley View restaurant to name a few.

The spring water is tasty and delicious and can quench your thirst in a jiffy. It is available everywhere and you will be addicted to its sweet taste. And fresh apple juices are just divine. You must drink them once if you visit Manali. Among the beverages, chang and lugdi are two drinks that are local alcohol. Chang is a type of beer derived from fermenting rice or barley. Other alcoholic drinks are Arak and Sharab. Arak can be prepared from fruits and sweet jaggery. You may be surprised to visit the homes of local inmates, where the ladies of the house make Arak. There are plenty of apple orchards in Manali, due to which apple cider is plentiful. Apart from all these you may get foreign brand of alcohol in large restaurants and hotels. But foreign brands are levied with high taxes, and therefore more expensive.

The accomaodation facilities in Manali is plentiful, more so than in Delhi. But summer season is jam-packed with visitors and finding a good room can turn out to be hard. But, you may get accommodations in Old Manali and Dhungri region towards the outskirts of Manali. Those people with stringent budget can get cheap lodging facilities. The room tariff starts from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000/ in any off-season time. You may also get good discounts from hotels and guesthouses due to lack of customers. But the rates nearly double up in season time and rooms are available at the rate of Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000/. The main season time is from April to Mid July and there is rush again in October and November, owing to Dushera and Diwali festivities. December end also sees a flurry of tourists due to New Year and Christmas celebrations.

The Snow Valley Resorts and Nature Notes Resort are popular and luxurious resorts in Manali. You may reach them through their email ids and telephone numbers. They tend to organize fun activities like hiking, trekking, river rafting, meditation and yoga. If you care to travel deeper down the Northern side from Manali, you will come across the wonderful regions of Lahaul and Spiti. The Rohtang Pass is the intermediate area between Lahaul and Kullu. You can see the difference from fertile soil to scanty vegetation. The Ladakh and Changthang areas are more sparsely vegetated and barren in nature.

The Vashist Hot Springs are popular holiday spots, just 3 km from main Manali, they are located in a small village equipped with natural sulphur hot springs. The Vashist Temple is another attraction, made of stones and dedicated to Saint Vashista. Talking of temples you may also visit the famed Hadimba Temple and beautiful Buddhist Temples situated between old and new Manali.