Plannig to go to Shimla- Manali between 22nd Nov and 30th Nov

kaizer

Hi Guys,
I am planning a trip with my wife to Shimla and Manali between 22nd November and 30 November.
I have planned on the following itenary. Please provide me inputs on this:

1.22nd November - Reach Chandigarh at around 4pm and immediately leave for Shimla by bus. Reach Shimla at night. Hotel Stay planned : Honeymoon Inn.

2. 23rd November - Half day trip in and around Shimla.

3. 24th November - a whole day trip to Kufri and surrounding points of attraction.

4. 25th November - (little unsure on this) should i leave early in the morning from Shimla and reach Manali at night or leave Shimla in the evening and reach Manali the next day morning. Also not sure if i would get luxury buses both during the morning or evening to go to manali.(Is road travel safe at night?)

5. 26th November - Stay in Manali at Hadimba Hotel.

6. 27th Novmeber - Full day trip to Rohtang Pass.

7. 28th November - Trip to neighbouring places of site seeing around Manali
8. 29th November - Leave Manali to go to Chandigarh by luxury bus and reach Chandigarh by evening.

9 30th November - catch a train from Chandigarh to Mumbai.

Note:
1. Also please provide your reviews on the hotels mentioned above in which i plan to stay.

Thanks in Advance.

kaizer

1 more thing that i would like to know... As i am staying in Mumbai, any booking that i need to make in Henoeymoon Inn, it is via internet. Whereas there is a HPDTC office in mumbai where we can get booking done.

Concern:
I tried to search for the offcial website of Honeymoon Inn where i could do my bookings but could not find any. Instead there were some other websites through which i can do the booking? Is it advisable to that?
This is the very reason i am in a fix between choosing a private Hotel or going for a HPTDC hotel.

Please help.
Thanks

OrangeStreet

I assume you must have been directed to websites like Makemytrip.com, Yatra.com, Travelguru, Travelmasti.com etc.

I have booked hotels through MakeMytrip and Travelguru as well as through HPTDC and both are reliable and safe.

As a matter of fact, I find Makemytrip, Travelguru etc a better bet as they have clear-cut cancellation and refund policies and cancellations/modifications can be done either online or phone. HPTDC doesnt have a customer care center nor the cancellations are as easy.

OrangeStreet

Hi Guys,
I am planning a trip with my wife to Shimla and Manali between 22nd November and 30 November.
I have planned on the following itenary. Please provide me inputs on this:

1.22nd November - Reach Chandigarh at around 4pm and immediately leave for Shimla by bus. Reach Shimla at night. Hotel Stay planned : Honeymoon Inn.

It should take 2-3 Hours to get to Shimla from Chandigarh. May be more depending on Traffic and Roads. You can plan on spending the evening in Chd and visit Pinjore Garden, Rock Garden etc and catch the toy train for Shimla from kalka the next morning. Just a suggestion.

2. 23rd November - Half day trip in and around Shimla.

3. 24th November - a whole day trip to Kufri and surrounding points of attraction.

Try visiting Chail if you have time. You can cover Kufri on 23rd as its not too far from Shimla to be honest.

4. 25th November - (little unsure on this) should i leave early in the morning from Shimla and reach Manali at night or leave Shimla in the evening and reach Manali the next day morning. Also not sure if i would get luxury buses both during the morning or evening to go to manali.(Is road travel safe at night?)

Road from Shimla to Manali isnt the best road that I have travelled on. I would definitely not recommend travelling in the night on this road. Advise you to start early in the monring from Shimla and enjoy some scenic beauty. You should reach manali by early evening as it takes about 7-8 hours usually. No luxury buses to go to Manali from Shimla. There are so-called Deluxe Buses by HRTC but I wouldnt term them 'deluxe'. You can hire a cab if you're looking for a more comfortable journey

5. 26th November - Stay in Manali at Hadimba Hotel.

I think you mean Hadimba Cottages. They are usually closed in off-season. Reception for HPTDC is in the log huts area next to Snow Valley Resorts and bang opposite Log Huts/Orchard Huts. You will need to go there with your reservation document and they will get you the keys. Hadimba cottages are usually closed. HPTDC office will therefore accomodate you in Orchard Huts for the same price. If all of the Huts are taken, Then they usually have hadimba cottages open and you would be staying there. Orchard Huts are way better than cottages. Check this link for pics -

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/renegade.punk/Manali

I know about HPTDC offering Orchard Huts because thats what happened to me when I went in July. I had booked Hadimba Cottages and I was told by HPTDC Manager that they dont open Hadimba Cottages in off-season. So those who book them are usually accomodated in Orchard Huts(4000/night) for the price of Hadimba Cottages (2000/night) as long as Orchard Huts are available. If not, they make you stay in Hadimba as per your usual booking. In peak season, when orchard huts are usually booked, They open Hadimba cottages as well.


6. 27th Novmeber - Full day trip to Rohtang Pass.

I'm quite certain you wont be able to visit Rohtang in Nov-End. The farthest you'd be able to go is Solang and/or Kothi.

7. 28th November - Trip to neighbouring places of site seeing around Manali

Please visit Naggar castle and Roerich Art Gallery. I recommend Art Gallery to everybody. Its one of the best places of its own kind in India

8. 29th November - Leave Manali to go to Chandigarh by luxury bus and reach Chandigarh by evening.

9 30th November - catch a train from Chandigarh to Mumbai.

Note:
1. Also please provide your reviews on the hotels mentioned above in which i plan to stay.

Thanks in Advance.

OrangeStreet

I havent stayed at Honeymoon Inn myself yet so I cant give you any first-hand review.

However, here are some reviews from TripAdvisor

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Revi...l_Pradesh.html

kaizer

Hey Thanks a lot buddy!!!
It was very informative.

OrangeStreet

You're welcome

nileshgattani

Hi Guys,

I am working in Bangalore, and planning for honeymoon trip in Manali from 25th Nov to 30th Nov 2008.
Please let me know following info :-
1) How will be the climate that time ? will it snow ?
2) Which bus is better from Delhi to manai ? Volvo or NonAC 2x2 ?
3) Any suggestion for, which travels bus should I take ?
4) How to book taxi for Manali site seeing ?

Thanks in Advance

vmehra24

I should advise skipping Kufri. It could be muddy with all those horses that go up in a narrow lane and there is a slippery stretch where they dismount you from the horses and you need to climb 100 yards yourself. It is even more dangerous when you need to climb down on this stretch.
We were fortunately helped by some Army jawans otherwise it might have ended badly with us-to navigate this stretch with a small child.

tsk1979

I would suggest, do not book.
Its off season. Bargain, you will get amazing rates.
Online booking is best with HPTDC hotels.
Most value for money

__________________
good morning

vistet

Often out , in no way certain : in 2006 for example traffic was running over the Rothang until heavy snowfall on December 6th.

__________________
high road to ..

OrangeStreet

I was talking about this year.. it snowed Mad in October so chances of it being open in Nov end are pretty slim.. but as you've rightly put it, Nothing is uncertain..

vistet

and in September ... but the road was open again shortly afterwards. Check out my blog for the passage over the Baralacha La in end-October. Voyager61 went over the Rothang from Kaza after that , less than two weeks ago methinks.

vistet

Went back to check the date : voyager61´s post was from Nov 5th in the Trip to Spiti thread, and worth quoting :

"Travelled from kaza to Manali yesterday with some locals and we could only agree that the road is better now than it was in summer,very little water and ice,so if the weather stays good it will be open for a while more.The worse part is as usual before and after Rothang,especially the manali side, but buses from and to Keylong are running and will do so until 15 November."

rishisood

hay vistet....howz the whether in Manali....and how about the snow ....is it snowing at the higher places in Manali
and if you are in Manali can you please let me know the snow conditions especially on Chandrakhani and Places above jagatsukh 18 km from Manali