maverickbirdOkay! Let’s get a few things cleared before I move on with this post. First of all, I was super lazy in Manali. My offbeat Manali was real slow traveling during which I slept a lot, ate local food, drove around the hill station a bit and read my favourite books in the sun. Basically, it was like checking myself in a travel detox for 10 days and returning feeling re-energized and a few pounds heavier. So, if you want to enjoy Manali the old-fashioned holiday style, feel free to browse through my previous post on slow travel.
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The lush apple orchards of Manali
Forget the tried and tested hippie Manali trip
However, if you wish to be a bit more enthusiastic and enjoy this very jaded Indian hill station in a slightly non-mainstream way, then follow the footsteps of India’s most popular travel bloggers. These selected explorers will open your eyes on how to enjoy offbeat Manali and trust me, this bunch knows what they are talking about. Traveling is their oxygen and nobody does offbeat traveling like them. So here are offbeat Manali tips from India’s best travel bloggers. Please note that these are direct excerpts from their blog posts and not my personal opinion.
Recommended Read: Slow traveling in Manali, an old-fashioned holiday
Give into a relaxing nature therapy
Opt for a Himalayan spa treatment instead
If anybody in India can vouch that they have sold everything to travel, then it is this couple. Meet Sandeepa and Chetan, an Indian couple who travel for wanderlust and blog for leisure. They are my hands-down favourite and I am in love with their work. Their photography is brilliant and they explore for the sake of discovering. The highlights of Sandeepa and Chetan’s offbeat Manali things to do are to “listen to the Beas sing, pluck your own fruits, and cleanse yourself in the Himalayan spas”. Check out their blog for more information and you may also like their “Manali Kaza route to Spiti Valley“.
Take time to listen to the Beas murmur
Go local, eat Himachali thali and explore the villages
Next on my list is a self-proclaimed bum who travels. His name is Shubham Mansingka and hardly anybody explores a place deeper than him. Shubham travels…correction…he wanders, days at a time, experiences the local life during off tourist season and you will find him braving the snow in Kaza in winter. So, when he compiles a list on offbeat Manali things to do, you better take note. This blogger writes his own experiences and all his tips are handpicked, tried, and tested. So, Shubham suggests “visiting the Rumsu village, having an authentic Himachali thali at Maniram’s Dhaba at the serene Jana Waterfalls which is a short detour from Naggar, hiking from Old Manali to Goshal and many more”. Check out his post for the complete curated list on “Finding the offbeat in Manali“.
Suggested Read: Taking it easy during our Kalimpong Babymoon
Explore the little local hamlets around Manali
Offbeat Manali is as much fun as the old school trip
Quirky Wanderer is my favourite travel blogger in India. The position is a tie with Sandeepa Chetan, but I can assure you that Divyakshi is equally brilliant. What sets her apart is her apparent happiness in exploring, following her own instincts, and her own rules. She does not recklessly break rules, but simply lives her own life, minds her own business, and sees the world in a beautiful, happy way. You can say that she is quirky and happy to be one. Her “10 offbeat Things to do in Manali” is a real treat and will help you experience the best of the hill station…touristy and off the trodden path.
Add a bit of regular thrill like paragliding
Think offbeat Manali; think white winter
I find The Travelling Slacker to be a bit of an oddball, in a good way. For example, his blog’s motto is “India beyond Clichés” and he means it. On his blog, you will not find silly Must visit lists, boring “Why I left my job and starting travelling” nonsense, or “Five packing tips like a pro” gaffes. For Jitaditya Narzary, travelling is a serious passion and his blogs are proof of that. He explores India’s remotest corners, loves nature and I deduce all this from his blog posts, which are completely visual and informative treats. His is a no-nonsense way, without the frills and fancy pretty word imagery and the titles speak volumes. So, when you read his “Manali Beyond Clichés: How Backpackers Can Salvage the Manali Trip“, you know you are in for detailed pithy information on how to enjoy offbeat Manali.
You may also like: How to enjoy Bir Billing without paragliding
Think you can tackle this in winter?
And a bit more of offbeat Manali tips
Manali is a much-visited destination and has been explored by many travel bloggers, established or otherwise. Apart from the above-mentioned biggies, take a look at Traveltwosome, Natnzin, Drifterplanet, and Footlooosedev have to say. Enjoy reading and hopefully get inspired to enjoy a beautiful offbeat Manali experience.
Lush nature,
Friendly locals,
Gorgeous mountains,
An offbeat Manali trip
May just be your
Best travel experience yet.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE