Travel With Tanvi: We Fell In Love With Manali | A Trip To Himachal

This day started at 4:30 am. We woke up got ready and left for Manali at 5 am. What a lovely morning it was. Rising up before the sun, was truly splendid. We all were enjoying the scenic beauty as our car passed the hills of Shimla. But soon we all started craving for breakfast, but all the hotels and dhabas were closed. Then at around 6 am we saw a hotel which was opened. We went in and asked if they can serve us breakfast. They said they can serve parathas, but it will take some time. We then enjoyed the lovely view till our breakfast was being prepared. We saw the sunrise a few peahens and some other lovely birds. Then we had our breakfast and left for Manali. We all dozed off soon as we were up early. But, you know, one just cannot sleep well in a moving car on a hilly road, at least I can't. I opened my eyes to look out of the window and saw these lovely pinecone trees. I wanted the pinecones. So I started looking for branches that will be in our reach as all the trees were in the valley. I finally found some. Then we picked up a few pinecones and continued with our journey.

the scenic beauty on our way to Manali

We were dozing off in between and enjoying the scenic beauty in between. Then we reached Kullu, I don't remember the time when. There my father made sudden plans of going for rafting. Then my parents and my brother went for the rafting as I waited and watched them drift with the water in the boat. It took them almost an hour and a half to return. Then we went to have our lunch & Kullu was the only place that did not have any taxes on food. Well some many saved there. Then we left for Manali. And OMG!!! what a lovely view it was. Beas river flowing on one side and lovely green mountains on the other. It was a view worth a million dollars.

rafting in Beas River

We then went to finalise the next day's Rohtang Pass visit. But up on reaching there we found everything very costly. ₹5000 just to see the snow & ₹250 extra for each person for the jumpsuits and boots. & moreover, get up at 3 am and travel in the dark. Me & my mother just didn't find it worth. Then a few locals told us that you can apply for the permit online. Now only 1200 cars (800 petrol + 400 diesel) are allowed to go up to Rohtang, to save the environment. So if you want your car to go up you have to apply for a permit at least 4 days prior, because it depends on the availability as only 1200 cars are allowed. It costs ₹600. But because we looked up for it an evening before, we did not get the permit. So we dropped our plans of going to Rohtang. We then planned of visiting Solang Valley, Gulaba & then of course go for some shopping. Then we left for our hotel. It was just 30-45 minutes ride, but we got stuck in the long que of cars that was returning from Rohtang. The road was single & all the cars were in the que from a very long time. So there were very few chances of overtaking & our driver was even worried about the challan. So despite of my father and brother forcing him to overtake, he did not move for quite a long time. But my father and brother just wouldn't stop. They kept on saying, 'overtake from the left, there is space ahead, we can go, come on, move it, blah, blah, blah'. & then something got into him and the way he overtook was damn!! We covered almost one and a half our of the timing. Then from there he started overtaking little by little. But then, a police came fined the car in front of us, that is when we all said lets not overtake now.

The hotel was just 15 minutes away then. We started thinking about the hotel. After that disaster in Shimla we were really worried about how the hotel here will be. All the hotels in Manali seemed very sophisticated (if that's the right word). But still we were worried about how our hotel will be. Then we reached the area where the hotel was located. We stopped in front of a posh newly built clean hotel and asked where was 'Summit Chandertal' & the watchman was like, 'this is it'. It won't be wrong if I say that we were lovestruck. We took a sigh of relief & went in. I might sound gross but after the first day, this was the day that a had a proper bath. Then we had our dinner & planned for the next day.

view from the hotel

We then went on to have a very very good night sleep. The next morning I woke up & went in the balcony, and man, the view was to die for. I looked in the watch and wondered how didn't my mom give us a wake up call. I then went into my parents room & woke them up. I showed them the view as well & even they were awestruck. We then moved our attention from the view & got ready to get going. If the hotel is good, the breakfast has to be good & when the breakfast is good you should eat till your stomach bursts. That is exactly what we did. We then left for Solang.

Upon reaching Solang there were many, salesman. Everyone asking if we want to go in the snow. Then after a few minutes of discussion and bargaining we decided to go. So they took us in this jeep and left us near a small hill. We then had to trek up the hill for about 10 minutes. Then from there, we went up by bikes. We reached this place called 'Dhundi'. All this trekking and biking had to be done because Dhundi falls in the way of Rohtang & non permitted vehicles are not allowed up. So these people take some other root and bring the people up. We then trekked another mountain for about 45 minutes and then finally reached the snow. It was left over and not as great as the pictures of Rohtang. But this cost us ₹4000 and we even got to play in the snow. We had an amazing time there. Then we came down and I and my brother went on an ATV ride. My brother was riding the ATV, when he gained a bit confidence that he can control it he increased the speed. Guess what then, he lost control and hadn't the driver been with us we would've gone straight down in the valley. But thank god, nothing as such happened.

beautiful Dhundi

After the ATV ride, we headed down to Manali & yes, again got stuck in the traffic. Now our driver fed up of my brother and father, handed the car keys to my father and asked him to drive. & as soon as my father began to drive the cars started moving. We were in Manali in just a few minutes. We then went to the market & did some shopping. The trekking, the walking, the shopping, made us all very tired and hungry. We then had our dinner and left for the hotel. We then ended the tiring yet lovely day with a good night sleep.