Manali- hot resort or just hot water? (Other locations...)

Member Name: alistairvince

Product:	Other locations...
Date:	08/05/01 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Busy place

Disadvantages: 521km from Dehli, Saffron sellers!, Recent problems

An awesome time was had by all in this stunning place! I spent a total of 8 days here and boredom is not a work I would associate with this time.

Manali is quite a busy town, where donkeys roam the streets and rickshaws (3 wheeled taxis) zip about! Manali is in the region of Uttah Pradesh and is 521km north of Dehli. It lies in the Kullu valley, on the fierce River Beas, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and green forests. There are two parts to the town. Old Manali is slightly further up the valley. Here it it a bit quieter and there are some great souvenir shops that sell these small wooden boxes that have a hidden locking mechanism, they are brilliant!! (New) Manali is where it is all happening. This is where the market and bus depot is.

The excellent quality and quantity of Marijuana which is grown in Manali attracted many Hippies in the 60's and the 70's. But those days are over and Manali has geared itself as one of the popular tourist spots in India.

A local bus service is available from Dehli which will take you about 20 hours, although it took me 24!! I went in the summer-the rainy season, flooding and landslides caused havoc. India is not a place where time rules life, you just have to accept what happens and try to relax- something we all could do with!

In Manali there are plenty of hotels, which are of a reasonable standard. There are lots of restaurants serving all types of food including Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Italian and of course English! The curries are great, as is the pizza for those not so adventurous! Changing travellers cheques is not a problem here. Internet access is OK. Traders line the streets selling everything! You do get a bit annoyed after being offered saffron and drums for the 295th time in a day by little children! They try charging you 200 rupees but you can get then down to 10 quite easily!

Manali is a great place to head if you want to join a trek or book some o
utdoor activites. There were lots of tourists from many countries, which proves it is a place to go.

At about 2000m it can feel a bit chilly but when the sun is out, the shorts and shades are on!! In summer expect a temperature of 25*C

It is a charming place and is well worth going out of your way to see.

SINCE WRITING THIS ARTICLE OBVIOUSLY THE AREA HAS BECOME A BIT UNSETTLED AND A FEW PEOPLE HAVE GONE MISSING SO I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND GOING HERE ALONE. BEFORE HEADING HERE CHECK THE ADVICE FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

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