[tsk1979]

For around 6-10000 a day you can rent a Tata safari 4x4 from Hertz. Self drive in Delhi

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

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.

Manali itself does not interest me, speaking for myself. To me it is just a convenient base from which to venture over the Rhotang pass and into Lahaul-Spiti. This is because I am a nature freak. I want to see big mountains, desolate places, different cultures, beautiful temples and things like that. I do not really care about Manali. For my money, Manali is a dirty, noisy tourist trap full of over priced hotels, shops and restaurants. Rhotang pass is 50 miles north of Manali. Every morning there is a procession of taxi jeeps that climb a difficult road of switch backs and steep drop offs up to Rhotang pass where 95% of the tourists stop, look at snow fields for the first time in their lives, get a picture taken sitting on a Yak, buy an alou tiki, get in their jeeps and go back down to Manali.

If you are like me then Anupmathur is correct. Late May is ideal. Heat is no problem once you get into the Kullu valley. In fact you better take a medium weight jacket if you intend to go beyond Rhotang pass. By late May the Rhotang pass will be open. April? Maybe yes, maybe no and take a winter coat. The monsoon begins there in earnest in mid-June and the roads even on the other side of the Rhotang pass, which are terrible anyway, begin to deteriorate, and bridges disappear. Most traffic stops at Rhotang. On the other side of Rhotang several kilometers down the other side the road splits with the left branch going to Keylong and eventually up to Leh. The right branch goes toward dry and arid Spiti valley. The power just went out so I will quit.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by ronaldfurtado

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

Please contact TBHPian doctorkats - his friend runs a rental business on this route specifically, mostly catering to tourists who want to do exactly what you have in mind, and should be able to provide support etc.

[ronaldfurtado]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Please contact TBHPian doctorkats - his friend runs a rental business on this route specifically, mostly catering to tourists who want to do exactly what you have in mind, and should be able to provide support etc.

Thanks for da info dude

[hondadude]

Originally Posted by 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.

Let me take a shot at your questions.

If you are not too hung up on Manali (especially you have mentioned about deviations from the normal, beaten track), I would suggest the following itinerary.

- Go from Delhi to Simla (fly or train)
- Stay in Simla for a Day or two
- Go to Kalpa/Sangla. Stay for a few days there. Banjara and others have tents right next to the Baspa river.
- If you have a few days more and if the passes are open, you can go to Tabo and places beyond.
- Come back to Delhi.

You should be able to do this in a week. This is much better than going to Manali. IMO, there are two kind of people who visit Manali

- Honeymooners who want to visit Kulu-Manali
- Trekkers who keep Manali as base and visit places around that.

Another alternative is the following (for your June/July plan)

- From Delhi, Fly to Leh
- Stay in Leh and visit places around that for a week.
- If you have a few more days, drive back to Manali from Leh (the route is amazing) and then come to Delhi. If you don't have those extra days, fly back from Leh to Delhi

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by hondadude

From Delhi, Fly to Leh
- Stay in Leh and visit places around that for a week.
- If you have a few more days, drive back to Manali from Leh (the route is amazing) and then come to Delhi. If you don't have those extra days, fly back from Leh to Delhi

That's a good plan, but I don't know if this is the kind of holiday you are looking for - I mean the flying bit. Srinagar to Leh and Leh to Manali are both awesome road trips. It's a tough journey but the payoff is unique.
You could check out some of my recent photos of that trip here:
Picasa Web Albums - Anup - Ladakh-July2007

[suman]

I agree with Hondadude about Sangla but I think Manali is a beautiful place as well - you need to be a little distance away from the squalor & crowds of the main road that's all (preferably around the HPTDC Log Huts)

[anupmathur]

Delhi - Shimla/Narkanda - Sarahan - Sangla Valley (Banjara Camps or Chitkul) - Recong Peo/Kalpa - Tabo - Kaza - Manali could be quite a good 2 week trip.

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Delhi - Shimla/Narkanda - Sarahan - Sangla Valley (Banjara Camps or Chitkul) - Recong Peo/Kalpa - Tabo - Kaza - Manali could be quite a good 2 week trip.

And this could be shortened time and distance-wise considerably. For example you could turn around and come back at Recong Peo and skip Rhotang. This itinerary would be much easier and less risky than going up over the Rhotang Pass, the other side of which has lousy roads, little mechanical help and little medicine. All these are considerations when you have a two year old child with you.

[bhappyharsha]

Hi,

I am going to Manali on Jan 21st, 2013. I heard that I can hire a car and drive around myself. I have the following questions in this regard:

1. Did anyone hire a car before in Manali? If yes, what are the approx. charges?
2. I read in an article that to visit a place near manali, 4X4 car is a must and we can hire them in Manali. I drive a Figo and have no idea what difference will it be if I drive a 4X4 vehicle. Please let me know if I will see any difference as such.
3. Any places that you can suggest that are a must watch in and around Manali?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Harsha