1st day
We flew from Bhubaneshwar in Odisha to New Delhi in the morning. We were taken to a taxi. The taxi driver was familiar with Himachal Pradesh’s hilly roads and was highly skilled. He met us at Delhi airport and took us to Shimla.
Shimla was reached by taxi from New Delhi in less than eight hours, including our stop at Sonipat for lunch. Our lunch was at Hotel Haveli in Sonipat. It was decorated with a royal theme, and the food was delicious.
We reached our destination Hotel Quality Inn Shimla. Hotel Quality Inn was a nice establishment with a lot of cleanliness and delicious food. It was great. We had to rest for the night after a long day of travelling. However, we still enjoyed it.
Shimla (our second day)
We were very curious and eager to see the beautiful places in Shimla. After breakfast, we left Shimla with our taxi cum driver-guide. We visited only a few of the places listed below.
Kufri
This small hill station is located 13 kilometres from Shimla at an elevation of 2500m. We climbed to the highest point of Kufri by taking a taxi. Then we hired a pony to travel uphill. Pony riding was fun and adventurous. It was very cold and blowing windy. There is a Himalayan Zoo and amusement park. This place is full of excitement at the hill station. A few small stalls sell tea and snacks.
Naldehra
The horse riding was amazing as we travelled through the hills on our excursion to Naldehra. Although I felt like I was going to fall at times, the horses were very well trained. They did not let me go.
Naldehra’s 9-hole golf course is a landmark. It is located on a hilltop. The 9-hole golf course is famous in Naldehra. It’s located on a hilltop.
Third day
The next day morning, we departed for Manali, our next destination. It took us 7 hours to travel the distance between Shimla, Manali and 260-270km. We stopped at Pandoh Dam on the way to Manali (an iconic point in Manali). After taking a few photos, we resumed our journey. Almost the whole day was spent travelling.
Manali
Another beautiful city in Himachal Pradesh is Manali that you should look for when planning your Shimla and Manali Package. You will find many tourist attractions such as the Hidimba Temple and Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, Buddhist Temple, Mall Road, and many others.
4th day
These are the places we visited:
Hidimba Temple
This temple is a cave-built wooden temple that was dedicated to Devi Hidimba (wife of Bhima). It is believed that Hidimba meditated here. It looks great and is surrounded by pine trees.
We then moved on to the Buddhist temple nearby.
Buddist temple
It is located in Buddhist Monastery, a peaceful location. The temple is decorated with many colours, and the inside has a large statue of Buddha in golden colour. Many colourful flowers were planted in the area. After visiting religious places, it was time to shop at Mall Road.
Mall Road
This is Manali’s main tourist area. This area is known for its street shopping. Do not hesitate to bargain if you plan to shop there. Shopkeepers may ask for a higher price.
5th day
This was our second day in Manali. We had Rohtang Pass reserved.
Rohtang Pass
It is situated 51 km from Manali at an elevation of almost 4000m. Tourists can visit it from May/June through October/November. The snow layer blocks the pass for most of the month. This amazing scenery was available to us in the first week of December.
Before you go to Rohtang Pass, be aware of the following points:
* Hire a vehicle (with an experienced driver), which can be driven to Rohtang Pass.
* This is a Snow Point and it can get very cold, so bring your snow dress.
* Tourists love to ski, trek, and ride snow-scooters here. Bring along your skii set. Many shops offer tourists the option to rent a skii set, snow dress and shoes. You can also rent skii trainer.
*Rohtang Pass is not in communication due to the absence of a mobile signal.
* There are a few places along the route where you can get food, but it is advisable to bring snacks.
* There are stalls selling Maggi, tea and other cold drinks at this snow point. Even though the Maggi was bland, I enjoyed my cup of tea and a bowl of Maggi at the highest snow point.
Rohtang Pass was reached safely in more than two hours. Skii trainers were available to help us with skiing. It was a great experience. It was amazing to be at the top of Rohtang Pass.
6th day
The Shimla Manali tour ended here. We headed to Chandigarh the next morning. It took us 7 hours to get there.
Chandigarh
We went to Chandigarh twice:
Rose Garden
This is Asia’s largest rose garden. The information board at the entrance lists all details about the garden. I recommend that you take a look before entering the garden. This board provides information about the area and types of roses that are planted in this garden. Below are some of the points:
* It is named Zakir Hussain rose garden, after our former president Zakir Hussain.
* Spread over 30 acres
* There are approximately 50 thousand rosebushes, of which 1600 species are included.
The fountain, trees, and roses make it look beautiful. Visitors are not charged an entry fee.
Rock Garden
The rock garden is truly a marvellous creation. It covers 40 acres. The sculptures include human, animal, and bird forms. They are made from various industrial and urban wastes such as wire, socket, plug, broken bangles, pottery ware, etc. This is a great example of how waste can be recycled. Many sections are interconnected by galleries, bridges, caves and narrow passages. The rock garden is the name given to the entire garden.
It is beautiful and very unique. To avoid being misled, it takes quite a while to explore the garden. It is unique and appreciated by everyone who visits it. You should also review it when you will arrive Chandigarh.
We finished our Chandigarh trip and headed to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel in the middle of the night and stayed for one night.
7th day
The next day, we flew to Delhi and then returned to Bhubaneshwar. Make My Trip organized our trip within our budget. It was an amazing experience. It was a wonderful experience.
Please note the following points if you plan to visit Shimla Manali.
September, October and November are the best months to visit. Weather conditions can have an effect on the number of days that are available. We were there in the first week of December, which was ideal because the snow did not start at that time. We were able to get to wherever we wanted and did not have to stop due to the weather.
To roam around Shimla Manali, pre-book a hotel or taxi. This will save you precious time and provide comfort.
A taxi driver must be familiar with the area and have experience driving on hills. It is a must.
Your everyday activity can be made a trip.
Warm clothes are essential, as temperatures can range from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius during the above-mentioned months.
- Avoid vendors selling duplicate saffron. Many vendors will be found at places you frequent, especially Manali.
- Manali is a great place to shop. It offers a lot. Kullu Manali is well-known for its shawl and woollen goods.
- Manali is a popular destination for paragliding and river rafting and skiing, trekking, and hot air ballooning.
- Finally, don’t forget to take your camera with you when you visit these beautiful cities.