India Guide
Himachal Pradesh
Dominated by the great Himalayas in the north and east, HIMACHAL PRADESH (HP) is India's most popular and easily accessible hill state. Sandwiched between the Punjab and Tibet, its lowland orchards, subtropical forests and maize fields peter out in the higher reaches where pines cling to the steep slopes of mountains whose inhospitable peaks soar in rocky crags and forbidding ice fields to heights of more than 6000m.
Together with deep gorges cut by rivers crashing down from the Himalayas, these mountains form natural boundaries between the state's separate districts. Each has its own architecture, from rock-cut shrines and shikhara temples to colonial mansions and Buddhist monasteries. Roads struggle to connect the larger settlements, which are way outnumbered by remote villages, home to semi-nomadic shepherds.
The state capital, Shimla, lies beyond the lush and temperate valleys of Sirmaur. Once the summer location of the British government, it's a curious, appealing mix of grand homes, churches and chaotic bazaars, with breathtaking views.
Northwest from Shimla, a road climbs slowly to Mandi, north of which is Himachal's most popular tourist spot, the Kullu Valley, an undulating mass of terraced fields, orchards and forests overlooked by snowy peaks. Its epicentre is the continuously expanding tourist town of Manali – long a favourite hangout of Western hippies – set in idyllic mountain scenery and offering trekking, whitewater rafting and relaxing hot springs. Visitors to the densely populated Kangra Valley west of Manali invariably make a beeline for Dharamsala, whose large community of Tibetan exiles includes the Dalai Lama himself.
Finding guides and porters for treks is rarely difficult. The season runs from July to late November in the west, and to late October in the north and east. In winter, all but the far south of the state lies beneath a thick blanket of snow. The region north of Manali is accessible only from late June to early October when the roads are clear. Even in summer, when the days are hot and the sun strong, northern Himachal is beset with cold nights.
Highlights
1 Dharamsala This relaxing hill station, home of the Dalai Lama, is an ever-popular place for rest, meditation retreats and trekking.
2 Manali Travellers en route to Ladakh chill out at this honeymoon capital, enjoying Himalayan panoramas from flower-filled gardens.
3 Manali–Leh Highway The second-highest road in the world, passing through a vast wilderness.