7 Things to know before you visit Himachal How to Prepare.

You must've heard about Himachal from everyone around you. Some people keep on talking about it while some just ask you never to visit it.

I know the answers for it.

The reason is, Beauty comes with a price.

LOW ON BUDGET? Click here to see how to visit Spiti in less than 7k INR!

Now here we aren't talking about the actual money but many other factors which will be discussed further in the post. I'll try to keep it as simple as possible but it ain't my fault if you do not follow the link.

Just kidding, the reasons would be simple and by the end of the post you will have realized if you wish to visit this beautiful state or not.

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1. One part of Himachal is easy and the other is tough.

It's pretty simple to understand why places on the western side of Himchal are relaxing to visit.

a. Places like Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and so many other are a paradise for the quick traveler. There are lesser roadblocks. The road connections are way better than the Eastern side of Kaza.

b. Plenty of hotels, restaurants are available on almost every corner in the cities. Lot of places for the shopping lovers and a lot of activities which you can opt for.

Now onto the Eastern side and why is it tough

a. Thing get little tough here because there are actual roads until some good places but after a point you will find bumpy dirt roads. Although BRO (Border Roads Organisation) has done a fascinating job and they maintain the roads regularly.

b. Once you go deeper into the eastern side and leave Reckong Peo, unless and until you arrive in a good town/village there is NOTHING for shelter. There are some roadside hotels (dhabas) which have the basic things like food and they even offer place to stay. The only place you will find good hotels, hostels, restaurant is Kaza. In the rest of the villages you will find homestays, which is great if you're into the natural experience (that's the best in my opinion because this way the locals have a little bit of more earning).

Take a look at the map of Himachal on Google maps and just foll0w the road. you'll be surprised to see that the entire state has just one road which goes around like a ring. (That's because the Pin Parvati range is right in the center)

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2. Make yourself ready mentally and physically

One of the most important reason why people might hate/love the state is because of its rough terrain and the weather. If you ever want to know what it feels like to get a sunburn while shivering due to cold, go visit Spiti. Getting accustomed to the altitude is REALLY IMPORTANT.

People rush because they have lesser days in hand and decide to take everything fast. Never ever do so. A good 10-15 days are needed to visit the eastern side and the same goes if you want to explore the western side.

However there is an advantage if you're visiting places in western side like Manali, Shimla or the nearby ones. Because of the better road network, you may visit one of these places for 4-5 days.

The eastern side is like an adventure, Once you're in, you have to take the whole deal or just run back. That's because of the only one highway that runs through all these places.

Many people experience headaches, dizziness, nausea due to altitude sickness. If you're one of them, always keep Diamox tablets with you.

Keep yourself hydrated. I once trekked for 13kms from the Kibber to Gette to Key only to realize that i forgot to drink enough water and had a swollen throat for 2 days. It was bad, followed by slight fever and cough.

View from the Gette village

Whenever you are visiting mountains, always keep the above mentioned things in mind.

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3. Double check your luggage weight

High altitude = Less oxygen = Shortness of breath.

I already knew this but realized it better when I was calculating every gram of my backpack while taking every one step ahead. Electronic gears take the most weight. Cameras, batteries, chargers, portable chargers. Although they are essential in today's world so we cannot just omit them out but that extra weight needs to be taken care in other ways. Here are some tips on how to manage the weight of your bag.

a. Clothes are the second important thing. There are people who have lived for years on road with 2-3 Tshirts and 2 pair of pants.

So, For men: 2-3 Tshirst, 2 pair of shorts, one full pant (type of that pant depends on you), maybe a jean, 4-5 undergarments, one sweatshirt/hoodie, a down jacket if you're visiting very cold regions, 4-5 pair of socks and one pair of flip flops in case your shoes give up at any point.

For Women: 2-3 pair or tshirts, in place of shorts you may replace it with yoga pants, again maybe a jean, and the rest goes same. Include scarfs if necessary and you like carrying one, as it can be used for multiple purposes.

Next thing is food. Carry only enough food/snacks which are enough for a day, depending on the place you are visiting. If you are trekking for days, of course this changes. But always stay dependent on the local food and keep some chocolates or power bars for emergency.

Tents, sleeping bags are completely on your choice as it depends on what kind of trip are you taking.

Keep one small 10-20L bag folded in the main bag for emergency.

Important tools include a needle, thread, zip ties, fevikwik glue or araldite, duct tape.

Hygiene things include a small soap which costs maybe 5-10 rupees, a face wash, toothbrush and other stuff.

Medicines include Diamox, Paracetamol tablets, band aids, cotton, an antiseptic cream, wound healing cream, small bottle of anti fungal powder and anything else prescribed to you by your doctor.

Hydration bags work best as a secondary bag

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4. Carry entertainment along the way

This part will be short because this totally depends on the type of person who is visiting.

Keep movies with you if you are a movie person. Same goes for songs.

Carry books which give you motivation.

These things are the most neglected but play a very important part because sometimes when you're emotionally low and maybe alone, the above 3 things will help you find your way out of it.

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5. Never underestimate the mountains, have a backup plan.

Whenever you are making a plan, keep 2-3 extra days if traveling to Spiti, Kinnaur and 1-2 extra if traveling to Manali, Shimla.

There are landslides frequently and if not, sometimes parts of the mountains are blasted if the organizations find a specific part prone to slide away on the road. The usual blockage time is from morning 10-2pm so buses or any private vehicles have to stop for hours before they can pass the blockage

If you have your own vehicle then its much better but make sure you are accustomed to bumpy roads and so are the people traveling with you. Long distance buses in and out of Himachal and buses from one major city to another are only a few times and the case isn't different when it comes to visiting small villages. Some villages get only 1-2 buses a day and you have to be there at the time specified. If you're traveling from Spiti to Manali make sure you ask the local bus drivers if the Rohtang pass is open or not. Because if not, then you have to go back all the way you came in.

6. Things you need to keep in mind if you are taking your own vehicle

a. There are times when the only available space is a few centimeters with the valley one one side and a bus on the other. If you think you cannot drive though such a tight space, especially if you're on the valley side, take the car to the nearest turn/bent. Many turns have extra space which are specially kept for stopping the vehicles in order for the other one to pass.

Photo of 7 Things to know before you visit Himachal! How to Prepare. 1/1 by Anant Patankar — me on top of the bus when we had to wait for 2 hours due to a puncture.

b. Do not let your vehicle hit reserve, Any kind of vehicles burn a little bit of extra fuel in such areas due to the upward and downward slopes. Once in reserve, you vehicle will pull all the junk settled in the bottom of the tank leading to many problems.

c. Keep tools handy, extra tyre and a good insurance.

d. Trust the bus drivers. Himachal bus drivers are one of the best I've ever come across. Most of them would not even use their mobile phones while driving and would just pass the phone to the conductor if they do get a call. That's because they know what would happen if their mind is diverted for one single second.

e. Keep your over confidence aside. No matter how many years of driving experience you have, you never know which small pebble would make your tyre lose traction ending into something you never even though of.

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7. The most major tips to decide Yaay Himachal or Nay Himachal!

a. If you have an open mind and think think that you have the ability to blend in with the nature.

b. If you always believe that nature has the highest power but your will has the same strength. (even staying your hotel room might make you think you are out of breath, that's major altitude sickness)

c. If you do not have tight vacation plans. If the number of days are lesser than mentioned above, just plan for some place else or come back again when you have a bit more days.

d. Start eating vegetarian food at least 2 weeks before you visit Spiti, Kinnaur. Chickens are grown in Shimla and then transported to all the other cities. Only 1-2 small trucks come in for every 15-20 days, after which the chicken is cut and kept in cold storage for any amount of days. So it's better to stick to a veg diet for your entire trip.

e. If you really want to experience how beautiful nature can be and what does silence means.

I could go on and on telling you many things that's only because i have experienced how this beautiful land is. People call it barren but yet I keep on telling everyone that even barren can be beautiful.