What comes to your mind when you are fired from the job? For me, it was traveling to Himachal Pradesh. I would be lying if I say I was not scared or clueless about the future. But, after a mental turmoil, I decided to give it a break & travel to some new place to rewire my brain; Himachal Pradesh tour was must.
The beauty of the place is unmatched & pics are enough to get you going. I have planned for Himachal but the plan never took off. But, this time I was determined to change the history. I shortlisted three places which I wanted to cover. One of these places was Kasol. Kasol is known for its green & most of the travelers plan to visit Kasol only to smoke up. I shortlisted three places; Kasol, Tosh & Kheerganga for my first trip to Himachal. Most of the people will support the fact that, mentioned names are the must-visit places in Himachal Prades.
The beauty of the place is unmatched & pics are enough to get you going. I have planned for Himachal but the plan never took off. But, this time I was determined to change the history. I shortlisted three places which I wanted to cover. One of these places was Kasol. Kasol is known for its green & most of the travelers plan to visit Kasol only to smoke up. I shortlisted three places; Kasol, Tosh & Kheerganga for my first trip to Himachal. Most of the people will support the fact that, mentioned names are the must-visit places in Himachal Prades.
Places To Visit In Himachal Pradesh:
Kasol:
Kasol is very commercialized as per my liking. The place is crowded with people & it is difficult to find a calm & peaceful place to sit & enjoy. Kasol is much bigger in comparison to Tosh & Kheerganga. As mentioned above Kasol is a famous place to smoke up. Apart from smoking up, Iranian cafes & bakeries are locals delight. Do try some bakery product here.
I have been to Kasol earlier as well. Though, this time it was in winters compared to last time when I went in Summers. Kasol is known as the mini-Isreal of India & it came to the limelight because of them only. Kasol is located on the banks of the Parbati River. It is one of the favorite locations in Himachal Pradesh among the young crowd. The reason of which; is very obvious & i.e greenery & breathtaking views. Summer & winter's temperature has huge variation, during the winters the temperature can fall to negative; so make sure one carries a good lot of warm clothes. Summers are generally warmer, yet one will require a warm jacket.
Kasol is a small village & there are limited things that one can do here. Below is the list of things that can be done in Kasol.
There are many things to do in Kasol, one of the activities that is carried out is sitting & chilling in cafes. Here is the list of best cafes in Kasol & near by areas.Panjtara
Evergreen Shine Cafe
Cafe Maya
Pink Flyodd Cafe
Jim Morrison Cafe
Cafe Maya
Cafe Freedom
There are many things to do in Kasol, one of the activities that is carried out is sitting & chilling in cafes. Here is the list of best cafes in Kasol & near by areas.
Chalal:
Chalal can be reached after trekking for half an hour from Kasol. A bridge connects two ridges of the valley & after crossing the bridge walk in a straight path for about 30 to 40 min. That will lead you to a small village Chalal. Chalal is famous for parties, the parties here can last till early morning hours. If one is not looking for any of the activities, they can opt to sit in cafes & enjoy the peace of the place. The voice one will hear, will be of only river flowing & birds. Apart from these sounds, it is extremely silent. A very peaceful place to relax & be with yourself. Though it entirely depends on the nature of the person, & if the same is looking for peace or for the crowd.
Tosh:
Tosh is a small village located at a drive distance of 2 hrs from Kasol. The village is home to roughly 80 to 100 families & untouched by tourists. The place is an absolute gem for the nature lovers. The majestic views of snow-capped Mountain right outside your window will give you goosebumps. The calmness in nature will allow you to forget all the images of concrete jungles & traffic jams. The sound of waterfall & chirping birds will allow you to forget all of your stress.
Kheerganga:
Kheerganga is a place known for a natural hot spring on the top of the mountain which is reached by trekking approx 14 Km (medium difficulty trek) from Barshaini. One has to cross beautiful jungles, river & muddy road. It usually takes 6 to 8 hours to reach the top spend a night below the stars & walk back to the hotel the next morning. The best part of the trek is hot spring water & trust me the water is really very hot.Manali:
I did Manali trip recently. Manali is very famous among the young married couple. There are many attractions to engage the public. The place is perfect for a couple of days. However, there is not much of young crowd compared to the above places. Also, Manali is very commercialized. People generally cover Manali & Kasol in a single trip which I feel is too hectic.Malana:
Malana is some 1.5 hours drive from Kasol. Malana is a small village that requires trekking for about 1.5 hours depending on the strength and endurance of the individuals. Malana is a beautiful village located on the top of the mountain. The view from there is mesmerizing. Just like the remaining villages, cafes are a go to option. All the cafes are located outside the village, so trekking is enduring so be prepared to walk. The place is good for one day & most of the people only visit the place for a day only.
Manikarna:
A holy place near Kasol, it has a rich history behind it & people visit this place for that particular reason only. Manikaran is hughly famous among Sikh's & Hindu community. A langar is available 24*7 in the Gurudwara ( a ritual that provides free food to visitors). The Hindus believe that Manu recreated human life in Manikaran after the flood, making it a sacred area. Further, According to legend, when the Hindu God Shiva and his consort Parvati were walking in the valley, Parvati dropped one of her earrings. The jewel was seized by Shesha, the serpent deity, who then disappeared into the earth with it. Shesha only surrendered the jewel when Shiva performed the cosmic dance, the Tandava and shot the jewel up through the water. Apparently, jewels continued to be thrown up in the waters at Manikaran until the 1905 Kangra earthquake. Hence the name.There is another version, Sikh version that states that According to the Sikhs, during third Udasi, the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak came to this place in 15 Asu 1574 Bikrami with his disciple Bhai Mardana. Mardana felt hungry and they had no food. Guru Nanak sent Mardana to collect food for the langar (the Community Kitchen). Many people donated atta (flour) to make Roti(bread). The one problem was that there was no fire to cook the food. Guru Nanak asked Mardana to lift a stone and he complied and a hot spring appeared. As directed by Guru Nanak, Mardana put the rolled chapatis in the spring to his despair the chapatis sank. Guru Nanak then told him to pray to God saying that if his chapatis float back then he would donate one chapati in His name. When he prayed all the chapatis started floating duly baked. Guru Nanak said that anyone who donates in the name of God, his drowned items float back.
Apart from religious belief, Manikarn also has hot spring water. The place where the water is boiling hot & it is said, that till now food is cooked through that boiling water.
How To Reach Himachal Pradesh:
Direct Bus is available up to Bhunter from Delhi. From Bhunter book a cab or use public buses to Kasol, Tosh & Manikaran or Manali. The cabs are easily available but better to book prior to avoid any hassle. The charges of a bus from Delhi to Bhunter usually cost Rs 1400 per head (charges may change), Bhunter to Tosh (Rs 2200 per cab ). For Manali, direct buses are available till Manali bus station. Hence, no need to change Vehicle at Bhunter.So, the best option will be from Delhi or Chandigarh.Budget For The Trip
Accommodation:
All the places have a flurry of hotels, from budget to high end there are a lot of options available. It is recommended to book hotels in Manali & Kasol prior as during season most of the good properties are booked in advance. If hotels are too costly then opt for hostels recently hostels have grown in such places.Food:
There are numerous food outlets & cafes on offer. Israel food is a must to have food. On average the cost of food for 2 people is Rs 600. The quality of food is also good.PS:I spent Rs 7000 to cover Kasol, Tosh & Kheerganga one time & another 7000 to cover Manali. Both the trips were planned by me. But, If one doesn't want to plan everything by themselves. There are many vendors which offer Himachal Pradesh tourism packages at reasonable prices.
A trip is incomplete without the pics. During the time of this trip, I used an iPhone 6s which clicks awesome pics. So, I would recommend you buying a great camera phone to take some breathtaking pics.
Apart from a phone camera, I use GoPro an adventure camera to shoot video & click photos. The product is pretty handy & captures mind blogging videos. GoPro is easy & handy to use, which makes it a must buy.
Apart from a phone camera, I use GoPro an adventure camera to shoot video & click photos. The product is pretty handy & captures mind blogging videos. GoPro is easy & handy to use, which makes it a must buy.
would you know anything about camping in the tents?
Will mail you for the same
That’s an informative post, nice to know about Tosh! Have you been to Triund? Or any idea how the route or trek is. “High on Himachal” sounds apt for the uncharted landscapes 🙂
You can also write a review of the travel route on my website: https://localfeedback.org/submit-a-review/
– Susmita from Local Feedback
sure will do that.Thanks
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