India Travel
Manali to Keylong in Himachal Pradesh
Having made its way past the bleak military installations and wayside settlements above Manali, the road crosses the Beas to begin its long ascent of the ROHTANG PASS (3978m). Buses pull in for breakfast 17km before the pass at a row of makeshift dhabas at Marhi (3360m). A small Tibetan temple dedicated to Palden Lhamo reached via a flight of steps, crowns the top of a bluff from where you view a wonderful panorama of the upper Beas Valley. Though not all that high by Himalayan standards, Rohtang itself, a U-shaped defile between two 5000-metre peaks, is one of the most treacherous passes in the region. Each year Gaddis and mountaineers are caught unawares by sudden weather changes; hence the vultures wheeling overhead, and Rohtang’s name, which literally means “piles of dead bodies". An igloo-shaped brick building, actually a small Hindu temple, marks the source of the river Beas. From the pass a breathtaking vista of the dusty dark-brown mountains of Lahaul can be seen to the north.
The descent from Rohtang to the floor of the Chandra Valley affords tantalizing glimpses of the shining White Sail massif (6446m) in the east. KOK-SAR, where the road finally reaches the river, is little more than a scruffy collection of chai stalls with a checkpoint where you have to enter passport details in a ledger one of many such stops on the road to Leh.
The next few hours are among the most memorable on the entire trip. Bus seats on the left are besc, as the road runs across the northern slopes of the valley through the first Buddhist settlements, hemmed in by towering peaks and hanging glaciers. A sharp descent around the base of the sacred Rangcha mountain brings you to the Chandra-Bhaga confluence at Tandi, after which the road crosses the river on a Bailey bridge and forks, west to Udaipur and north along the Bhaga Valley to Keylong.
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Keylong in Himachal Pradesh
Lahaul's largest settlement and the district headquarters. KEYLONG, 114km north of Manali, is a good place to pause on the long road journey to Ladakh. Although of little interest itself, the village lies amid superb scenery, within a day's climb of three Buddhist gompas. One visible on the opposite (south) side of the grandiose Bhaga Valley. A couple of stores in the busy little market sell trekking supplies if you are heading off towards Zanskar.
Moving on from Manali in Himachal Peadesh
Manali is well connected by bus to other Himachali towns and major cities on the plains. HPSRTC run luxury, deluxe and ordinary buses, all of which can be booked at the bus stand. During the summer, demand invariably outstrips supply, particularly for the faster services, so book as far in advance as possible, and be prepared for regular and fruitless visits to ticket offices. The numerous travel agents dotted around town also sell tickets for private "deluxe" services to Delhi, Shimla and Dharamsala. Consider breaking your journey in Mandi (for Rewalsar) or using the Kangra valley railway to reach Dharamsala,
New Manali in Himachal Pradesh
Situated a couple of kilometres south of Manali on the left bank of the Beas, the developing strip of hotels here include the Holiday Inn (01902/52262), Manali Ashok (01902/53103), Honeymoon Inn (01902/53234), Imperial Palace (01902/53330) and a couple of cheaper ones such as the Evergreen (01902/53038) and the Narayan (01902/53133).
Treks from Brahmour in Himachal Pradesh
Trekking routes lead north from Brahmour (2130m) over the Pir Panjal range across passes covered with snow for most of the year. The challenging trek over Kalichho Pass (4990m), "The Abode of Kali", ends in the village of Triloknath, whose ancient temple to three-faced Shiva is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. Buses run from here to Udaipur, and on to Keylong and Manali. Another demanding route crosses the Kugti Pass (5040m), "that which makes one miserable to reach". From Hadsar, an hour by bus from Brahmour, the path follows the River Budhil for 12km to Kugti, then up to Kuddi
The Manali –Leh Travel details in Himachal Pradesh
Trains Pathankot to Joginder Nagar (2 daily; 7hr 30min-9hr10min). Shimla to: Kalka (4 daily; 4hr 45min-5hr 45min). Buses Dalhousie to: Amritsar (2 daily; 5hr 30min);Jullundhar (1 daily; 6hr); Kliajjiar (2 daily; 1hr);Pathankot (hourly; 3hr30min). Dharamsaia to: Baijnath (hourly; 3hr 30min);Chamba (1 daily; 9hr); Chandigarh (6 daily; 7-8hr);Dalhousie (1 daily; 6hr-7hr); Delhi (6 daily; 12hr);Dehra Dun (1 daily; 9hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 14hr);Jawalamukhi (8 daily; 2hr 30min); Kangra (every15min: 45min-1hr); Kullu (4 daily; 8hr); Manali (4daily; 10hr); Mandi (7 daily; 6hr); McLeod Ganj(every 20min; 40min); Nahan (1 daily; 12hr);Pathankot (10 daily; 3hr). Chamba to: Amritsar (1 daily; 8hr); Brahmour (7daily; 3hr); Dalhousie (10 daily; 2hr 30min); Delhi(1
Moving on from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh
Indian Airlines fly thrice weekly to Delhi (Mon, Wed, Fri 3pm). HRTC run numerous buses to destinations in Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. Most travellers prefer to book "deluxe" buses through operators in McLeod Ganj near the bus stand. Try Himachal Travels (01892/21428) or Potala Tours & Travels, Bhagsu Road, opposite Hotel Tibet (01892/21378). Buses to Pathankot, handy for train connections and road access to Dalhousie and Chamba leave every 30min from the rains bus stand in the lower town. As well as the services listed in the Travel Details on p.589, there are two or three buses a week
Keylong to Sarchu Serai in Himachal Pradesh
Beyond Keylong, the Bhaga Valley broadens, but its bare sides support very few villages. By the time you reach Darcha, a lonely cluster of dry-stone huts and dingy tent camps on the edge of a vast pebbly river confluence, the landscape is utterly denuded. All buses stop here for passengers to grab a hot bowl of Tibetan thukpa from a wayside dhaba. There's little else to do in Darcha, which would be the definitive one-horse frontier post were it not for all the ponies hanging around its outskirts near the Shingo La trailhead - the main trekking route north to
Manali to Beas Kund in Himachal Pradesh
The relatively easy trek to Beas Kund, a glacial lake at the head of Solang nala, is the region's most popular short hike. Encircled by 5000-metre-plus peaks, the well-used campground beside the lake, accessible in two days from Manali, makes a good base for side-trips up to the surrounding ridges and passes. From Palchan, a village 30min north of Manali by bus, follow the Jeep track up the valley to Solang, site of a small ski station, rest house, and the Mountaineering Institute's log huts. The next two hours take you through pine forests, grassy meadows and boulder chokes to the
Treks in the Pangi valley to Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh
Few trekkers make it to the spectacular, all but inaccessible Pangi Valley, between the soaring Greater Himalayan Range in the north and the Outer Himalayan Range in the south. With its deep river gorges and barren mountain peaks, it offers a wide range of scenery and vegetation: cultivated fields give way to forests of pine, deodar, spruce and silver oak, and beyond that hardy shrubs. Inhabited by nomadic Gaddi shepherds, the valley maintains a unique village culture. Several peaks within it have never been climbed, and onward paths lead to Kashmir, Lahaul and Zanskar. The trek takes nine or ten
Trekking in Lahaul and Spiti Practicalities in Himachal Pradesh
Keylong is connected by regular state buses to Manali, and (in summer) by private buses to all points north and south along the main highway. Note that onward transport to Leh can be difficult to arrange in high season (July & Aug), as most buses are full by the time they get there. Travellers frequently find themselves having to ride on the roof, or hitch a lift on one of the trucks that stop at the dhabas on the roadside above the village: neither legal, nor particularly safe. There are eight buses daily to Manali, the first one leaving at
Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh
Lahaul, sometimes referred to as the Chandra-Bhaga Valley, is the region that divides the Great Himalayas and Pir Panjal ranges. Its principal river, the Chandra, rises deep in the barren wastes below the Baralacha Pass, a major landmark on the Manali-Leh road, from where it flows south, veering northwest around the base of the immense Bara Shigri glacier towards its confluence with the River Bhaga near Tandi. Here, the two rivers become the Chenab, and crash north out of Himachal to Kishtwar in Kashmir. Lahaul's climate is very similar to that of Ladakh and Zanskar, which border it to the
Trekking in Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh
Although the old trade routes to Ladakh and Tibet are now sealed with tarmac, most of this remote and spectacular region is stilt only accessible on foot. Its trails, though well frequented in high season, are long, hard and high, and punctuated by few settlements, so you must be self-sufficient and have a guide. Packhorses and provisions are most readily available in Manali: or Keylong and Darcha (Lahaul) and Kaza (Spiti) if you can afford to wait a few days. A good rope for river crossings will be useful on many of the routes, particularly in summer when the glaciers
Manali and around in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal's main tourist resort, MANALI, stands at the head of the Kullu Valley, 108km north of Mandi. Despite lying at the heart of the region's highest mountain ranges, it remains easily accessible by road from the plains; after one hour on a plane and a short hop by road, or sixteen hours on a bus from Delhi, you could be staring from your hotel veranda across apple orchards and thick pine forests to the eternal snowiields of Solang Nala, which shine a tantalizing stone's throw away to the north. With the continuing troubles in Kashmir, Manali has become increasingly popular
The Manali-Leh Highway in Himachal Pradesh
Since it opened to foreign tourists in 1989, the famous Manali-Leh highway has deservedly replaced the old Srinagar Kargil route as the most popular approach to Ladakh. In summer, a stream of clapped-out government buses, private minibuses and Enfield motorcycles set off from the Kullu Valley to travel along the second-highest road in the world, which reaches a dizzying altitude of 5328m. Its surface varies wildly, from fairly smooth asphalt through potholes of differing depths, to dirt tracks sliced by glacial streams, traversing a starkly beautiful lunar wilderness peopled only by nomadic shepherds, tar-covered road coolies, and the gloomy soldiers
Old Manali in Himachal Pradesh
Old Manali. the village from which the modern town takes its name, lies 2km north of the Mall, on the far side of the Manalsu nala. Unlike its crowded, concrete offspring, the settlement retains an unhurried and traditional feel. To get there, head north up Old Manali Road, bear right at the fork in the road, and keen going through the pine woods until you reach the iron bridge across the river. You'll pass a string of small guesthouses and cafes before reaching the village proper, clustered on top of a steeply shelving ledge of level ground above the nala. It
Moving on from Delhi
Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.
Manali to Lahaul. via the Hampta Pass in Himachal Pradesh
The three-day trek from the Kullu Valley over the Hampta Pass to Lahaul, the old caravan route to Spiti, is a classic. Rising to 4330m, it is high by Kullu standards; do not undertake it without allowing good time to acclimatize. Day 1, from the trail-head at Prini (near Manali) through Hampta village to the campground above Sethen, is an easy hike of 4-5hr up the verdant, forested sides of the valley. Day 2, another 5hr, brings you to Chikha, a high Gaddi pasture below the pass; stay put for a day or so if you're feeling the effects of
Manikaran Nagar Practicalities in Himachal Pradesh
Nagar is equidistant from Kullu and Manali (21km) and connected to both by ;gular buses.The direct services that ply the left-bank road, on the eastern de of the valley, are slower (lhr 30min from Manali and lhr 30min from aillu), but more scenic and straightforward than the more frequent services long the main highway on the opposite, west side.The latter drop at Patlikuhl 3km north of Katrain), from where taxis, auto-rickshaws and hourly buses ross the Beas to climb up to Nagar (6km). If you arrive in daylight and are ot weighed down with bags, you can also walk from
Old Manali Eating in Himachal Pradesh
Manali fs wide range of restaurants reflect the town's melting-pot credentials: Tibetan thukpa joints stand cheek-by-jowl with south Indian coffee houses, Gujarati thali bars, and Nepalese-run German pastry shops. Whatever their ostensible speciality, though, most offer mixed menus that include Chinese and Western dishes alongside standard north Indian favourites. For rock-bottom budget food, head for one of the dhabas opposite the bus stand. Virtually every cafe in Manali serves serious "tourist breakfasts" of porridge, pancakes, toast and jam; chai and omelette-wallahs appear on the Mall before dawn if you need to steel yourself for a long and bumpy bus journey. Finally,
Shimla and around in Himachal Pradesh
Shimla. Himachal's capital, is India's largest and most famous hill station, where much of the action in Rudyard Kipling's colonial classic Kim took place. While the city is a favourite spot for Indian families and honeymooners, its size does little to win it popularity among Western tourists who tend to pass through on their way to Manali. It is however, a perfect halfway house if Vo ' heading to the Kullu Valley, or back in the other direction towards the of Haryana and Punjab. It's also the starting post for forays into the rerrtnr regions of Kinnaur and Spiti. Northeast of