Once called the "end of the habitable world," Manali is an important hill station of northern India and is the destination of thousands of tourists every year. Its cool atmosphere provides a perfect haven for the ones afflicted by the hot Indian summers. Besides offering quite a few places for sightseeing, Manali is also famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. In brief, Manali-the veritable "valley of the Gods"-is an ideal place for the ones in search of both adventure and comfort.

Manali is a beautiful hill resort in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is 40 kms away from Kullu, another popular hill station of North India.

A holiday package to Manali would most certainly include a tour of the major tourists spots in Manali. One of them being the Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa. Gompas are the Tibetan monasteries. This particular Gompa was built in the year 1969. It is a major tourist attraction of Manali because one can also buy woolen shawls and carpets here.

If you are willing to take a walk, then you can visit the Manu Temple. It takes a half hour walk up the hills to reach Manu Temple in the old Manali. It is believed that the first man on earth Manu, landed on this very spot after a great flood.

Another major tourist spot that feature in most tourists lists to manali is the Hadimba devi temple. It is about 1.5 kms from Main Mandi. It is in the midst of woods and is an extremely beautiful temple with a 4-tier pagoda shaped roof ad a doorway that has a lot of intricate carving and sculptures which depict legends and old Indian mythological characters. One can also take a tour to the Vashisht Baths. They are in a little village called Vashisht, on the banks of river Beas. The hot springs here are very popular with the tourists along with a temple dedicated to Lord Rama.

Manalil-Sites Nearby
21-km from Kodaikanal is located the picturesque spot of Berijam Lake. Considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes in South India, the lake covers an area of 24 hectares. The lake is star shaped and is known for its pure water.

Vaishisht, around 3 km from Manali, also boasts a pair of old stone temples, opposite each other above the main square. Dedicated to the local patron saint Vashista, the smaller of the two opens on to a partially covered courtyard, and is adorned with elaborate woodcarvings. Those lining the interior of the shrine, blackened by years of oil-lamp and incense smoke, are particularly fine. The temple tanks are underground hot-water/sulfur springs.