shimla and manali-can we pull this off

saraag

hi everyone ,i was planning on a trip to manali from hyderabad.we are group of 10 guys,the thing is that the idea of visiting manali just struck us.we only got a week or more to plan and prepare.so, i am seeking your valuable help in planning our trip.

we will get to delhi by train, but we are struck at deciding our next step.

should we take a train(if we can reserve)/bus to kalka and then the toytrain to shimla(is the toy train worth it? )

or should we take a direct bus to shimla.

we will probably arrive at shimla in the afternoon ,and stay there that day visit kufri and then start to manali by nextday afternoon.

we didn't make any reservations,can we still get into budget hotels? can any one plz suggest a midrange to budget hotel in shimla

here is our itinerary :

17th(porbably afternoon)-arrive at delhi station,start off to shimla
18th-shimla,kurfi
19th-start off to manali,manali
20&21-manali
22-delhi,start to hyderbad.

as i have earlier pointed out,we haven't reserved anything.will this pose any problem as it is summer now(we don't need any luxuries,just a clean place to stay).

will someone be kind enough to give me the phone# of good midrange hotels in shimla and manali.


and lastly how much (apporx) will this cost us?(we are bunch of students,so we need to know this before hand, our budget is 5000+ per head )

thnx in advance

nayan

from delhi take the overnight volvo to shimla. its quite comfortable. you can book the ticket over the net in the following site
http://www.sugamhimachal.org/hrtctickets/
you will reach shimla early in the morning.

saraag

thanks a lot for your reply

i'll book the volvo, can you please share your knowledge answering my other queries.

approx cost,can we get into hotels without booking,and any recommendations of hotels(we badly need some help)

and lastly do i also need to book the bus from manali to delhi(or can this be done when we get there)

thank you
saraag

nayan

Am also from hyderabad but not a student anymore
I had a nice trip to kinnaur and spiti in April. we went via Shimla. I have not much idea about manali.
you can read the first part of my trip report for info about hyderabad to shimla leg.
Trip report : kinnaur spiti tour - april 2008

shimla has scores and scores of hotels. I am sure you will get a better deal if you bargain on the spot rather than prebook.

In my opinion better to book the manali delhi ticket also in advance. i think you can book it from the same site.

saraag

read your post,very well written. looks like you got an author in you

we have just completed our engineering,so planned a tour to have some fun ..too bad everything here seems booked up (trains from hyd)


so i suppose you will not have an idea about the approx costs as yours was a bit diff.

can someone please give me an estimate ,will the 5000rs per head be enough.

thanks again nayan

AvidTrekker

Six days Delhi to Delhi for 5000 will barely just about cover costs.

A/C Volvo will be 2000 Delhi Shimla Delhi. Ordinary bus will be 1300 return. Go by ordinary bus if budget cant be increased.

Food for six days 1000 rupees. (this is very tight budget)

Local transport, (Manali Kufri etc) take around 1000 Rs.

1300 + 1000 + 1000 = 3300.

Leaves just 1700 for hotel rooms. You can get something for 400 to 500 per night for a double room, but it will be very basic.

Make your budget to 6000 per head and you will have some breathing space.
.
.

__________________
The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

KABAARY

With just about 4 days in hand (excluding travelling time), I suggest you skip Manali....Manali to Delhi is 14-16 hours & Shimla to Manali is 7 odd hours by bus - too much time spent in busses considering your limited travel time (I hate to say this though as I prefer manali over Shimla any day).

You can take a bus to Kalka or even all the way to Shimla..consider stopping over at Kasauli for a day if not going directly to Shimla. The toy train is worth it but tickets can be tough to get on the spot and it is a slow journey which may not be a good thing considering the limited time on your hands. Getting a seat on the Volvo at short notice could also be tough.

You should be able to manage a hotel without reservations...but I suggest you don't go directly from Delhi to Shimla as you would arrive late night (assuming you leave from Delhi in the afternoon) and would be too tired to have the energy to bargain.

Consider Delhi-> Kasauli->Shimla->Delhi (I'm skipping Chandigarh as I assume you wish to head straight for the mountains).

Oh by the way, as an august poster elsewhere recommended, consider buying the book "Shimla On Foot" by Raaja Bhasin whilst in Shimla and discover thereafter.

saraag

@AvidTrekker

thanks for the clear and informative reply,hmmm looks like we will be on a tight budget :-? our budget is actually 5000+1000(hyd to delhi&return)

but i do see what you mean

room for 4 days (3in manali,1 shimla)=2000/2=1000@head

3300+1000=4300/- this will be tight with only 700 margin.

and the no.of guys have increased to 13 :|(we have postponed the tour to 20th)

@KABAARY

thanks for the reply,but manali is our prime destination .we can skip shimla if possible :-? and yes our tour will have us mostly
traveling around (26hrs train from hyd/delhi )

anythoughts on kabarry's suggestion guys? will skipping shimla/manali help us?

AvidTrekker

Very sound suggestion from Kabaary.

Shimla is 7 to 8 hrs from Delhi, Manali is 14 hrs.

Spend less time travelling, more time enjoying.

saraag

thanks for the replies all,i am bit unlucky not to find this forum sooner.everyone is so helpful here

now i have to plan a trip for a bunch of other guys going to TN :-?(those guys are busy prep for visa interview and asked me to help :| )

vmehra24

Please do not visit Kufri. It is small, congested and also unsafe (in icy conditions). In Summer there would be very little to do.
As an outing from Shimla, Narkanda is much better.

saraag

thanks for the info,how is Narkanda like? is it nearer than kufri

and how will shimla and manali be in june(after 15th), we are trying to get some seats in ap express but its soo heavily booked.
we can only hope to get them before 21 or else we have to postpone our tour to june 15th

any ideas on how the proposed tour would be in late june ?


thanks in advance

rishabh6296

Narkanda is 65 km., 2 hr. drive from Shimla. Located at an altitude of 2700 M. ASL, with thick alpine forest and grand vista's from Hatu peak (further 7 km. ).