Manali

I have crossed Rohtang from both sides — upward in June 2022, downward in October 2023. The June crossing: snow-covered summit, the Lahaul Valley appearing like a scene change in a film. The October crossing: quieter, visibility sharper, 60km visible across the Lahaul plateau. Both are worth it. But go early, go on a clear day, and never on a Tuesday. Rohtang connects the green Kullu Valley (1,200m) with the arid Lahaul Valley (2,800m) — two completely different climate zones divided by a single mountain pass. At 3,978m, the summit is above the treeline, covered in snow most of the year, and visible from a good distance on approach.

Paragliding at Solang in June 2022 — the instructor told me to run, and I ran off the edge before I had decided I was ready. The valley dropped away below, the mountains came into view, and 12 minutes later I was back on the ground, asking about a second flight. It was not expensive for 12 minutes. Solang Valley (2,480m, 14km from Manali) is the adventure hub — a wide open bowl for skiing in winter, paragliding and zorbing in summer, cable car year-round. India's most accessible beginner ski destination December–February.

Hadimba Temple in the snow. Eleven people, including the priest. Carved wooden doors, 500 years old. Ancient deodar cedar forest. A silence that feels deliberate. I have been here three times across three seasons — the February visit in the snow was the finest. A 27-metre pagoda temple built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh — dedicated to Hadimba (Hidimbi) from the Mahabharata. One of the finest examples of Himachali temple woodcarving. 10-minute walk from Manali town centre in a cedar forest. The entrance vendor pressure can obscure what is actually a 470-year-old structure. Walk past the stalls, enter the cedar forest, and take 15 quiet minutes before engaging with anything commercial.

Old Manali is 20 minutes uphill from the main town — apple orchards, wood-frame guesthouses, riverside cafés, the sound of the Manalsu stream below. In October 2023, I spent three evenings in Old Manali without entering the main town. Café 1947's apple pie. The Lazy Dog Lounge's valley view terrace. Genuinely excellent, genuinely affordable. The original Himachali village above modern Manali. Manu Temple (a 500-year-old stone temple with valley views) is at the top. Cafés along the Manalsu River are the best casual dining spaces in Himachal Pradesh. Stay away from riverbank seating during heavy rain.

Sissu Lake — turquoise water, white peaks reflected on the surface, approximately 12 other people. The drive to Sissu from the Atal Tunnel is 10 minutes. Then a completely different world: colder, drier, more dramatic. This is what Lahaul looks like. It looks like nothing else in India. Sissu (3,100m) is a small Lahaul Valley village 10 minutes from the tunnel exit — Sissu Lake, seasonal Sissu waterfall, wide open plateau. From Sissu the road continues to Keylong (1 hour, Lahaul district headquarters) and eventually toward Leh. Visitors who rush from Manali to Sissu without acclimatisation can experience mild altitude discomfort. If combining Sissu with Rohtang in one day, spend at least 2 nights in Manali first.

February 2025 — after skiing in Solang Valley, the natural sulphur hot spring at Vashisht Temple (separate men's and women's sections, free, genuinely hot at 38–40°C) was the finest 30 minutes of that entire trip. Mountain cold outside, warm water inside, and the sound of the river somewhere close. A natural sulphur spring inside a working Shiva temple complex in Vashisht village, 3km from Manali. Free to use. The village also has budget guesthouses, cafés, and the best stretch of the Beas River viewable from Manali's immediate area. The hot springs are inside a working temple — enter with appropriate clothing. This is not a spa. It is a religious site with a natural thermal spring that is open to visitors.

Naggar Castle is what I show people when they say Manali is just snow and adventure. A 500-year-old stone and deodar wood palace, converted into a heritage hotel by the HP government, with a courtyard that looks across the Kullu Valley from a height that no photograph matches in person. The Nicholas Roerich Gallery (1km away) has the Russian painter's obsessive Himalayan work — extraordinary and almost never crowded. The former seat of the Kullu rulers for approximately 1,400 years. Three-storey stone base with an elaborate deodar wood superstructure, central courtyard, and valley views. The Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery has 20 years of his Kullu Valley paintings. Give it a minimum of 2–3 hours — castle, gallery, old village. Combine with the Manali Tibetan Monastery for a full cultural day.

I reached only the Hampta base camp area in October 2023 (Chika campsite, Day 1 endpoint) before turning back. What I saw in those 12km was enough to understand why this is consistently ranked among India's top 10 treks. The valley on the Kullu side is lush and rich with wildflowers. The pass at 4,270m looks back at the entire Kullu Valley on one side and forward into the barren Lahaul moonscape on the other. The crossing itself is the experience. Hampta Pass (4,270m): crossing from green Kullu Valley to arid Lahaul Valley — two different ecological zones in one day. 4–5 day itinerary: Manali → Jobra → Chika → Balu Ka Ghera → Hampta Pass → Shea Goru → Chatru.