Type of visit: Natural Scenery, peace of mind and soul, Family vacation
Time required/recommended: 3 to 4 Days
I visited: 01st May to 7th May 2017
Tips: Take light woolen cloaths, wear sports shoes. More tips in review:
Review:
This time I had to plan a summer vacation for my family, but in economical way. My wife and my daughter had summer vacation starting from 1st May, and they wanted to start their vacation straight by a trip.
I started searching for a good package on internet for best summer destinations. I had already visited J&K in 2015 and North East (Darjeeling/Sikkim) earlier. The left out place in the list was Shimla-Kullu-Manali.
I researched on the weather of Shimla and Manali in May and established that it would be cool and breezy vacation in Manali. Stay at Shimla can be avoided in these months as temperature is more like to Chandigarh and nothing much to enjoy in the heat. Though chances of getting snow in Manali, were less, but I selected this as my summer trip.
I negotiated the entire package, with few online agents and got the budget of 39K to 33K total for Kalka-Shimla-Kullu and Manali. As I had to plan an economical trip, I decided to go in EPC mode of finalization of trip. I searched, read reviews, seen photos of Hotels at Manali and finally decided and booked the Hotel by myself on Goibibo and Makemytrip for Manali and Kalka respectively.
It was a good deal on Goibibo to book a Hotel named, BEAS VIEW at 5699/- for 2D+3N with breakfast and dinner. Also for Kalka, I booked a good hotel named MODI HOTEL AND RESORT at 1600/- 1N. After boking Hotels by self, I contacted, local agents at Manali, for Cab package for Shimla Pickup and entire Manali visit and drop back to Shimla/Kalka. I finalized this cab package at 12K Total, with Dzire car, including all toll taxes, parking, driver fee-food-stay etc. Thus I could manage to make the package in 21K total approx..
Coming to the trip, we took a train to Kalka (Paschim Express) from Baroda.
Day-1 (30.04.2017): Vadodara to Kalka: We started on 30th April at Evening in Paschim Express and reached Kalka next day at evening 5PM. After this long train Journey, we checked in Hotel at Kalka and got fresh by 6.30PM. We then visited the famous ancient temple of Kali Mata, on which the place is named as KALKA.
Kalka is a small town in Haryana at the border with Himachal. You can see Haryana-Himachal boarder check post from the temple entrance itself. Kalka is a famous transit town for tourist to catch early morning toy train to Shimla, which is a heritage train of India. We also had the same plans and hence we selected Kalka as first destination.
Day-2 (02.05.2017): After early checkout from Hotel at Kalka, we headed towards Kalka Station to catch a train to Shimla. These are 4to5 coach train on narrow gauge, propelled by diesel engines on mountain tracks. The Kalka Station is on merely a 500mtr away from Hotel Modi. We reached well at time and boarded on this heritage train. It was a real fun and unique experience of the 5 hour run to Shimla. You can enjoy the beauty of Himachal on entire route till Shimla, as the train passes from curvy tracks of Mountains, Tunnels and bridges, giving you the scenic beauty of nature.
We reached Shimla by 2PM, from where our cab package was started. Coming out of Shimla Railway station, our cab was just in front of station exit and our driver, Mr. Sunil greeted us in respect. We headed to Manali enjoying hilly roads and natural beauty. The river Beas runs in parallel to the road and the experience of listening the sound of flowing water with feel of its cool breeze can not be described in words.
We reached Manali by evening and checked in Hotel at Manali. I had searched for this hotel on Goibibo and google as well. This is located just at bank of river Beas and we had a great view of hills and river Beas from our room itself, and so the name of hotel is HOTEL BEAS VIEW.
Day-3 (03.05.2017): We woke up in the lap of nature, not with noise of mobile Alarm, but with song of flowing water of river BEAS. Not with the artificial cool air of branded AC, but the breeze of fresh mountain air. One need to experience self, as this can not be just narrated in words. After breakfast at hotel, we headed towards Solang Valley. Solang Valley is popular tourist place of Manali, famous for activities like, snow games, skating, paragliding, mountain biking etc.
As I expected that snow will hardly be found in month of May, but the cool weather complimented this lack. We selected mountain bike to reach upto snow point. There was a very thin layer of snow left but I could see tourist enjoying even that. We kept ourselves away from that muddy snow, but enjoyed the natural flowing water of falls nearby. We could find people enjoying paragliding and river crossing too.
On the way to Solang valley, you will find shops giving snow wear on rental and you will be forced to rent these by locals and even by your driver, saying that these are mandatory as weather may change to worst any time up there.
Anyway, Himachal tourism has fixed up the rates for these rentals and made it compulsory for each shop to have unique shop number and display the fixed rates. Snow wear rental is 250rs. Per person, Glasses, hand gloves are extra to these which will cost from 60rs. To 100rs. Based on your bargaining skills.
Tip: I recommend not to take these on rental, if you are visiting in month of May starting as driver will take you till Snow point in Solang or maximum to Gulaba, as Rohatang pass is closed till May end every year. There is no much snow at these points in May, which require these equipment’s. So if you are in Manali in April or May, just avoid these rentals.
Way back to Manali from Solang valley, we stopped our driver several times as you can find nature at its best at every turn of the road and you can not resist you self, hopping down the car and enjoy nature, naturally.
We sat calmly for brief time, in the nature under the trees and left our soul to breath. Reaching out all selected spots is not only the vacation, but giving yourself some time is real holiday. And we did the same.
On way back to Manali, we visited Nehru Kund and other small spots like Kothi and Vashist Hot Springs etc. These are just small places and not brief picnic points. You merely need 2-3 mins at these places. These are just hyped on internet. \
We returned to Hotel by Late afternoon by 5PM and let ourselves relax, in the small outdoor garden of our hotel enjoying the evening at the river bank of BEAS.
Day-4 (04.05.2017): Today was the day of local excursion of Manali town. I had already made the plan of places to be visited today. Manali is a small town and local places can be covered in a half day itself. There are not much places to see in local Manali, but there is much in each place to feel for.
We started with Manu temple. This is a small temple in the middle of small village. Approach path is village road and so very narrow. You driver will leave you at parking and will guide you to walk down a little till temple. Anyway, the temple is small, but as soon as you enter the place you feel really mental Harmony. I could not help myself and had to sit down calmly for a time to relax till my soul. The atmosphere of the temple is charismatic that you really feel relaxation. I recommend to visit the place early in morning, this will allow you to site inside the temple for good time away from tourist crowd. I visited there at 8.30AM.
Next we headed to Hadimba Devi temple. The temple is much famous in Manali and one of the iconic tourist spot. But I describe this more important not because it’s famous, but because it’s situated in between the small forest area, which gives it more natural feel.
I was lucky on this day as there were little shower of rain in the morning and this made the atmosphere more charming. I felt like being at another world, away from city noise and crowd, pollution and tension of professional life. The rain had made the path of the forest more beautiful with flowing water and with cool breeze. Forget the temple, I enjoyed the nature more. Really, can’t describe in words.
After waking myself from the real dream sequence, we headed towards Van Vihar. It’s again a small forest area, but with river flowing near it. There is a secret path to reach river bank through this forest. Like other tourists we also trespassed to the bank of river BEAS.
Boss, you have to come here to feel what I can’t put down in words.
After fantastic enjoyment of forest and river, and nature as full, we came to THE MALL ROAD of Manali. The mall road is just in front of Van Vihar and you can shop till you bargain.
Returned back to hotel and had evening free to enjoy. What we did was another memorable thing. We let our driver go, and headed to VAN VIHAR once again on foot. Our Hotel is just in front of river and Van Vihar, so we could walk to Van Vihar by our own. We once again enjoyed the nature and returned to Hotel by evening.
You can find Wine shops all around in Manali and Hmachal government has fixed the rates of all type of wines and put a rate chart on each shop. You can get red wines at 800/- per 750ml bottle. An evening with view of reiver, song of water and a glass of wine, what better we can imagine.
Another famous drink of local Manali is "Lugdi", which is made out of rice, which is also available in all wine shops.
Day-5 (05.05.2017): After early checkout from the Hotel, we started back to Kalka. On the way we visited Kullu, Naggar and Pandoh Dam. By late evening we reached to our transit town, Kalka.
Day-6: Kalka to Baroda: with Sweet memories and refreshed souls we headed back to Sweet home.
Tip: Manali is a small town and places nearby can be visited on foot. You can book local package from Himachal Taxi union, at Mall road directly. You can get local taxi package in as low as 800/- per day from the union office. Just drop in or call to their office and you can get your cab on the spot. This I came to know while visiting Mall road. So you can book cab from agent for drop to Manali from Kalka/Shimla and then take local cab package from union, as it will grow local economy also and reduce your cost of trip too.
Thank You for reading.
---Samarpan