Junaid Alam

vacation India welcomes you on your tour package to kullu, manali, shimla. These are most popular and easily reachable hill stations of himachal pradesh in india. An apparent way to reach the state is to head north from delhi to the state capital. shimla, beyond the green and temperate valleys of sirmaur. Shimla, the former summer resort of the british government, is a curious, charming mix of grand homes, churches and chaotic bazaars, with breathtaking views. Kufri, 22km from shimla is a well-known attraction around shimla and becomes the hottest place in winter, as everyone lands up here to ski and throw snowballs at each other. The hills come to live with the shouts of young voices as kids pelt snowballs at each other and make snowmen. Ski enthusiast from across the country drift from the snowy fields of kufri to narkanda in search of the finest ski slopes on which to flaunt their expertise. For non-skiers, there are the serene yak rides or the screaming delight of tobogganing. Another nearby destination is fagu which you could include into your kullu-manali-shimla tour itinerary.

fagu is a marvelous typical himachali village that overlooks the giri valley. You can also go for the 03km trek from fagu to chharabra. Fagu is also the entry point for kinnaur and spiti, and is an ultimate trekking base. A road from shimla, goes up slowly northwest to mandi, a major staging post for the state. To the north is himachal; most popular tourist destination, the kullu valley is located. Kullu is an undulating mass of terraced fields, orchards and forests overlooked by snowy peaks. The kullu valley extends 80km north from the mouth of the perilously steep and narrow larji gorge, near mandi, to the foot of the rohtang pass-gateway to ladakh Leh. This is himachal at its most idyllic, with roaring rivers, pretty mountain villages, orchards and terraced fields, thick pine forests and snow-flecked ridges. Kullu, the valley capital since the mid-seventeenth century, became district headquarters after independence. Kullu makes a useful transport hub if you are travelling onwards to the parvati valley, and there are several temples dotted around town, that provide excellent views of the valley. In october, the city takes on a life of its own as the entire population of the valley comes to the town to celebrate dussehra festival. main tourist resort, manali stands at the head of the kullu valley, 108km north of mandi.

Manali is always the first choice for honeymoon couples all over the country and for people who have never seen or touched snow in their lives. People who have come for the first time can start their sightseeing tour of manali by visiting the 16th century hadimba devi temple, the hot springs at vashisht, and old manali, the original settlement and now a hippie enclave full of inexpensive guesthouses. You may also visit the temple of the law-giver manu in old manali, or head up the snowy slopes to windy rohtang pass. Rohtang pass serves as the gateway to lahaul, spiti, leh and ladakh. Rohtang sees plenty of activity all round the year. The frozen beas kund, the source of the river beas, or chandratal lake can be good options one can go for. Wooded forests, snow-covered slopes, open green valleys and the fast-flowing beas make manali a ultimate destination for mountain adventure sports and most of which you can experience around sohlang valley, 13km away from manali.