Kullu Manali - the Mountain, the Valley & the Forest

Being in Himachal Pradesh of the northern India state is like a mini exploration into the Himalayan mountainous valley, a home to the world highest peaks. The Himalayas adjoin or cross 5 countries, namely Bhutan, India, Nepal,  China and Pakistan, with the first 3 countries having sovereignty over most of the range. The Himalayas are bordered on the northwest by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges, on the north by the Tibetan Plateau, and on the south by the Indo Gangetic Plain.

The 2 photo of us above were snapped at a pit stop to Rohtang Pass in Manali. It was our attempt to take a rented vehicle, Innova to go up the hill but was not permitted by the local police. The rules are, tourist had to engage a local 4-wheel drive to enjoy the panorama and the tourist attraction up there. The time from the pit stop to Rohtang Pass would take more than an hour. Thus, we decided not to proceed with our plan due to time constraint. Instead, we enjoyed the Himalayan range view at this point. 

Whilst the above 2 photos of our boys were taken at the Hidimba Temples which surrounded by beautiful matured of Himalayan cedar trees, being part of the preserved forest. The rest of the photos in this entry represents the mountain, the valley and the forest of Himalayan range seen in Manali, Kullu district.

The colorful tales and saga of the mythological existence of Kullu Manali told in the Vedas and Hindu ancient book remain in the popular belief and heart of the people of the Kullu Manali hills. However, modern day Kullu Manali history began its journey, more precisely, with the coming of the British. They made this beautiful land their choice for staying during the summer months. The British brought forth the apple orchards and trout fishing to Kullu Manali that largely shaped the economy of this place. It was the British people settling here, which developed Kullu Manali as a tourist destination as it is today.

My husband is the most happiest among us all to be surrounded with Himalayan hills as it was due to his suggestion and decision that we were touring Kullu Manali in the first place. My original plan was to take them to the most famous tourist destination and/or attraction when on "Visit India", Delhi - Agra - Jaipur. Nevertheless, we are very happy to be there at last. The only thing missing from the trip was our 2 older children, Syahirah and Nazhif. If not, it could have been our perfect family holiday.

Kullu Manali is most recommended for honeymoon couple as it has the best of scenic views, climate, sightseeing and it's own hilly attraction, such as a view of the local horses eating a dried grass of winter season on the hill side. Manali is still in the midst of developing it's valley to meet the tourist demand not only from abroad but from all over India. I hope, given the next few years, the road and the highway facilities would be very much improves.

Last but not least is our special thanks to a driver of the rented Innova, seen in below photo with Nasrul who had bring us safely up to this point. In addition, after the Punjab state entering Haryana till we reached Delhi, it was a foggy weather with the visible distance of less than 100mm. It was a dangerous and extremely slow drive as everyone else had to slow down too. We travelled with him for 1,310km in 3 days 3 nights. Thank you, sir!