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!
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!
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.
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.
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!!
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!!
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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