MANALI
At the foothills of the Himalaya’s lays the city of Manali in Himachal Pradesh. A hill stations that is kept away from the rest of the commercially entraped hillstations of India. It is left bare and in natural form. Eventhough Manali does have a lot of tourists, it isn’t exactly a very crowded place. Why is it a good place for backpackers on shoestring budgets?
Manali has the Hampta pass 14,000 feet above it. Rent a room for no more that 3 or 4 pounds a night. Freshen up, get appraoch a mountainering expert nearby and they will charge you peanuts for taking you up there. It could take you a good 4 to 5 days to get up there but the experience is irriplacable. The landscape and serene naturally beauty at that altitude is unbelievable. It’s worth every penny you spend. However do not attemp it if you do have any vascular of heart conditions, it could be too streneous for you. In the course of the trek, you will also be taught how to climb rocks and indulge in rafting. The camps that you stop over night for a well equipped and ready for any condititons, so are the shepards who take you up there. They are proffessionals with the mountains and will ensure that nothing troubles you throughout the trek to Hampta pass. Besides that, safari’s can be arranged to see the beautiful hill side of Manali. The town is small, cute and lively. And just like any other city in India, there is good food, music, shopping and culture to experience. There are a couple of rock music bars which you can visit during the night since the local are very fond of rock music. The best way of getting to Manali would be by bus, so you can forget about caravans and getting a caravan insurance quote.
Manali has much to offer, more that I can write about, its best you go there by yourself to experience the hillstation. I guarentee that you can get around the city with pennies. Hope this helps.
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