India Archives - Mana Want

India December 26, 2013

ABVIMAS

ABVIMAS(Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports) formerly known as DMAS(Directorate of Mountaineering & Allied Sports) is a government run organization/institute in Manali, Himachal Pradesh which provides certified programs in mountaineering, skiing, rafting, trekking and a few other mountain/adventure sports. The courses are subsidized by Indian government and are offered at low rates for Indian citizens. I took a 26 days Basic Mountaineering Course for just INR 7,800 and returned home spending under 10,000 bucks for everything including transportation. All the food and accommodation is provided inclusive of the cost at the institute. It is pretty easy to reach ABVIMAS as it is a mere 3 km from the Manali bus stand. You can get a taxi for 50-100 bucks. Ask the taxi driver to drop you at the office as the office is around a km inside the main gate of the institute. You should preferably reach a day…

India November 18, 2013

Solang Nullah

I previously talked about the Solang village. Let me now come to the actually known attraction – Solang Nullah. This place is accessible by road from Manali. This place is most famous for adventure rides such as paragliding and zorbing. You can enjoy an ATV ride as well.

Featured October 12, 2013

Old Manali

The most beautiful part of the Manali town itself is Old Manali. While you go to visit the famous Hadimba temple, don’t hesitate going half a km further. Old Manali is the favourite spot for foreigners. Here you will find several cafes and restaurants. Let me tell you about a few. Dylan’s toasted and roasted is a cafe where you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee listening instrumental music performed live by three different persons. Another one is an authentic Korean cafe run by a Korean family who came to visit Manali and were so influenced by its beauty that they decided to settle here. They even have their menu in Korean. If you wish to have a pizza cafe Olive Pizza is the place. You can also visit Club house at the beginning of Old Manali for a mere ticket of INR 10 where you can enjoy river crossing for…

India September 16, 2013

Manali to Solang Valley OffRoad

If you love trekking and ever visit Manali, you must consider an off-road trek from Manali to Solang Valley. The trek is 11 km covering an altitude of 500 m with quite a few uphills and downhills. We made the trek carrying a load of around 25 kg. That was hard but possible as we were training under a basic mountaineering course and had already trained for 11 days. We got tired but regained the energy just by the picturesque views on the way. But you don’t have to do that. The trek can be completely enjoyed and all you need to carry is a day-pack. It takes only a day to complete the trek providing you a considerable amount of rest on the way. One passes through a few countryside villages. The village people are really excited to see tourists, especially the children. Don’t get afraid when they ask…

India August 15, 2013

Solang Vegetation

As I talked about the beauty of Solang before, here is what makes it so beautiful – the wildlife of the Patalsu mountain. Here you can see a group of some shiny christmas trees at the boundry of the mountain treeline and timberline. Do not expect much fauna but you will find quite a variety of flora. As soon as you cross the inhabited area, you will find dispersed mountain trees standing erect in green lushy grass. You may find some wild strawberries on the way which are tasty and can be eaten. The are similar to normal strawberries but are even smaller than a cherry. As you reach the alpine range you’ll find that the ground turns from dark green to light green with a bright shine. A field full of bright yellow flowers can seen. But be aware of a poisonous herb known as the cobra plant. It…