Catching dreams in Parvati valley

We all are familiar with the trips where few of your friends just ditches you and from there begins a journey of friends who actually stick to the plan and tadaaaa…. your trip finally happens with these Maharathis. Exactly this is what happened here too and trust me this was one perfect and crazy trip we all had (Me and my two friends)

"It doesn't matter where you're going, it's who you've beside you"

Before I tell you about my experience which can help you in planning your trip, just a little thing which I am curious to share with all my readers here.

The friends I travelled with are my office friends and the bond we share is not what I am going to mention here but the sync we had in this trip was something extraordinary. We all must have travelled with our buddies and know the flaws, the happening side of them but once you get that sync where you don’t have to express your mood to them is when you create that eternal travel buddy bond.

What I really reminisce is this trip altogether because of these guys and the company we shared.

Parvati valley is without a doubt the most popular valley of Himachal Pradesh. Whether it is the spiritual travellers or the hard-core hippies – Parvati Valley has you covered.

I have spent 10 days in Parvati valley exploring tiniest of villages and doing my favourite thing of doing nothing and just walking on the road, the small bridges next to the Parvati river. My obsession of walking down that road in Kasol will always be there till the very end.

I always end up finding my spot in each and every trip and eventually look at the memories from that very spot. I think it gives a perspective.

Talking about my Itinerary which will definitely help you in planning yours (Plan it soon since there are no restrictions anymore in Himachal due to Covid)

While reading this blog and looking at the pictures, I am sure you would imagine yourself there between the mountains singing "Mera dil kahin door pahadon me kho gaya" or usse milne ke liye book you tickets right away.

Kasol

Known as mini Israel in India. Kasol is a village located in the Kullu district of Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Kasol is about 75 km away from Manali.

Just a heads up about Kasol that its no more a quaint village which it used to be but definitely has become backpackers paradise. Bestowed with the best nature has to offer Kasol, at an altitude of 1640 meters, is a traveller’s delight. Head here for some interesting falafel, as you watch the Parvati river roaring through the valley, where the mountains are clearly not the only things high.

How to reach ?

The nearest airport to Kasol is Bhuntar Airport in Kullu district. You can book a cab or a taxi to go to Kasol from the Bhuntar airport which is a mere 31 km and will take you about 1 hour to reach there. Usually the flights to Bhuntar are expensive hence better is to take a flight to Chandigarh from Mumbai and then take a bus or a cab.

Bus till Bhuntar - Any Volvo bus going to Manali will drop you at Bhuntar and then take a taxi or a local bus till Kasol. From Bhuntar to Kasol it will take 1.5 hours to reach. In total this takes around 8-9 hours.

Direct cab to Kasol- In a group you may hire a private cab from the Chandigarh airport and this will take 10 hours to reach but the ride is comfortable and also you can take breaks in between. For a hatchback and sedan, Rs 5000 is a fair deal.

Where to stay & how to travel within Parvati valley?

Places to stay in Kasol are of many kinds. You can find home stays, Airbnbs, hostels, hotels, camps, and more.

My personal choice has always been staying in Hostels and you can find a lot of vibrant options in Kasol offering a very budgeted stay.

Also, lately I have been relying on booking.com and hostel world to find some good options and with proper reviews it enables you to make a better choice.

In Kasol, I stayed in Hosteller which offers amazing stay in terms of cleanliness and also for travellers who like to have huge spaces and need quiet time working from home and just enjoy the serene around since the dorms here gives spectacular view of the mountains around. A perfect choice having all these amenities.

I stayed in one of the awesome property known by Kasol wooden cottage which i would refer to anyone and everyone because of the room and the view from there. It was very cost effective and the location is at the centre in Kasol from where you get the transport in 2 mins since its just 2 mins walking from the Union Parking space.

This is very important to note that if you like to travel by taxi in Parvati valley then you don’t have to worry about bargaining or negotiating with drivers or taxi service providers since they have a union which offers uniform prices across. Also, there are local buses to travel around in Parvati valley.

Cafes to visit

Exploring cafes and trying different food along with my staples like pizza and pasta has always been on top whenever I am travelling.

• King Falafel cafe- You must try Falafel here. They have superb menu and definitely offers tasty food. Also, I met Ashu, the manager there who was one kind soul and crazy at the same time. He definitely made me experience the Kasol vibes.

• The Evergreen- One of the famous and oldest cafes in Kasol where of course the food is delicious and the pancakes were just scrumptious. Here too we made some amazing friends with whom we used to chit chat till late at night

• Moonshine cafe- Again must visit cafe here to grab some good food

Make sure you also visit to Panj Tara cafe, buddha cafe and Sunshine cafe.

Tosh

From Kasol to Tosh there are frequent buses which you can get till Barshaini and then 3.5-4 Kms trek from Barshaini.

Overall it will take 3-4 hours to reach from Kasol to Tosh including the trek.

If you’re looking for offbeat places then Tosh is the place for you.

Here you will find one famous cafe - Pink Floyd cafe which is the highest cafe there. It gets its name from nothing historic but its just that they play only Pink Floyd songs.

The view from the cafe is the best you could imagine or get from anywhere else.

One can stay in Tosh as well as it offers good hostels and home stays.

Manikaran

Manikaran is just 20-25 mins ride from Kasol via bus or taxi.

It is famous for its Gurudwara and its hot spring.

Make sure you experience the langar there. It holds a very unique story of how the food is prepared.

The union of cold and hot water is itself very magical. You can also take a dip in hot water bath. It is believed to have medicinal effects.

Malana

You can take a cab from Kasol which will leave you in Malana village. The distance can be covered in 1.5 hours. From the village you have to do a trek which will take another 2-3 hours since it has no option of taking a road up there.

I will always cherish this road ride from Kasol to Malana because of the weather and the sky colours. Wonder if it had to do anything with the hashish production there since thats also exquisite. Literally you can smell it in the air around you and you will know you’re in Malana. That’s how this town welcomes you.

You can explore Magic valley from Malana which is 1 hour trek from the village.

Kalga

Kalga is relatively less known village or would say untouched which is wedged deep in the forest of the Parvati valley.

You can take a bus or cab from Kasol till Barshaini and then within a trek for half an hour you will see this quaint village and the houses around.

There are numerous home stays here and cafes where you can visit.

These small villages have a different vibe when you enter inside. For few it becomes a task to leave the place and let go of the surrounding. We all have different reasons to stick around and enjoy there.

Kasol being the centre point to visit all the places around in Parvati valley and being a little commercialised, its market has to offer a lot of stuff for all the age groups and genders. This reminds me of my friend who has shopped a lot from there. This made me realise even guys can shop a lot.

The vibe of these small town markets are always very different. One thing that i noticed here is that the shopkeepers were not chasing to shop from them.

The number of shops selling Dreamcatcher is huge and it might be because that everyone in the Parvati Valley truly believes in the Dreamcatcher and its concept.

If you’re planning a trip to Parvati Valley then one should definitely try and go for treks near Kasol such as Grahan, Chalal, Kheerganga (being the most famous).

For me, hopping from one village to another was the best part of my Parvati Valley trip and that led to one more destination, a place where I would go again and can spend a lot more time than what I did this time.

Its Jibhi, situated in Banjar valley

Its the best advice to take from me that 2-3 days are not enough in Jibhi. You have to stay there for a week.

Its a different world out there. You will be spellbound with its beauty and would not want to leave. Also, this town is gaining popularity quite fast.

How to reach?

From Kasol there are no direct buses to Jibhi but cabs are available and that will take around 3-4 hours to reach.

Places to visit

1. Jibhi Waterfall

Hidden inside a lush green forest, it is certainly one of the top places to travel when you’re in town. The gushing of water makes the entire place enchanting with many small wooden Bridges making the entire view no less picturesque.

2. Jalori Pass

Located at a distance of 12 km from Jibhi, Jalori Pass is the highest motorable pass in the region. It stands at an altitude of over 3000m above sea level.

At Jalori you will come across nature unparalleled with panoramic views of the adjoining mountain ranges. The green pine trees and rocky hills at Jalori make it a must-visit. For those who enjoy driving in the Himalayas, it is an even better location to plan a trip to. Please note that Jalori Pass remains closed during the snow season.

For me this drive to the pass was one thrilling and memorable because of the beautiful weather and the people who accompanied.

3. Mini Thailand

You won’t hear about this place much or even find in most of the blogs since its pristine and less known to travellers. Its a secret gem and once you reach there after searching for it on your own (Its not even known to localites) you will be left in awe of its beauty.

The name itself gives you an idea of how it might look and thats how even we could figure out that we finally reached the correct point.

Here I have no map or directions to give for this place because once you search for it on Google maps it will leave you on the mail road and then the journey is yours to explore it.

There are few more places that you can visit are Chehni kothi, Jibhi Tree house, Sirlosar lake.

Where to stay?

Jibhi being a new hotspot for the travellers and with gaining popularity have a lot of great options in terms of hostels, cottages and home stays.

My experience with Whooper hostel was just incredible. The property in itself is a wonderland that you won’t even think of going out of the premises.

This hostel has geodesic dome like dorms which is one of a kind and I got to know about this place when it was not even opened and made up my mind to stay here once this opens up and so I stick to my plan and did exactly what I had to.

The ambience, the location and all the things about this hostel is an experience altogether.

You think of stargazing, waterfall, greenery and this hostel has everything to amuse you.

If you’re in Jibhi make sure you do give a chance to yourself to stay here and make your trip one memorable one.

With this I come to and end in sharing my experience and itinerary with you.

My trip to Parvati valley with my friends was one epic experience because of the things we did and the things we got (during covid times) from there. I had the best time of my life in knowing my friends and myself better.

Travel always gives you more chances in knowing yourself better. Even if you go through toughest of times, just remembering your travel days makes it easier to go through and pass through. It gives extraordinary strength and let you live happily.

“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you.” – John Muir

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