picture-1.jpg

Himachal Pradesh

A Self-Drive Biking Trip in Manali: An Adventure I Cannot Forget

By: Protima Tiwary

picture-1.jpg
map


Few road trips are as memorable as the ones you take with your extended family. Four cars, four families and narrow winding roads lined with dense forests, with the sound of water rushing down below—this road trip from Delhi to Manali, although taken a few months ago, still remains fresh in our memories. As per our annual tradition, we set out for a family trip to the hills, and this package at MakeMyTrip fit in perfectly with our plans.

Meals with a view

This road trip was the stuff of legends. We drove on long, broad highways, through jungles and fields, through mountains and valleys, and each scene was better than the last. It took us 14 hours to reach Manali. We stopped by at the roadside dhabas to eat simple, delicious North Indian meals, and enjoyed tea time at a Maggi stall with a view of the mighty Himalayas and the river down below. The drive through Kullu Valley, past the Pandoh Dam was one of the most scenic I have ever undertaken.


in.gov.incredibleindia.core.models.impl.ImageUtilModelImpl@7229082

A motorcycle safari in the Himalayas

We had the option of a sightseeing tour but we left that for another day since we were in the mood for some adventure. We booked the slots at the safari, and headed to what we could call the best thing that happened to us during the trip. We got our hands on the Royal Enfield 350 cc and rode along the Beas River, meandering mountain roads, small streams and raging rivers, past mesmerizing valleys with snow-covered mountains. It was such a rush to ride those beastly bikes all by ourselves! This was a day trip, and we headed back close to sunset to return the bikes that we had rented.

Rejuvenation in the hills

We had a couple of days to explore the towns of Kullu and Manali, along with adventure activities like paragliding, zorbing and skiing. We took it easy the day after the bike ride, and opted for a picnic to Solang Valley. A couple of us went paragliding, while the rest of us chose a green spot under a tree and enjoyed our picnic baskets, complete with hot parathas and jalebis. Later in the evening, we walked around Manali, stopping by to shop for souvenirs and enjoy some piping hot jalebis at stalls.

Thank you once again MakeMyTrip for helping us plan this epic trip full of fun, adventure and rejuvenation.