How to reduce cost of adventures at Kullu Manali?
Kullu Manali is mostly about Manali as all the tourist places to visit and adventures in the region are close to Manali. There are numerous adventures and things to do in Manali but at the same time you need to be cautious while spending because Manali has many unexpected expenses which you may regret post travel. If you are planning a trip to Manali , you need to be very careful to plan your trip in advance because a poor planning may cost you more and you may not enjoy the adventurous properly .
There are many places close to Manali mostly visited by tourists and there are numerous adventures offered at the place such as sulphur bath in manikaran , hot air balloon trip (cost Rs 500) close to Vashist temple , skiing (at Rohtang pass ), rafting (on the way to Manali from kullu) , paragliding (on the hills) , etc. The cost of rafting is Rs 2500 per couple (approx); cost of skiing can be Rs 600 + charge of clothes which can be over Rs 1000 for a person.
How to avoid spending heavily on skiing at Manali
The locals charge differently from differently people and you need to bargain for clothes and skiing. They can charge Rs 3500 for a group of six and Rs 2500 for a couple. The basic concept is Rs 500 to Rs 1000 for clothes of all the people in the group plus Rs 500 for the guide plus the cost of the skiing equipment per person. You should avoid buying the equipment at the base of mountains and take it at the place where the skiing is done.
There is another issue with skiing at Rohtang– if you are planning to go to Rohtang pass on a rental vehicle from nearby cities (Delhi or Chandigarh or Shimla) – the vehicle driver may or may not go beyond Solang, and you may have to hire a local vehicle which will charge upto Rs 500 per person to take you to Rohtang.It is due to the tricks applied by locals at the high altitude which forces the travellers to spend additonally on these things -- that most of the travellers can avoid. This adds to the total expense of clothes and guide and the skiing equipment to make it more than Rs 1500 per person. Since it is too much for skiing (which you may or may not enjoy at all at the high altitude) – you can even avoid the complete adventure and spend on something else.
There are many adventures other than skiing at Manali
Since there are many things which you can see and explore at Manali – you need to be cautious to wisely select the activities which you will enjoy the most and ensure you devote most of your time for one or two activities at one time while you are planning your trip. People who are not from the region tend to get tired easily and you cannot plan a trip to involve all the activities. If you are planning to go to Kullu Manali -- take a room in Manali (room at a hotel can cost around Rs 400 to Rs 800) and do not waste your time in Kullu. Secondly you need to bargain and be cautious not to overspend on any adventure.
The cost of moving across the river on rope at Manali park- Rs 100
Cost of clothes and skiing equipment + a guide – not more than Rs 2000 per couple (you can bargain the cost .Even in extreme season you get shoes and equipments for skiing at Rohtang Pass and the cost person to hire the ski equipment is Rs 600 at Rohtang Pass. Most of the locals will tell you to buy the clothes and hire the equipments at the start of journey up to the mountains but you should avoid it as it can be expensive).
Rafting (for a couple) on the way from Kullu to Manali - Rs 2500
Hot air balloon (close to Vashist temple) – Rs 500 per person
Para gliding (at Naggar road) – Rs 1500 per person
If you are planning to go from Manali you will have to follow different ways for Rohang Pass and Manikaran. So plan one place at one time. You can plan a trip of two to three days and select one or two adventures at one time to enjoy it at Manali.
Even trip to temples and Manali Park is worth spending money. Manali Park and Hidibma temple are two places where you can go for free of cost and enjoy great evening. There are many attractions at these two places.
You can plan to go to Manikaran – the place famous for hot sulphur bath and spend half of your day at Manikaran. From Manali it takes more than three to four hour to reach manikaran and if you planning to bath – you may enjoy sitting in the sulphur water for more than 30 minutes.
