Renting a 4x4 in delhi or manali

[ronaldfurtado]

Hey folks hows it goin..not been on this forum for a couple of months now..well i am planning a trip to manali with 4 friends. I'm from goa.
we were plannin on driving from delhi to manali or hire a jeep in manali to drive around...up and down..
i do know for a fact that rental agencies always send out their drivers but does anyone know private guys who are willing to rent their jeep for a week.
we are ready to chip in 8 Rs/km so for a 1000 kms its about 8 grand.
well if anyone on here is from delhi or manali and has a jeep or knows someone who is willing to rent get intouch with me.
dont worry we'r not car thiefs and we will sign an agreement so if any damage is done to your car we will pay for the damage.
i did call a few car agencies they are quotin in dollars and everything is around 20thousand rupees and above for 5+ days.

well hope someone has a positive role to play..keep in touch guys

[DirtyDan]

This is off season in Manali. It is cold there and Rhotang pass, 50k north of Manali where the big mountains start, is closed until May. No one is likely to let you rent their private or commercial 4x4 because people who rent them tend to abuse them by slamming them around off-road and by running on dry pavement in 4 wheel drive, a sure way to wear out the tranny and whatever else picks up the friction from front and rear axles turning at different speeds in 4 wheel drive. You might get a private guy to drive you but, like I said, it's winter up there and it has been snowing already. I live not too far away from there so I know a little about it, I suggest you make other plans until spring.

[DirtyDan]

Almost forgot, your price, 8000 rupees, is probably not going to get it done. Think 15-20 or more.

[ronaldfurtado]

Well i forgot to mention the journey i plan to make is in june 08.
what is the distance between delhi and manali?
also i do understand your view on renting without a driver. its not this way in goa..you can rent and drive it alone and the peak seasons will cost you about 12rs/km.
well i guess govt transport is my only option. hope it goes well..cheers

[breezydrive]

Simply reach MANALI on your own & hire a MARUTI Gypsy from local taxi wallahs which are in demand only during snowtime as no Sumo/ Qualis/ Innova can ply in snow, but these guys will not let you drive the car !

And be ready to pay a neat Rs.20 per km!

[DirtyDan]

Delhi-Manali distance? ROUGHLY 600K, a hard day's drive. North of Rhotang, 150K West or East, is very beautiful and well worth traversing the terrible roads north of Rhotang, IMHO. The closest airport is in Kullu, 1 hr south of Manali and there are hotels there and flights from delhi.

Here is a pic on the way up to the top of Rhotang pass. The yellow road sign says, "Be Mild on my Curves"

[suman]

Ronald, I think Breezydrive has given you a good suggestion. Also, a note of caution - I'm guessing you are not so used to driving in the hills so the four of you driving a hired Jeep (even assuming you got one) all the way to Manali & more importantly, beyond would be a little tricky.

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

Delhi-Manali distance? ROUGHLY 600K, a hard day's drive. North of Rhotang, 150K West or East, is very beautiful and well worth traversing the terrible roads north of Rhotang, IMHO. The closest airport is in Kullu, 1 hr south of Manali and there are hotels there and flights from delhi.

Here is a pic on the way up to the top of Rhotang pass. The yellow road sign says, "Be Mild on my Curves"

Lol, since there's no smiley for wince, I thought I'd jump in - its spelt as "Rohtang" mate

[dadu]

Delhi- Manali is 575 Km, (0 mile for delhi being Raj Ghat)

, dharamshala and manali are a bit apart (235Km) unless you are used to driving those distances frequently and that too in the hills.

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

I live not too far away from there so I know a little about it, I suggest you make other plans until spring.

Once the snow falls, the manali road also closes leave alone Rohtang, till they clear the roads and all traffic stops before manali and it will be difficult to get self-driven hired 4x4 in manali unless you have friends there.

Originally Posted by suman

Ronald, I think Breezydrive has given you a good suggestion. Also, a note of caution - I'm guessing you are not so used to driving in the hills so the four of you driving a hired Jeep (even assuming you got one) all the way to Manali & more importantly, beyond would be a little tricky.

[DirtyDan]

Delhi- Manali is 575 Km, (0 mile for delhi being Raj Ghat)

, dharamshala and manali are a bit apart (235Km) unless you are used to driving those distances frequently and that too in the hills.

Thank you, Dadu, for your important contribution that may have cut a whole 25K out of his trip plans. FYI, I have lived and do occassionally live in that general area. You would make a very fine policeman or prosecuting attorney. Keep up the good work! By the way, did you miss what he said about not going until June? Be careful about YOUR details.

[DirtyDan]

Once the snow falls, the manali road also closes leave alone Rohtang, till they clear the roads and all traffic stops before manali and it will be difficult to get self-driven hired 4x4 in manali unless you have friends there.

This is not true. The road is usually open to Manali. In fact there is a flourishing winter carnival and Christmas tour trade in Manali. The Kullu valley is surrounded by high steep slopes. These produce land slides and avalanches all year round that sometimes force closure but these are cleared relatively quickly. Immediately north of Manali the road is often closed.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

How is Manali in April / May?? (Preferably April?)

How many days should one budget there? Any suggestions on the itenary?

I am planning to fly down (COK - DEL - Manali). Any suggested alternatives / deviations from the normal, beaten track on (a) reaching there from Delhi (b) sight seeing there?

Thanks in Advance.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

How is Manali in April / May?? (Preferably April?)

In April, it has not fully 'recovered' from the winter. Which means you will enjoy a slightly different kind of beauty - a bit stark. To see it in full glory, June to September are the months. That's my personal view.
There is also a huge difference in your 'experience' of a place depending on whether you go during peak season or a little out of it. Peak for Manali being mid-May to about third week June. (Depends on the first heavy rains, which is when most tourists run away!).

[ronaldfurtado]

Well i am a Goan but I live and work in London. I have driven in scotland and even the alps.
Driving In those countries is relatively easy as the distance can be covered easily due to the awesome roads. I have never been north of India. and the only drawback is i dont have a vehicle down in goa. well i do but its an old 800 not somethin i can drive 2000kms in.
I was lookin to buy a tata estate for 40k is that car worth it.
well renting is more of what i am looking for..or the other way about is backpacking thru the mountains..Dirty Dan man dats an awesome pic. Its one of the reasons i want to discover india its freaking awesome.
600 k from delhi is not much...12-14 hours drive i estimate on indian roads? I know the director of Indian Institure of Advanced Studies (IIAS - Shimla)as a close family relative so i will inquire with him to arrange a vehicle for me from there.
The difference that i always enjoy in india is the freedom. in scotland and the alps theres always signs and patrols that dont allow you to see what you need to due to safety reasons(not like one is stupid enough to do what hes not supposed to) but a gypsy on that track is an adventure itself.
I would like some input into the directions as i will be arriving by train to delhi and besides NH-24 is the road a straight drive to manali??

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

In April, it has not fully 'recovered' from the winter. Which means you will enjoy a slightly different kind of beauty - a bit stark. To see it in full glory, June to September are the months. That's my personal view.
There is also a huge difference in your 'experience' of a place depending on whether you go during peak season or a little out of it. Peak for Manali being mid-May to about third week June. (Depends on the first heavy rains, which is when most tourists run away!).

So, what to expect in April / May?? and what will be there in June / July?

One reason we choose april / may is that it will not be very hot - we hate travelling in summer heat; but we can tolerate cold. Besides, our (by then) 2 year old kid will be with us.

I am still looking for inputs on a suggested itenary - I am clueless about the area, so instead of "what is your budget", I will appreciate if somebody says "if you can budget N days, you can go to A, B and C ... do E, F and G, and with a budget of X, travel to M, N and O," etc.

Accommodation should not be a problem - there is a company guest house (actually some hotel) there, but not many of our colleagues have gone there; so we really cannot get in touch with them.

[suman]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

I am planning to fly down (COK - DEL - Manali).

Del-Manali flights are extremely erratic so plan on doing that bit by road.