1. About the Place:-  

  It is believed that when the world was deluged with rain and all that was land, was covered by water, Manu first stepped off his celestial boat at Manali and it is here that the human race once again came into being. Described as the queen of hill stations, Manali

  Money :
  The State Bank of India and UCO bank, opposite the tourist offices, will only change Thomas Cook and American Express travellers cheques. A moneychanger at the Solang hotel, on school road, keeps more convenient hours and will change all major brands of travellers cheques as well as cash.

Shopping :
  There are plenty of places to buy clothes and souvenirs in Manali, particularly along the Mall. Some of the better places are the Charitrust Tibetan Handicraft emporium on the Mall, or any of the cooperatives run by local women. The Tibetan market, spread around the back of the hotel Ibex, has a good range of thangkas and silver and turquoise jewellery.

 2. How to Reach Jammu:

By Air: Manali has no airport of its own. The nearest one Bhuntas is around 10 km south of Kullu town and about 50 km from Manali. Flights are available to and from Lucknow, Delhi, Ludhiana and Shimla. Timings and booking details should be checked in advance. Booking could be made through travel agents both at Kullu and Delhi as well as other places.

By Rail: No direct rail connection. Chandigarh, about 280 km away and Joginder Nagar, about 200 km away.

(1) Area: 5.12 sq. kms

(2) Population: Approximately 2,500

(3) Climate: Close to the snowfields of the Solang nala and the Rohtang pass, Manali is decidedly cooler than Kullu. During winter there is heavy snowfall, sometimes throwing transportation out of gear. During monsoons Manali gets heavy rainfall, and it is advisable to always travel with sufficient warm clothing.

(4) Languages Spoken: The local language in Manali is part of the group of languages known as Western Pahari. A Hindi dialect which is derived from Sanskrit and Prakrit, Pahari has a number of local variations. The version spoken in Manali is known as Mandiali.
The influx of a large number of Tibetans has meant that Tibetan is also now used by a number of people, while most people associated with travel and tourism will be familiar with at least basic English. Hindi is universally used.

(5) Habitat : Manali lies at the northern end of the Kullu Valley, at a height of about 1,926 mt. The town is about 40 km north of Kullu, and lies at the intersection of some of the main trade and transport routes of the area. The main route connects Himachal, via the Rohtang and Baralacha passes, to Ladakh. Other secondary routes go to Lahaul, Spiti, Rupshu and Tibet.
Manali straddles the Beas River, in an area of alpine meadows, deodar and pine forests and fruit orchards.

(6) Booking/Reservation: Tourist Office :

The Himachal Pradesh Tourist Information Counter is located at The Mall, Ph: 01901 – 53531, Fax – 52325).

Chopsticks : For Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese food.

Gozy Restaurant : For reasonably priced Punjab and Gujarati food located at the southern end of the Mall.

Juniper Restaurant : Good Food, for a bit higher prices. Run by HPDC.

Mahadev Food Corner : For cheap Indian food

Moc Restaurant : Cheaper Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese food. Located near Sukhiran Guest House.

Mona Lisa : Indian and western food at reasonable prices. Located near bus stand.

Mount View Restaurant : A cosy place offering good Chinese, Tibetan Japanese delicacies.

Mayur Restaurant : For vegetarian food. Located near the Mall.

Sher-i-Punjab : Indian food and pizzas. Located on the Mall.

Swamiji's Madras Cafe : A large thali may cost around Rs 40 - RS 45

Dhabas Himalaya : For Indian food

Kamal : For Indian food

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