Kasol & Manikaran - A Budget Traveler's Guide ! - HER TRAVEL TALES

Kasol as most of us know is a popular backpacking destination among-st youth these days. No, not only because of 'maal' or 'weed' but because of its exquisite and breathtaking views. The sound of the river mixed with the sound of the wind.. ah.. so amazing and peaceful. You will forget every bad thing that ever happened to you if you spend sometime here especially river side. It is located in district kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. (Don't get confused between Kasol and Kasauli, they both are different places). It is situated in Parvati Valley on the Banks of Parvati River, on the way between Bhuntar (31.2 km) and Manikaran (5 km). After reading this post, I hope you will get almost all the information you need to plan your trip. Not only I will provide you with every detail but also a plan for budget traveling for Kasol - Manikaran and Kheerganga (to be covered in next post) in just Rs. 4000-4500.

It's a great choice for new travelers, mountain and peace lovers and for short weekend trips. Kasol is easily commutable by Delhi. If you are going by your own transport, great but for other people I will suggest to book a Volvo from Delhi to Bhuntar either by Red Bus/ Paytm/ HRTC whichever app you rely on. (Bus Fare Rs.1200 approx per person). Travel time would be around 8-9 hours.

After Reaching Bhuntar, take a Local Bus to Kasol which will take another hour or two to reach your destination. (Bus Fare Rs.50 approx per person)

Once you have Reached your destination, What's the next step?

There are a lot of options available from hotels, guesthouses, hostels and camps to stay. It all depends upon your comfort, budget and choice. We chose a guesthouse near river side. But I would definitely suggest you to experience stay in hostels if you are solo or with a group of friends as they are cheap and more fun.

List of Some Hostels In Kasol: (Cost: 500 rs to 1000 rs per night)

1. The Hosteller Kasol (Location: The Hosteller, Behind Blue Diamond Hotel, Old Kasol)

2. Nomads Hostel (Location: Village Chojh, Chojh Bridge Kasol, Manikaran Road)

3. Cirrus "Somewhere" in Parvati Valley (Location: Parvati Valley)

4. Bluemoon Kasol (Location: Manikaran Road)

5. Nice View Family House (Location: Old Kasol)

List of Some Budgeted Hotels/Guesthouses in Kasol: (Cost: 1000 rs to 2000 rs per night) 1. Alpine Guest House (It offers the Perfect River view as you can see in the picture)

2. Hotel River View

3. Sunrise Guest House

We love food more than anything right? Luckily, Kasol offer us Lovely Cafes with good music, nice ambience and tasty food.

Some of the Best Cafes in Kasol you should definitely try are: 1. Bhoj Cafe

Cuisine- Indian, Cafe, Israeli, Vegetarian

Location- Manikaran Road

2. Mama's Cafe

Cuisine- Cafe, International, Asian, Israeli, Vegetarian

Location- Parvati Valley

3. The Evergreen Cafe

Cuisine- Indian, Pizza, Cafe, Middle Eastern, Israeli, International, Vegetarian

Location- Main road to Manikaran

4. Moon Dance Cafe

Cuisine- Italian, Indian, Cafe, Fast food, Israeli, Vegetarian

Location- Main Market

5. ‎Namaste Cafe

Cuisine- Indian, Cafe, Vegetarian

Location- Old Kasol Near Bridge and Holiday Home

Manikaran is just 5 km away from Kasol. You can again take a local bus which will take around 20 mins to reach. (Fare Rs. 10 per person). Manikaran is famous for its hot water spring and the history behind it. Go experience the power and presence of God and take a bath there. Any trip is incomplete without God's blessings.

Next to Gurudwara is another Temple and a market that you can explore.

Though every place and trip is special for me in someway but this trip was a crucial one. This was my first time in mountains and No i wasn't solo this time. I was going through an emotional breakdown the reason I wanted this trip to happen badly because I knew only Travel can make me happy. Lot's of ups and downs came but it was finally a success. Just imagine, 12 am in the night you are sitting at a cafe riverside, darkness, no crowd, peace, light rain, the sound of the river, the blow of cold wind... yes I got that exact same feeling you can imagine right now. Don't wait, just pack your bags and go experience it.

Although, Kasol experiences a good weather throughout the year it's advised to not visit during Monsoon. So ideally one should visit during March to May and October to June.

But what I feel is it's better to avoid going Kasol or any other hill station in peak season so that you can enjoy Budget travel and solitude at the same time. I would definitely want to visit Kasol again but this time during the Kasol Music Festival. I am sure It's going to be crazy and fabulous.

In the end, your views are most important. Let me know in the comment section below what do you think about my journey and guide for budget traveling? Want me to add anything? Want to share your travel experiences with me? I will soon come up with something new. Till then, happy travelling ????