Manali is certainly heaven on earth. One cannot feel any closer to mother nature than what one feels in Manali.
One of my first trips to the North was to Kullu Manali. We took a flight to Delhi and then to Kullu and had to travel the rest of the distance by car. The flight from Delhi to Kullu was a 14-seater plane and had most of us air sick because the pilot kept encircling the mountains to avoid the pouring clouds over Kullu. But once you survive that and step out of the plane it is pure bliss. Unfortunately photography at that airport is banned. The other option is to travel to Chandigarh and the distance by road from there is some 6 odd hours.
The rest of the trip to Kullu and then to Manali has to covered by road and is a good 2 hour drive. The mountainous terrain leaves you speechless especially if you are someone who has been born and brought up in Mumbai.
Manali has a variety of resorts with varying budgets for one and all. The people are simpletons and very friendly.
The best time to go to Manali is in the winters. The early morning fog and the evening chill are quite an experience in itself.
The best way to traverse through Manali is on bicycles. In case you have vertigo then you can also hire a car and dare not look sideways. But otherwise trekking or cycling are quite enjoyable.
Rohtang Pass is one of the key places to visit while there. It is the highest point that provides a panoramic view of the mountains. One can also enjoy the various sports adventures like para-gliding and air-balloon among others.
Yet another famous spots to visit are the Hadimba temple and the hot water spring.
Shopping for shawls, carpets and other specialities can be done in the Kullu market.
But most importantly if one needs to unwind and lose that stress and breathe pure oxygen, Manali is the place.