Manali: Situated at the northern end of the Kullu Valley, Manali has spectacular
views of snowcapped peaks and
wooded slopes and the popular resort of Manali is the last major
settlement in the Kullu Valley. When travellers first discovered it
during the 1960s, Manali was an old stone houses and tranquil alpine
scenery.
The Beas rushes along its rocky course amid grassy meadows carpeted
with wild flowers and wagtails hop along from stone to stone along
the stream’s edge. There are marvellous walks too through dappled
orchards and fairy tale forests of deodar.
It is named after Manu the Law Giver who arrived here by boat when
fleeing from a great flood. In the summer Manali is packed with
Pahari-speaking Kullus, lahaulis, Nepali labourers, Tibetan refugees
and foreign and Indian tourists and the new town have become
increasingly crowded with dozens of new hotels.
Manali with its Mountaineering Institute is a popular base for
trekking and mountaineering in summer and skiing in winter.
Interesting routes into the surrounding Valleys, over the high
passes, are provided with tourist huts and rest houses for trekking
enthusiasts.
The Manali market is crowded with myriads of interesting shops
selling Tibetan carpets and crafts and the appetizing aroma of
steaming noodles hanging about the little restaurants. The main
market areas are the Underground Market Under Hotel Ibex and the NAC
Market behind the bus stand.
