Little had I imagined about my life in coming days, sitting inside that swanky auditorium of my new office in Gurgaon on 22nd June. I was just hoping to get a location near Bangalore or Mumbai for my sales stint. But even before I got to know about my location, I had made 41 jealous frenimies at airtel. The mail said Mandi as my location. Till date my only knowledge about that place was that it has an IIT!!
But when I landed there, I was awestruck by the beauty of the location. A swift noisy river, clouds around the office and a small crowded market, I cant describe Mandi better. Soon, I got shifted to Kullu for my stint. And mark my words, those 60 kms from Mandi to Kullu were some of the most eye catching ones of my life. A dam, some waterfalls, landslides, clouds, hills and some more hills and some more hills, awww! The list is endless.
So, here's a list of 6 beautiful places you can visit in and around Kullu district as a backpacker:
1. Kullu town
The town of kullu is a transit holiday destination. Its known to have India's one of the smallest airport with the runway only about a km long. The town is feeder to most small villages in and across the district. One can take a night stay enroute manali here, since hotels are much cheaper than manali. The town is along the mighty Beas and is famous for its apples.
2. Kasol-Manikaran
A beautiful valley away from all kinds of civilization is what you are looking for, then there's no better place than Kasol! The place is a transit camp for most foreigners to forget all pains in life and achieve salvation. Don't be surprised to find cafes serving french food and menu written in Hebrew. Kasol is 32 kms from Kullu and one needs to take a cut from Mandi-Manali highway to Manikaran road near Bhuntar- Kullu. The next 30 kms shall be mesmerizing, for you shall be awestruck by the amount of cannabis grown roadside. The road is pretty narrow and its a bumpy ride thanks to the rocky terrain and frequent landslides. The swift parvati flowing besides on the valley shall keep you glued to the nature and the sight of snow-clad Himalayas in the landscape is enough to make you forget all your pains for the weekend.
Its just the right kind of place for people looking to chill for the weekend within the arms of green mountains and mysterious cloud formations. The town of Malana is nearby from Kasol, famous for the Malana Cream brand!! You know you are nearing kasol when the noise of the river is slowly faded away in the charms of boom shiva and heavy bass in the background. Its a place with a vibrant party scene. A 45 mins trek from Kasol and you land at one of the fav all night party place with hipsters of all kinds showcasing their swagger! Manikaran a popular religious destination for the sikhs is just 3 kms ahead of kasol.
3. Naggar Valley
The hilly town of naggar is 20 kms north of kullu on the old kullu-manali highway. Believed to be the home of the king of kullu, the majestic palace of naggar is now converted into a HP tourism hotel. One can enjoy the lavishness of kullu dynasty by pre-booking a room here, since its almost always occupied. Fresh apple juice is a must have at the restaurant inside the hotel. The view from the gallery is the best you can get in the entire region. To the left side is the present day town of kullu and to the right are the majestic Himalayas and the busy tourist destination - Manali.
4. Manali
The famous hill station destination manali is a weekend getaway for many. The town is divided into two parts with the newer town on the lower parts of the hills. Mall road is the most famous area of the town with shops open till midnight. One can get a taste of local and authentic Chinese cuisine here and Thentuk at Chopstics restaurant is a must try for chicken lovers. One can easily hire a bike for leh trip from manali. Bookings for visiting Nubra valley need to be done a day in advance.
The older part of the town hosts a much more retro picture with shops of all kinds along the lane. The famous hidimba temple where the movie "Yeh Jawani hain Deewani" was shot is also part of the old town. One can chill at umpteen number of cafe's in Old Manali and Sunshine Cafe is highly recommended.
5. Great Himalayan National forest - Trout fish farms
The forest reserve area is some 60 kms east of kullu near Banjar - Gushaini. Near the entrance of the reserve is relatively unknown Trout fish farm along the river bank. One can catch a trout fish and get it cooked by the caretaker at the farm. The feeling of catching your own food and then munching it is indeed fulfilling. Trout fish is staple to people here and one can understand the entire breeding process at the farm. Besides, the location of the farm is mind blowing.
6. Mandi town
The town of Mandi is biggest in northen part of Himachal Pradesh and is a major economic hub. The town is along the river Beas and one can enjoy the coolness of the breeze all round the year here. Its home to IIT as well. The town does not have much to offer in terms of sightseeing but has some great restaurants to relish on local dishes like kadhi-chawal and rajmah-chawal.
Simplicity lies in the heart of himachali people and the state is a must visit for, once in a lifetime.
Until next time,
Adios!
Saurabh Sathe
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