[ampere]

Originally Posted by IamSaran

The budget right now is around 40k. Will that be enough???

Thanks in advance!

Typical budget starts from 12-15K for 3-4nights stay which includes breakfast and dinner. At higher rates you can look at Club Mahindra and Holiday Inn also which are present. There are quite a few resorts available, but I am not sure about their comparisons. I had gone quite some time back. But here are some pointers:

- People hardly use cards. Business works on cash.
- You cannot walk into a hotel and hope to pay money at the counter.
- Most hotel bookings happen through their head office in Delhi, where you transfer money into their account.
- I think only BSNL works in that region. Not sure how the situation has improved over time.
- You may be able to get some hotel reviews on the outlook traveller also.

[optimist]

Originally Posted by IamSaran

Hi guys,
Currently the plan is to travel by air to Delhi and then hire a cab to Manali and stay there for four/five days and rent a local cab again and roam there. Then return back again through air.
So I need you guys to suggest ways to improve this plan and other details that I am missing. And FYI, this is my first trip up north so I would also like to know the must see places over there!

I would also be grateful if you can suggest accommodation/hotel in Manali for the stay and the contact details if you have them!

And we are planning to go there in the first week of April-2010.

Thanks in Advance!!!

Been there in October 08. We stayed at the honeymoon inn. Rooms were clean and the ambience is fair to good and service is OK. Breakfasts were good and hot. No idea about food as we had them outside. Staff were efficient and courteous.

http://www.hotelhoneymooninn.net/index.html
(Some other hotels might be better starred)

They also arranged a taxi for local sightseeing and Rothang. They are mostly altos. There was not much difference between the bus stand taxis and the one arranged by the hotel pricewise.

We also flew to Delhi from Bangalore and from there took an overnight volvo to Manali. Looks to be much easier and safer than the long drive. (6pm to 8am.) The drive to manali is very senic along the Beas.

I remember some 8-10 places that they cover in the local sight seeing.
You can try rafting at Kullu. (Carry an easy change of dress.)
Rothang will take a full day. Season I believe is May to September. Warm waterproof over clothes, boots, and ski's are available for hire but check quality. If possible carry your own. Don't under estimate the cold. Rates are fixed by HPTDC. "START EARLY MORNING" Carry extra socks in case the ones you are wearing get wet in snow. Carry snacks/sandwitches as there are traffic jams on the road later in the day.

Google is your friend.

Have a nice time.

[IamSaran]

Originally Posted by ampere

- People hardly use cards. Business works on cash.

Thanks for this info! Would have really struggled a lot if I didn't know this earlier!

Originally Posted by ampere

- You cannot walk into a hotel and hope to pay money at the counter.
- Most hotel bookings happen through their head office in Delhi, where you transfer money into their account.

- I think only BSNL works in that region. Not sure how the situation has improved over time.

I wouldn't worry too much, its my honeymoon after all!!!

Originally Posted by ampere

- You may be able to get some hotel reviews on the outlook traveller also.

A little help on this please, Don't know how to do that!

[WanderNomad]

All networks work there comfortably.

[ampere]

When I had been there, ATMs were not linked. The only ATMs available were the SBI ones and I did not have enough cash in my SBI account. Now that they have been linked, I hope situation should have improved. But still you need to keep cash.

What I meant about the outlook traveler is the Outlook traveller book, about the hills. I got my first hand details from that book then. Hope they have a new edition now. They are available at most stands.

Coming to hotels, I specifically cannot recommend any, as I had been there quite some time back. Maybe others can help. But yes do opt for a breakfast come dinner plan, as it is better to have dinner at the place of stay.

About reaching Manali : Yes its better to fly to delhi and take a Volvo. I went through Chandigarh and struggled.

[dadu]

@ampere, a lot has changed over your last visit.

You have HDFC, Citibank and SBI in Kullu. Credit card works in big resorts and hotels, you now also have a multiplex in manali.

Flights to Kullu (bhuntar actually) are expensive, over 7k per person one way + depends on the weather (high risk). Alternative is to goto Palampur airport (actually Gaggal) as the flights are cheaper there.

My suggestion:

Goto Delhi by Air, take the HRTC Volvo to Manali (8:30 PM from delhi, takes 14 hrs), Volvo booking can be done online on HRTC website.

Dont bother much on the sightseeing as you are on your honeymoon, but if you want to, have a look at Dharamshala(4 hrs to Palampur +1 hr to daharamshala by taxi) and come back to delhi by Volvo from Dharamshala.

If you plan to take a flight from Gaggal, you can swap the plan around with Palampur. Taxi's will always charge 2 way fare even if you take a drop, so plan the costs.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by dadu

@ampere, a lot has changed over your last visit.

You have HDFC, Citibank and SBI in Kullu. Credit card works in big resorts and hotels, you now also have a multiplex in manali.

Good to note this ! I had been to Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie. I had booked hotel only for the first leg of the journey which was Manali. When I was told that bookings only through Delhi and no card, I was stunned. I was then told go to an ATM and get cash for booking. Thats when I realized I barely had cash in SBI and rest did not have any ATMs.

We just got barely saved. Life now is much better looks like !

That reminds me.
@Saran,

Other than Dharamshala (McLeodGanj), you can even think of going to Dalhousie also. Its a very nice place.

[longford]

Originally Posted by vkochar

I stayed in the Ambassador last year in Manali. Was good but very expensive.

I have heard Hadimba Cottages are good. Its about 2000 rupees a night. But they are always booked.

One question - Why have you chosen December ?? It's going to be spine chillingly cold !! I went there in Feb - March Last year and it was Snowing !! It was hellishly cold !! I cannot imagine what December will be like. Also Rotang Pass will be closed.

Whenever you go there - Try the Johnson Cafe ( It is near the Hadimba Temple ). The food and coffee with chocloate cake is simply divine.

+1 to that.

Last year in April, we celebrated 10 years of marriage-dom by doing the HP tour breaking the two previously booked-cancelled jinx.

At Manali, we were booked up at The Ambassador(now called Manu Alaya) for 2 nights. The hotel is en route to the Rohtang pass/Snow point and overlooks the Beas river. The property is big and very lavishly done up in comparison to the other hotels in the Mall side area. It is a lil far from the Mall areas and we found getting an auto from the hotel a trifle difficult though from the market place it was easy. Quite pricey but very good views.

At Manali, we also stayed for 1 night at this Usha-Martin hotel up on the log huts. The view was terrific from our rooms up so high. We had to walk down the slopes to the Mall, about 15 odd mins of leisure walking. Autos do ply up and down. The Log Huts was on our way and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately they are perennially full. Book well in advance. But in Decemeber, expect it to be shitty cold and the small portable heaters may not work well considering the logs will have gaps for drafts. But it is a beauty.

will try and post a few pics soon.

Another thing on the transports there.
- Autos charge between 20-60 bucks
- Car hire to Rohtang etc is around 1700-2000. But check in advance if the route is open. Otherwise, you will go to snow point and back
- There is this thing about local tourist cars and outstation tourist cars. If you hire a Manali registered tourist car for going to Shimla, they will charge you like 4k for 2 way ride. But if look out for a shimla registered car, he will charge you half way. The locals in both places hate this practise and is often the reason for skirmishes among them. If you have hired an outstation reg car, the driver will ask you spin a yarn about your returning to Shimla etc at the unofficial local instituted checking post on the highway.

[IamSaran]

Guys,
Thanks for all the info!

With all the information that you have given, I have decided to start from here(chennai) on a sat morning (sometime in april, we are yet to decide which one) and reach Delhi.

Then to spend a day in shimla roaming around for a day and start for manali the next day. So from Monday, I am planning to spend three/four days in Manali and then return. On the way back I am also planning to visit the golden temple! And board the plane on the next saturday!

Please feel free to provide my some feedbacks on improving the plan! And I also wanted to know the condition of the roads from shimla to manali.

[mmxylorider]

Old thread - but relevant for my needs.

we (me,wifey,2 kids under 10) are planning to spend 3-4 days in Manali in November. Suggestions on good hotels will be highly appreciated. Main requirement is cleanliness, adequate climate protection, proximity (walking distance under 10 mins) to stores/restaurants. Budget is not really a big concern but would not to want to spend when there is an alternative available. This thread has good reviews on HPTDC places but could be that the information is dated.

On a different track, our starting point is Chandigarh. Is it advisable to rent a vehicle from Chandigarh and back or do local rental. How do the charges work out ?

[ampere]

May I ask why is Chandigarh the starting point. I struggled with that.
Delhi is much better. If you have reasons, then you can book a cab.

[Randhawa]

If budget is no problem then I would highly recommend Span resorts" www.spanresorts.com ", there is no other resort like it in kullu or Manali. Its 14km before Manali and located on the river bank. I was there is april and I would love to go there any time.

Kids would love it, its totally secluded with only nature around. You wont even here a honk from the traffic or see any other building/houses around. Might get too quite for some.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by ampere

May I ask why is Chandigarh the starting point. I struggled with that.
Delhi is much better. If you have reasons, then you can book a cab.

Wouldn't Delhi-Manali be a long haul? I have a colleague in Chandigarh who can assist with getting a rental Tavera type vehicle - hence the thought. In addition, we also plan to spend 3-4 days in Shimla. Something like Pune-Chandigarh-Manali-(Chandigarh?)-Shimla-Chandigarh-Pune.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

Wouldn't Delhi-Manali be a long haul? I have a colleague in Chandigarh who can assist with getting a rental Tavera type vehicle - hence the thought. In addition, we also plan to spend 3-4 days in Shimla. Something like Pune-Chandigarh-Manali-(Chandigarh?)-Shimla-Chandigarh-Pune.

It may be longer but:

1. You dont have to fly all the way ti;; Chndigarh. (Delhi-Chandigarh do not offer discounted price to a large extent.)

2. Travel Options by road are abundant from Delhi. Volvos, cabs and what not.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by ampere

1. You dont have to fly all the way ti;; Chndigarh. (Delhi-Chandigarh do not offer discounted price to a large extent.)
.

I get what you mean. I am exploring Mumbai-Chandigarh now. Pune-Mumbai is a breeze these days. But I am digressing

Any suggestions on Manali accomodations?