Introduction:
Manali is situated near the end of the valley on the National Highway leading to Leh. The landscape here is breath taking. One sees well-defined snow capped peaks, the Beas river with its clear water meanders through the town. On the other side are deodar and pine trees, tiny fields and fruit orchards. It is an excellent place for a holiday, a favorite resort for trekkers to Lahaul, Spiti, Bara Bhangal (Kangra), and Zanskar ranges. From temples to antiquity, to picturesque sight-seeing spots and adventure activities, Manali is a popular resort for all seasons and for all travelers.
Destination Facts:
Location- Himachal Pradesh, District Kullu
Altitude- 2050.00 Meters
Temperature- (Summer 10°C to 25°C.) & (Winter below -1 °C.)
Languages Spoken- Pahari and Hindi
Getting There:
Nearest Airports- The nearest airport to Manali is Bhuntar at a distance of 50 km.
Main Railway Station- The nearest railhead is Joginder Nagar that has a narrow gauge route.
Main Bus Station or Road- A good road network connects Manali with national capital Delhi which passes through a few destinations of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal before reaching the hill station.
Distance of a few Major Towns from Manali:
Kangra- 35 km, Pathankot- 91 km, Hoshiarpur- 141 km, Mandi- 158 km, Jalandhar- 200 km
Eating Around:
Momos, Thenthus, Yak Butter Tea and Thukpa, Pocha are some of delicacies of this region.
Places of Tourist Interest:
Rohtang Pass - At an altitude of 3979 . It is another adventure tourist site where it can be cold even on a summer day. It is the highest point on the Manali-Keylong road and provides a wide panoramic view of mountains rising far above clouds, which is truly breath taking. In winter, the road of Rothang Pass is closed. Important to note that the road to Rohtang Pass is closed off at Manali bridge on all Tuesdays between 0900-1800 hrs for carrying out road widening work & repairs.Rohtang Pass can also be accessed on foot, if there are stoppages beyond Snow-Point. However, it is a strenuous climb and also needs a good guide to show the short cut routes to the Pass.
Hidimba Temple - It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimba Devi, who was a character in the Indian epic, Mahābhārata. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground, which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in the year 1553.
Maa Sharvari Temple - This temple is represented as KULDEVI of the kings of Kullu in early times and is worshipped as a manifestation of Durga, and image of the goddess is also enshrined here. This temple is on the top of above the Shaminallah village, which is around 5 kms from Manali, accross the Beas river on the left bank on the way to Naggar Casttle.
Kalath Hot Water Springs - Around 6.5 km downstream from Manali, natural sulfurous water flows from the bowels of earth. Public bath areas and private bath areas are available."Asia Sulphur Hot Water Spring"
Vashist Hot Water Springs - Around 3 km from Manali, across the Beas river is Vashist, a small village with natural sulphur springs. Modern bathhouses, with Turkish-style showers, have the hot water piped into them for the convenience of the visitors who come here to benefit from the medicinal properties.
Jogini Falls - It is about 2 km Trek from Vashisth Temple. Going to the top of the falls would need a guide and quite a bit of trekking.
Solang Valley - Popularly known as Snow Point which is 13 km northwest of Manali and famous for its 300-meter ski lift. Solang valley also offers attractions like paragliding, snorkeling etc
Jagatsukh - Jagatsukh, the former capital of Manali, has a few nice temples done in Shikhara style. One can visit them while travelling to Naggar.
Rahala Waterfalls - About 16 km from Manali at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, are the beautiful Rahalla Falls at an altitude of 2,501 m.
Monasteries - Manali is known for its shiny gompas or Buddhist monasteries. It is maintained by donations from the local community and by sale of hand-woven carpets in the temple workshop.