A Trip to Manali and Shimla

Have you ever been to Manali and Shimla?

I guess most of the people have already been to these two beautiful places, and for those who haven’t, I would like to tell them to please plan for a trip with their loved ones and visit soon.

Now, for those people who are yet to visit these places, I would like to take them for a tour of these places by sharing my own experiences and also a few pictures to show the scenic beauty which these places hold.

According to me, trips are mostly enjoyed with family and friends unless you are planning for a solo trip. Hence, I planned for a road trip to Manali from Delhi. So the journey of 7 friends started from 6 am in the morning and we made to Manali at 8 pm. Yes, it was a journey of 14 hours but, if you all love road trips and want to enjoy some delicious Dhaba food, then you will love this journey. Along with this, you get to see some scenic beauty and landscape.

So, our hotel was Hotel Royal Manali and we stayed here for 3 nights and 2 days; they offer free breakfast and dinner. Inspite of being non-vegetarian, we preferred vegetarian food and it was delicious. If you ever plan for a stay in this hotel, you must try their aloo paratha with dahi for breakfast and malai kofta & tadka dal with rice or roti for dinner. It’s a 3 star hotel with really nice, clean and spacious rooms and the hospitality of the people here are really commendable.

Coming to the places that need to be visited when you are in Manali, the list is provided below. Since I stayed here for only 2 days, I will be sharing the plans and places accordingly so that you can make the most of Manali.
Day 1: We kept for local sightseeing and visited places which have ancient history and heritage like the Hidimbi Devi temple, Manu Temple, Vashisht Temple & Hot Water.

Also sharing one of my clicks of the Hidimbi Devi temple to show its beauty.

Day 2: If you are an adventure lover, then paragliding must be in your to-do list and by visiting the Solang valley, you get a chance to do so. It will cost you Rs.2600 per person and of course, you get to fly along with a trainer behind you. They record videos and take photographs for you during the flight and share them later. It’s one hell of a feeling that you get to experience, may be once in a lifetime.

Due to bad weather, we were not able to visit Zero Point and Rohtang Pass since it was raining throughout the day.

Also, I would like to recommend to you all my personal favourite restaurants in Manali. If you want to enjoy some delicious food, relaxed ambience and wine or drinks, then do visit Johnson’s cafe. You must try the pork ribs, chicken and waffles and spicy chicken pizza.

Additionally, for those who want to enjoy the cold and chilled weather along with some hard beverages, the drinks are quite cheap here. You can enjoy your drink with some juicy grilled chicken from kebab shops on the Mall Road in Manali. The combination is heavenly!!

Moving forward to our next destination, Shimla, after two wonderful days in Manali. Now if you are in Shimla, do not plan for any sight-seeing in Kufri as it’s worth the money. The guides will probably suggest that they will take you up to 11,200 ft and facilitate the return trip by providing a horse ride. The charge might be around Rs. 500 per person and you would be able to watch the whole view of Shimla and enjoy some adventure sports (they have some packages – Rs.800 for 2 persons and Rs. 1000 for 1 person). You can walk if you want up to 11,200 ft but they won’t show you the road. We got to know this when we encountered thunderstorms at the top and came down by car for Rs. 300 per person.

Shimla itself is a wonderful place to roam around and you will fall in love with this place if you visit Shimla Mall road. It is very neat and clean and so are the markets. It is a pollution-free zone, so you need to park your car much before and take a lift in order to enter Mall road. The hotels and markets are all located on Mall road.

The jackets and accessories are not so cheap and you may need to bargain in order to get a good deal.

Sunrise in Shimla is truly a reflection of Nature’s beauty. This place is really for Nature lovers. Shimla is beautiful in the morning as well as at night. I am sharing some photographs of Shimla Mall road, Shimla Church and the beautiful landscape.

Please do comment and share your feedback about the pictures and at the same time, please let me know how you would all like to plan your trip with friends, family or solo. Also, please share your experience about the places that you have recently visited. Do not forget to share photos from your trips as it is important to capture the beauty and frame the moments in your camera.

Till then, take care and have a safe journey to wherever you are travelling. 🙂