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Manali - Half forest, half town.

10/10/2014

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On the Northern India backpacker trail, you hear "Manali" mentioned a lot from other travellers either going there or coming from there. As such, we were expecting it to be super busy and cliché, but, it was, in our opinions, much nicer than Dharamsala and we instantly wished we had have spent less time on Dharamsala. I mean, all we really did in Dharamsala was chill out with friends, fight traffic, people watch, inhale polluted air and go from café to café. In Manali there was so much more to do! 
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Yes, there are also cafes (with AMAZING views of snowcapped mountains), and yes there are lots of places to shop (although very different shopping to the heavily Tibetan influenced shopping in Dharamasala), but there is no pollution. Once you arrive at Old Manali (you can also stay in the busier “New Manali”, or across the river in Vashisht) it’s so peaceful. The roads are so narrow that cars can barely get through and if you happen to be in a car, you are likely going to be stuck for hours without moving an inch! 
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The buildings are beautiful, the village is so photogenic, the locals are welcoming, and the mountains are just breathtaking!! We found a wonderful family owned guesthouse on top of a hill overlooking the village below and the mountains in the distance. It had the most perfect verandah with cushions to go along with the view, and we spent a great deal of time being inspired by the nature around us.
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Our favourite part of Manali is the beautiful stretch of forest that lies between the Old and New sectors. With the river flowing beside it and the super tall trees above, birds flying about, cows grazing… It’s the perfect park. And such a breath of fresh air from the dirt and smog of most of India. We spent almost every afternoon at the park walking with Gypsy and just loving being in Nature in the middle of a city. After our walk we would stroll back home via a café. Perfect.
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Over in Vishasht there is a beautiful waterfall you can hike to, and some public thermal springs you can bath in. It’s super popular on weekends though, so try to go during the week unless you want to feature in thousands of photos with random strangers.

If we had the time, we would have stayed much longer in Manali and done a lot more hiking into the surrounding mountains. If you have the time, do allow yourself enough time to explore. Oh, and the bagsu cake from the German bakery is TO DIE FOR!!
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Oh, and you can do super touristy things like sit on a yak aswell!! Or try to take a super touristy photo of your screaming toddler sitting on a yak!! :)
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Waterfalls and crazy heat.

5/12/2014

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Everybody knows India is hot. We also knew India would be hot. We were prepared for it! We are Australian after all! A little heat is fine.....
And then we arrived... And we learnt that 43C is something not to be sneezed at..
It is literally so hot that sneezing hurts your nose...
So! We decided to rent a scooter and visit a nearby waterfall for a bit of a reprieve from the Rishikesh heat.
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The drive out of Rishikesh was just beautiful. It really is just such a picturesque place. The beautiful Ganges flowing through the foothills of the himalayas.... It doesn't get much more amazing.
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The waterfall was pretty easy to find, and actually surprisingly easy to access. We were able to ride our scooter almost all the way to the top, and then walk the last 100 m or so. From the small swimming hole you can also continue up higher to the larger water hole.
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The water in the waterfall was ICE cold. Almost too cold to swim in! It was freezing! But oh so so refreshing!! The perfect way to escape the crazy heat!! 
It was a nice place for a picnic aswell. And to people watch! Cute couples on dates all over the place. Sharing potato chips and taking selfies together...

It's the perfect place to relax and lower your body temperature. 
Until you have to leave and then literally 5 minutes later you are over-heating again... 
Welcome to India!
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The road to Rishikesh

5/7/2014

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Road trip!

Our trip to India freakishly matched the dates one of our good friends was visiting aswell! So, as good friends do, we hitched a ride with them up to Rishikesh for a couple of days!

Travelling is ALWAYS fun, but it’s so amazing when you can rekindle with really great friends for a couple of days and explore somewhere new together!!

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Gypsy hasn't quite mastered smiling on cue yet!
The drive was mostly uneventful. It was a real luxury to be in a car after 2 months in a tuktuk!! 
We did find the "flora" interesting though...
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Yes, that is what it appears to be. Weed, growing as a weed by the side of the road. And not just in one small patch either, for kilometres on end!! 

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Apparently even though it grows wild, it is still illegal to chop it down and sometimes policemen will hide in it waiting for someone to try to!?! Indian logic at it's best.. There is sooo much, they could make a lot of hemp clothing or rope etc if they wanted to!
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    NAMASTE!

    We are Roh and Rob and we are backpacking around India with our toddler Gypsy. Follow our adventures!

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