Himachal in India is home to a dreamy wonderland that lets you never get enough of it. Throughout the year, millions of travellers walk down here to break the chaotic circle of everyday living. Well, so did our dear traveller, Neha Singh. 

Who says a 9 to 5 job can’t be exciting? When you see passionate travellers living and exploring their best irrespective of anything and everything, you feel wanderlust too. Don’t you? Neha Singh, a 24-year-old passionate traveller and a Banking officer decided to knock her everyday pattern of 9 to 5 by taking a fueled trip to Himachal, exploring places that always danced on her wishlist. 

The Himachal trip begins

She began her trip from Mumbai along with her brother and a friend. She reached Delhi the next morning via train. The bus for Manali was scheduled to be around evening so making the best of the available time, the traveller strolled around some local and famous places in Delhi. 

Later in the evening, they set to reach Manali. They reached their destination the next afternoon. So for day one, they didn’t really manage to win enough time and therefore just walked around the local areas and then rested back at their priorly booked hotel Himalayan Paradise. The cost incurred for the stay, a duplex room was INR 2,200/-. 

The Majestic Manali! 

The next day was followed by contacting a cab driver, who the traveller knew from her last trip to Himachal. He assured them to take around in their cab. The experience felt more like a private trip. The driver took them to a variety of popular places including Atal Tunnel, Sissu & more. He charged them an overall amount of INR 2,000/-. 

For the accommodation, the driver advised them to a nearby stay in Burwa, a small village at a distance of 8 to 10 km from Manali. Snow Cottage was the hotel the entire group stayed in. The next day was followed by exploring the local areas and the apple farms that seemed dreamy and more like a wonderland. Lots of apple farms surely pleased our travellers. After experiencing the shades of locals they headed to unravel places like Mall road, nearby rivers and bridges. 

Fanning the adventurer within 

Later in the evening they came back to the hotel and enjoyed the night view. For further trips, they relied on a new cab driver who also shared a known relationship with them. Till Keylong, he charged them INR 8,000/-. Paragliding was another impeccable experience that these travellers lived during their trip. Paragliding during this particular time was temporarily closed but somehow was being practised in some remote areas. These adventurers followed the trail and finally discovered the spot. 

The cost for paragliding was INR 3,800 + 700/- (if you wish to record the experience). The traveller’s brother tried paragliding and was pretty happy with the experience. After calling it a day they stayed at a homestay that was near the Hadimba temple as exploring this temple along with various others was on their mind. The next day they walked to the Hadimba temple and were left mesmerized by its awestruck beauty. The exploration was further followed by visiting various other local temples, markets and other nearby spots. 

The enchanting Kasol 

The next stop that awaited their arrival was Kasol. The traveller’s friend ran a homestay somewhere in Kasol and thus on invitation they planned to visit her. They decided to stay in Kasol for 2 nights and 3 days. The first day was spent at her friend’s homestay but as it required too much travelling and was situated in quite a remote area, they opted for a new stay. 

Their new stay was around the local market that cost around INR 500/- per night. Manikaran and Gurudwara were explored on the first day of their arrival whereas local valleys and rivers, especially Parwati Valley were explored on the second day. During their stay in Kasol, they discovered a beautiful cafe called Riders Cafe. The traveller was blown away by the finesse the cafe was built with. 

She along with her other companions spent late-night hours here. During her entire stay in Kasol, she made sure to walk down here every evening, experiencing the best of food, fun, decor and live music. 

The next day she bid goodbye in the evening and left for Delhi. She stayed in Delhi for one day and explored places of her interest. Later it was followed by heading back to Mumbai with tones of emotions, memories and excitement. Well, the trip ended, not the journey. See you soon at some new place, a new adventure with new people. 

Remember:- 

• Do your research. 
• Plan your places of visit in advance. 
• Look for reviews and explore options. 

Overview of the Himachal trip:- 

• Trip:- Mumbai – Delhi – Manali 
• Mode of Transportation:- Train & Bus
• Average Budget:- INR 20,000 – 25,000/- (10-12 Days) 

For more photos and videos, check out his Instagram page @nehasingh.explores. 

And for more such unique and authentic stories stay tuned and follow us on our Instagram handle @indiachalk. And let us know in the comment section below, your exciting travel experiences.

Keep Travelling! Keep Exploring!