Review
This time I had to plan a summer vacation for my family, but in an economical way. My wife and my daughter had summer vacations starting from 1st May, and they wanted to start their vacation straight with a trip.
I started searching for a good package on the internet for the best summer destinations. I had already visited J&K in 2015 and the North East (Darjeeling/Sikkim) earlier. The left-out place on the list was Shimla-Kullu-Manali.
I researched the weather of Shimla and Manali in May and established that it would be a cool and breezy vacation in Manali. Stays at Shimla can be avoided in these months as temperatures are more akin to Chandigarh with not much to enjoy in the heat. Though chances of getting snow in Manali were less, I selected this as my summer trip.
I negotiated the entire package with a few online agents and got budgets ranging from 39K to 33K total for Kalka-Shimla-Kullu and Manali. As I had to plan an economical trip, I decided to go in EPC mode of trip finalization.
I searched, read reviews, saw photos of hotels at Manali, and finally decided and booked the hotel by myself on Goibibo and MakeMyTrip for Manali and Kalka respectively.
It was a good deal on Goibibo to book a hotel named BEAS VIEW at ₹5,699 for 2D+3N with breakfast and dinner. Also for Kalka, I booked a good hotel named MODI HOTEL AND RESORT at ₹1,600 for 1N. After booking hotels by myself, I contacted local agents at Manali for a cab package covering Shimla pickup, the entire Manali visit, and drop-back to Shimla/Kalka. I finalized this cab package at ₹12K total, with a Dzire car including all toll taxes, parking, driver fee, food, and stay. Thus I managed to bring the total package down to approximately ₹21K.
Coming to the trip, we took a train to Kalka (Paschim Express) from Baroda.
Day-1 (30.04.2017): Vadodara to Kalka
We started on 30th April in the evening via Paschim Express and reached Kalka the next day at 5:00 PM. After this long train journey, we checked into the hotel at Kalka and got fresh by 6:30 PM. We then visited the famous ancient temple of Kali Mata, from which the place gets its name, KALKA.
Kalka is a small town in Haryana at the border with Himachal. You can see the Haryana-Himachal border check post from the temple entrance itself. Kalka is a famous transit town for tourists to catch the early morning toy train to Shimla, which is a heritage train of India.
We also had the same plans and hence selected Kalka as our first destination.
Day-2 (02.05.2017)
After early checkout from the hotel at Kalka, we headed towards Kalka Station to catch a train to Shimla. These are 4-to-5-coach trains on narrow gauge, propelled by diesel engines on mountain tracks.
The Kalka Station is merely 500 meters away from Hotel Modi. We reached right on time and boarded this heritage train. It was a real fun and unique experience during the 5-hour run to Shimla. You can enjoy the beauty of Himachal along the entire route till Shimla as the train passes through curvy mountain tracks, tunnels, and bridges, offering marvelous scenic views of nature.
We reached Shimla by 2:00 PM, from where our cab package started. Coming out of Shimla Railway station, our cab was waiting right in front of the station exit, and our driver, Mr. Sunil, greeted us respectfully.
We headed to Manali enjoying hilly roads and natural beauty. The river Beas runs in parallel to the road, and the experience of listening to the sound of flowing water with the feel of its cool breeze cannot be described in words.
We reached Manali by evening and checked into our hotel. I had searched for this hotel on Goibibo and Google as well. It is located right on the bank of the river Beas, and we had a great view of the hills and the river Beas straight from our room window—hence the name, HOTEL BEAS VIEW.
Day-3 (03.05.2017)
We woke up in the lap of nature—not to the noise of a mobile alarm, but to the song of the flowing water of the river Beas. Not with the artificial cool air of a branded AC, but with the breeze of fresh mountain air. One needs to experience it themselves, as this cannot simply be narrated in words.
After breakfast at the hotel, we headed towards Solang Valley. Solang Valley is a popular tourist spot in Manali, famous for activities like snow games, skating, paragliding, mountain biking, etc.
As I expected, snow would hardly be found in the month of May, but the cool weather compensated for this lack. We selected a mountain bike to reach up to the snow point. There was a very thin layer of snow left, but I could see tourists enjoying even that. We kept ourselves away from that muddy snow, but enjoyed the naturally flowing water of nearby falls. We also found people enjoying paragliding and river crossing.
On the way to Solang Valley, you will find shops renting out snow wear, and you will be pressured to rent these by locals and even your driver, who claim they are mandatory as weather conditions can turn harsh at any moment up there.
However, Himachal Tourism has fixed rates for these rentals and made it compulsory for each shop to display a unique shop number and fixed rates. Snow wear rental is ₹250 per person; glasses and hand gloves are extra, costing anywhere from ₹60 to ₹100 depending on your bargaining skills.
Tip: I recommend not taking these on rental if you are visiting in early May, as the driver will take you up to the snow point in Solang or maximum to Gulaba, since Rohtang Pass remains closed until the end of May every year. There isn't much snow at these points in May that requires this equipment. So if you are in Manali in April or May, just avoid these rentals.
On the way back to Manali from Solang Valley, we stopped our driver several times because you find nature at its absolute best at every turn of the road, and you cannot resist hopping out of the car to enjoy nature naturally.
We sat calmly for a brief time in nature under the trees and let our souls breathe. Reaching selected spots isn't the only point of vacation—giving yourself time is a real holiday. And we did just that.
On the way back to Manali, we visited Nehru Kund and other small spots like Kothi and Vashisht Hot Springs. These are small spots rather than major picnic points, requiring merely 2–3 minutes of your time. They are mostly hyped up on the internet.
We returned to the hotel by late afternoon around 5:00 PM and relaxed in the small outdoor garden of our hotel, enjoying the evening by the river bank of Beas.
Day-4 (04.05.2017)
Today was dedicated to a local excursion of Manali town. I had already mapped out the places to be visited. Manali is a small town, and local sights can easily be covered in half a day. There aren't many places to see in local Manali, but there is plenty to feel at each location.
We started with the Manu Temple. This is a small temple located in the middle of a small village, accessed via very narrow village roads. Your driver will drop you off at the parking area and guide you to walk down a short distance to the temple. Though small, as soon as you enter, you feel profound mental harmony. I couldn't help myself and had to sit down calmly for a good time to relax deep into my soul. The temple atmosphere is so charismatic that it brings genuine relaxation. I recommend visiting early in the morning, as it allows you to sit inside peacefully away from the tourist crowds. I visited at 8:30 AM.
Next we headed to Hadimba Devi Temple. The temple is very famous in Manali and serves as an iconic tourist spot. I find it significant not just because of its fame, but because it is nestled inside a small forest area that lends it a deeply natural feel.
I was lucky on this day as there were light morning showers of rain, making the atmosphere even more charming. I felt like I was in another world, far away from city noise, crowds, pollution, and professional stress. The rain made the forest path even more beautiful with flowing water and a cool breeze. Forget the temple—I enjoyed nature itself much more. Truly, words fall short.
After waking up from that real-life dream sequence, we headed towards Van Vihar. It is another small forest area, but with a river flowing nearby. There is a secret path leading down to the river bank through this forest. Like other tourists, we also ventured down to the banks of the river Beas.
Friend, you simply have to come here to experience what I cannot put down into words.
After thoroughly enjoying the forest, river, and full immersion in nature, we came to THE MALL ROAD of Manali. The Mall Road sits right in front of Van Vihar, where you can shop to your heart's content through bargaining.
We returned to the hotel with the evening free to enjoy. What we did next was another memorable experience: we let our driver go and headed to VAN VHIAR once again on foot. Our hotel was positioned right in front of the river and Van Vihar, so we could easily walk there on our own. We soaked in nature one more time before returning to the hotel by evening.
You can find wine shops all around Manali, and the Himachal government has fixed the rates for all types of wine with rate charts displayed on each shop. You can get red wines for ₹800 per 750ml bottle. An evening featuring a river view, the song of flowing water, and a glass of wine—what more could one imagine?
Another famous local drink of Manali is "Lugdi", made from rice, which is also readily available at all wine shops.
Day-5 (05.05.2017)
After an early checkout from the hotel, we started back toward Kalka. On the way, we visited Kullu, Naggar, and Pandoh Dam. By late evening, we reached our transit town, Kalka.
Day-6 & Tips
Day-6: Kalka to Baroda: With sweet memories and refreshed souls, we headed back to our sweet home.
Tip: Manali is a small town, and nearby sights can easily be explored on foot. You can book local packages directly from the Himachal Taxi Union office on Mall Road. You can secure local taxi packages for as low as ₹800 per day straight from the union office. Just drop in or call their office to book a cab on the spot, which I discovered while visiting Mall Road. This approach supports the local economy and cuts down your trip costs significantly.