Author: Sindhuja Pullela

To escape the scorching sun and to take the long pending trip to north, we decided to head to Himachal for a week-long trip just before the onset of summer.

After a long research and assessment, we zeroed on the locations in Himachal where we should be travelling. We opted for the more popular Shimla-Kullu-Manali tour since it didn’t require much planning.

Itinerary-

We were traveling from Andhra, so we headed to Delhi via flight (to save time). From Delhi, we opted for a cab to Shimla. The drive to Shimla took us almost 9hrs. Obviously, it tested our patience and exhausted our energy completely. We reached Shimla at around 7 in the evening and checked into the hotel. We were too tired to even have our dinner and directly went to sleep that night.

However, the next morning we woke up refreshed. The view from our balcony was mesmerizing. We quickly got ready, had our breakfast and proceeded to Kufri valley for sightseeing.

Kufri valley

It is a 30min drive from Shimla. Kufri is famous for its horseback rides and the adventure sports. The prices are regulated by the government and hence there isn’t much to bargain. Since, it is a horse ride, one must dress accordingly for convenience. We took the package which included horse ride to and from, a visit to the apple orchards via gipsy and a single ride of zip lining. There were several other activities like rope walk and yak riding.

Personally, I felt that the horse ride in Kufri isn’t safe. The horses were many a times not accompanied by a trained individual. They walk at their own pace and mostly from the edge of the uphill. Even for the horses, it was difficult task. The path was full of many obstacles and had large boulders on it which added to the inconvenience. After reaching to the top, we saw the functioning zip line which was a very small one and one could just get a taste of zip lining through it. It was not an adrenaline pushing activity. The other activities too seemed normal.

The ride to the apple orchards did not last for more than 5min. All the visitors were pushed into a gypsy and were made to stand in its back.

One can also opt for a drive to the starting point by a car if one doesn’t want a horse ride back. However, this needs extra payment. The ride downhill was one of the most trouble some aspects there. I personally witnessed one lady fall from the horse back onto the rocks. Hence, one must be highly alert.

Shimla sight seeing

The mall road in Shimla is a huge one. One can appreciate its beauty fully during the evenings after the lights are lit up. We went to the Jhaku temple of Lord Hanuman. The place holds a special significance in Ramayana. According to the legends, this is the place where Lord Hanuman rested during his search for Sanjeevani Booti. The temple is beautiful one. One can either opt for a cable car ride or drive to the hill. The cable car ride offers breathtaking views of the hills.

Jhaku temple:

This is an ancient temple of Shimla and is situated on the Jakhu hill which is the highest peak in Shimla. 108 ft high idol of Lord Hanuman is situated here which is considered as one of the tallest in the world.

Mall road:

It is one of the most famous places for shopping in the city of Shimla. Important offices are also located here. All sorts of local items, branded items, jewelry, wooden and pottery items are available here. The famous Gaiety theatre and town hall are the major attractions nearby.

Kali temple, Church and the Ridge:

Kali Bari temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali and was built in the year 1845. It is believed that the name Shimla is derived from Goddess Shyamala, another name for Goddess Kali. The evening aarti here is a divine sight to witness. Located at the heart of Shimla, is the Christ church which is one of the iconic buildings here. The ridge is a large open space situated along the mall road. All the cultural activities of the city take place here and the ridge is always bustling with people.

Manali

On the third day we proceeded with our journey to Manali. The distance between Shimla and Manali was covered in almost 9hrs. It could easily be considered as one of the toughest journeys for anyone new to the hills. The construction work being done enroute added to our uneasiness. We reached Manali in the evening and didn’t do much of anything that day.

Enroute Manali, we visited the replica of Vaishnodevi temple and clicked some pictures at the Beas River which looked magnificent.

Solang valley

Due to then ongoing tussle between the tourism ministry and the local tour operators, a lot of adventure sports like paragliding and river rafting got cancelled. That was unfortunate for us since Manali is known for its various adventure sports. We then started for Solang valley. On the way we collected the dungarees and shoes necessary for commuting in snow. At additional cost, goggles, socks, cap and gloves are also provided.

The location of these snow activities was not exactly Solang valley. It was a spot farther from there. Since, Solanfg valley didn’t had much snow at that time, the spot was shifted by the operators. A little hike uphill, made easy by the sticks the locals sold there helped us in reaching the spot.

The place was full of snow and had activities like tube ride, skiing, zip lining, zorbing. It was fun and one can really enjoy these snow activities. The place offers a beautiful view of the snowcapped mountains and is a great place for clicking some photos capturing your Manali trip.

At an extra cost, we decided to visit the famous Atal tunnel and Sissu.

Prayer Flags on the Chandra Bridge

Manali local sightseeing:

Mall road:

This is one of the most popular hangout places in Manali. All types of items are easily available here. One can spend their leisure time shopping and trying out different dishes available locally.

Hadimba temple:

Hadimba temple of Manali is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi devi. According to Mahabharata, Hadimba devi is the wife of Bhima. It was built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh. An annual Hidimba devi fair is held here. Near the Hidimba devi, Ghatotkacha temple is situated. Ghatotkacha is the son of Hidimba devi.

Vasishta village:

This is a small village famous for its hot water springs. The water here is believed to have healing powers which can cure many skin diseases or infections. A separate spot for women is provided here for bathing. A temple is also located adjacent to the springs.

Van Vihar:

Van Vihar is a beautiful park spread over a vast area. It is a perfect spot to spend evenings with loved ones and enjoy the calmness of the nature. The park is adorned with deodar trees and is a paradise for nature lovers. A lake is situated here, where one can go for boating.

Delhi sight-seeing:

From Manali, we took the bus to Delhi. The bus from Manali was at night and we reached Delhi in the morning. We got down at the ISBT, popularly known as the Kashmere gate bus terminus. We freshened up and had some snacks there itself. Since our flight was in the afternoon, we had around 4hrs to with us. So, we decided to explore the city. Immediately, we booked a cab, threw all our luggage in it and ventured out into the city. Our first stop was Red fort.

Red fort complex

The Contruction of this historic fort was commissioned by Shah Jahan. It used to serve as the residence of Mughal emperors. It derived its name from the red sandstone walls. The complex is a huge one which depicts the Mughal architecture. The main entrance here is the Lahori gate which leads to a shopping area known as Chhatta Chowk. The red fort complex has important buildings like Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Naubat Khana etc. An Indian war memorial museum is also present here.

Chatta Chowk

Qutub Minar and India gate.

Next, by visiting the famous attractions Qutub Minar and India Gate, we ended our trip on a beautiful note.

Then, we had our lunch and proceeded to the Airport to catch our flight.

Overall, the experience of visiting the hills was a wonderful one which will always be cherished by us.