Himachal
Places to Visit
Top REASONS WHY MANALI
Should be your next
ADVENTURE DESTINATION
Manali — the highland of snow-capped Himalayas, dense forests, verdant valleys, gushing rivers and meandering streams. An abode of the gods and a paradise for travellers.
The unbound natural wealth has turned Manali into de facto capital of the Indian tourism as lakhs of people, magnetised by her charm, make their way to this mountain heaven every year.
But there is more to Manali then natural beauty alone. It’s also the hub of adventure sports. There is no other place in the country that gives you such an array of adventure sports to choose from.
Here are the top reasons why you should make Manali your next adventure destination and get that perfect adrenaline rush you have been seeking.
Manali is a trekking hub
Whether you are a first-time trekker or an experienced one, you should head for Manali if you want to trek up to a mountain top. Manali has some of the best treks in the country from easy, moderate to tough ones. The starting points of a number of beautiful treks like Bhrigu lake trek, Beas Kund trek, Hamta Pass trek, Malana trek, Bijli Mahadev trek, Fungani Top trek and the Deo Tibba trek fall within the vicinity of Manali. These are the most awesome, stunning and breathtakingly beautiful treks of the Western Himalayas. Once in Manali, you can also go exploring the Parvati valley and try treks like the Kheerganga trek or the Mantalai trek. These treks are worth more than every single penny you spend on doing them. For best trekking experience, trek with the Wildcone.
Manali is paraglider’s paradise
Bir-Billing in Kangra may be the centre of paragliding in the country but Manali is a paraglider’s paradise. As you take off a cliff and soar high above a beautiful valley with Beas river meandering through and snow-capped Himalayas all around, you feel that adrenaline rush and know for sure that your day has been made.
In Manali, there are four main and popular paragliding sites — Solang valley, Dobhi, Nangabag and Garsa. There are also other paragliding sites in Marhi, Kothi and Majach villages. It was in Solang valley that the tandem paragliding was first started by veteran pilot Roshan Thakur. A word of caution: Tandem paragliding can be unsafe. You need to check a few things before you go paragliding like the agency you are flying with is registered and that your pilot is experienced one holding a valid license. (Read the safe paragliding tips here).
Manali is best for white water rafting
Want to try out white water river rafting? Look no further than Manali. The Beas river in Kullu valley offers some spectacular stretches for white water rafting. There are three most popular and government-recognized rafting stretches near Manali — Raison to Bandrol (3 kms), Babeli to Vaishno Devi (7 kms), and Pirdi to Jhiri (14 km). It’s one of the most popular adventure sports in Manali where thousands of visitors do rafting for the first time. But again, you should be careful while choosing your rafting operator and go for rafting with experienced rafting guides working with registered agencies. (Read the top safety tips for rafting in Manali.)
Manali is rock climbers first choice
Rock climbing in Manali has gained quite a popularity especially in recent time and particularly in the years after the establishment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports. The institute produces top professional mountain climbers that in turn has boosted adventure sports especially trekking and rock climbing in Manali. You can go rock climbing at many places near Manali including in Aleo village, Vashishth, Naggar, Raison etc. You do rock climbing under the guidance of professional rock climbers and instructors.
Manali is a hub of river crossing & ziplining
If you love everything about rivers then after rafting, river-crossing and ziplining is what you should try next in Manali. While in river-crossing you cross a river using ropes tied to poles fixed on both banks of the river, zip line is a pully suspended on a cable. There are many travel companies that conduct both ziplining and river-crossing in Beas and other streams in Manali.
Manali’s mountain safari and off-roading gives you the best of the mountains
Want to go into dense Deodar and pine forests and even up to the mountain tops but without having to put in that extra effort in trekking? Then Jeep Safari is the best option for you. You can get real close to the nature, come face to face with the wild and spend a most amazing day in the deep woods. There are many jeepable roads in and near Manali that go through the deep forests and villages located high in the mountains. These roads are ideal for Jeep Safari like Naggar to Bijli Mahadev via Jana village, Raison to Kullu via Jalhaura and Beasar villages, Dobhi to Fozal road etc. Jeep safaris are also available for longer routes like Manali to Rohtang Pass and Manali to Leh etc.
Manali is the top choice of campers
If you are tired of staying within the four walls of a hotel room while travelling then try camping in Manali. There can get nothing better than staying in tents in the Himalayas for a nature lover. Camping is therapeutic. The entire Kullu valley, in the surroundings of Manali, offer some of the best camping sites at some breathtaking locations. You can stay in camps along the banks of Beas river or in forests and explore the nature. There are fixed camping sites including in Raison along the Beas river, in Naggar, Manali, Dobhi etc. You can also stay at customised camping sites temporarily built at locations chosen by you. (Experience true and best camping with the Wildcone.)
Manali is the best choice for skiing
If you are into winter sports then nothing can get better than Manali. The Solan valley near Manali becomes the favourite destination of skiers from around the country. Apart from skiing, you can also enjoy other snow sports like riding snowmobile or all-terrain vehicles, sledging and snow tube slide.
Manali has zero connectivity issues
Last but not the least, the connectivity. With the completion of more than 80% of the four-laning work on the Chandigarh-Manali highway, reaching Manali has become a hassle-free experience. The widening of the highway has also shortened the distance from Chandigarh to Manali and cut down the travel time. Now you can drive up to Manali throughout the year without much of a struggle and indulge in your favourite adventure. The reduced travel time to Manali is also likely to promote weekend adventure tourism. However, you should avoid visiting the mountains during monsoons when there is always a danger of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides etc.
