Himachal
Parvati valley
dark side of kasol in June
Planning to visit Kasol in the Parvati valley in summers? You shouldn’t, if you don’t want to get stuck in huge traffic jams for hours, live in a crowded place and pay through the nose for your hotel room. Read on…
Nicknamed ‘hash village’ and ‘mini-Israel,’ Kasol in the Parvati valley of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is undoubtedly one of the most popular destinations of India. Located along a gushing Parvati river and amidst towering Western Himalayan mountains, Kasol is a peaceful little beautiful place. But not in summers. Here are the top reasons why June is not exactly the best time to visit Kasol.
1. Worst traffic jams
If traffic jams in Manali are bad then they are worst in the Parvati valley. The distance between Bhuntar, the town from where you enter the Parvati valley, to Kasol is just around 30 kms. But it may take several hours in summers for you to cover this distance due to horrible traffic jams all along your way. Thousands of vehicles enter Parvati valley daily in summers especially May and June, causing frequent traffic snarl-ups all the way up to Kasol.
The main reason behind frequent traffic jams is the huge traffic in June on this narrow single-lane road from Bhuntar up to Kasol and Manikaran. At certain stretches, the road width is so narrow that even two light vehicles can’t pass each other without manoeuvring. What adds to the traffic problem are the big vehicles including monster tourist buses and trucks that often are the main culprits that cause worst traffic jams that last for hours.
The other reasons is that many stretches of the this road, which were washed away in the monsoon floods of last year, have not yet been properly repaired. These potholed dirt stretches are also another cause of traffic jams in the Parvati valley.
The traffic jam-prone spots on this road are between Bhuntar and Shat village, the area near Jarri village and the road stretches before Kasol. The problem of traffic jams becomes worst on weekends when there is a sharp increase in number of tourists visiting the Parvati valley.
2. Not enough parking spaces
With hundreds and thousands of vehicles entering Kasol daily in June, parking becomes a major issue in Kasol. There is a parking lot in Kasol but it’s not big enough to accommodate the rush. The result is that most people are forced to park their vehicles wherever they manage to find space, mostly along the road.
3. Crowded
Kasol becomes crowded and even noisy for many people’s taste. If you want to spend some time in peace and quiet then Kasol is not exactly the place for you in June. There are crowds of people almost everywhere and chances of you finding yourself alone are quite thin. So, avoid if you can.
4. Over-priced hotels
One important fallout of the too many visitors in Kasol is that hotels here start overcharging in summers. Unlike Manali or other big hill stations, the number of accommodations available in Kasol are far too less in numbers. In June, there is a higher demand for hotels and comparatively less supply in Kasol, resulting in room rates and other charges shooting up sharply.
5. Kasol’s stinking problem
Litter has become a huge problem in Kasol, which is visited by thousands of tourists in summer months. You can spot heaps of garbage thrown along the Parvati river and smaller rivulets especially during summer days. The unscientific garbage is not only damaging the environment of an ecological sensitive mountain areas like Kasol but may turn this beautiful place into any other ugly hill station if steps are not taken now.
There are not even enough dustbins in Kasol. Everybody wants to visit Kasol but it seems nobody wants to keep it clean. Kasol also lacks public amenities including washrooms and the problem becomes worse in summers.
When to visit Kasol
Kasol remains mostly open throughout the year except on rare occasions in winters when heavy snowfall blocks access to this place not more than for a week. The best time to visit Kasol is March-April when the entire Parvati valley is in bloom. You can also visit Kasol after monsoons in autumn or the winters. The monsoon months of July and August make travelling to this place a little riskier due to landslides, flash floods, floods and frequent roadblocks.
Kasol traffic jams in June video
You may also like
Yes, I totally agree. One should not visit Kullu Manali in summers due to huge traffic rush.
Very good information. Avoid to visit Kasol until the government pays attentions to roads and garbage and other issues in Kasol.
Very true. We went in April, it rained and there was sludge everywhere.