Manali

Manali sits at 2,050 metres in the Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh, at the point where the valley road terminates before the Rohtang Pass, and operates as both a destination in its own right and the starting point for the most dramatic overland routes in India.

The Rohtang Pass, 51 kilometres north at 3,978 metres, marks the boundary between the green Kullu valley and the high desert beyond — between the monsoon shadow and the rain shadow, between the Hindu hill culture of Himachal and the Tibetan Buddhist culture of Lahaul. The landscape changes completely within a single switchback. Beyond lies Lahaul, then the Baralachha La, then the Manali-Leh Highway — 490 kilometres of high-altitude road open only between June and October, one of the world's great adventure drives.

Old Manali, across the bridge from the town itself, is where the culture of the Kullu valley still operates independently of the tourist economy: the Hadimba Devi temple, built in 1553 in a deodar cedar grove so old and dense it creates its own climate, stands at the centre of a village that has been producing apple brandy and the local spirit called lugdi from the valley's orchards since the valley has been growing apples.

Places to Visit in Manali

• Hadimba Temple
• Solang Valley
• Old Manali
• Rohtang Pass
• Vashisht Temple
• Mall Road, Manali

Things to Do in Manali

• River rafting on the Beas
• Paragliding at Solang Valley
• Cafe-hopping in Old Manali
• Hot springs at Vashisht