Eye-Popping Drive: Shimla-Manali

After spending two to four days in the Shimla area, consider driving on to Manali via Mandi and Kullu—this trip (260 km) takes about six hours and is one of the most enjoyable drives in the region. The route curves a fair bit for the first two hours, past bright-green terraced fields, but once it reaches the banks of the Beas River, near Mandi (156 km), the road straightens out and the scenery grows steadily more spectacular. As the road, NH-21, approaches the Kullu Valley it wanders beside the emerald-green Beas between impossibly steep mountains and gorges dotted with traditional mud-and-brick Himachali homes with slate roofs. The regions on the opposite side of the river, bordering Spiti, are incredibly remote—their only form of transport is the basket, a sort of manual cable car that runs from mountaintop villages down to the road. During the monsoon season (July and August), waterfalls drop from the peaks high above. This road was built largely with the labor of Tibetan refugees after their exodus in 1959; they were employed by the Indian government to pave the way north for army convoys.

As you approach Kullu, snow-covered peaks pop up on the horizon, and you start to pass apple orchards and traditional wooden dwellings. After March, the apple trees flower—apples are a major cash crop in this area, and apple-flavor liquor is popular with locals. You might see some Angora rabbit farms, too, as their hair is used to weave shawls. Locals are colorfully dressed in traditional pattus (robes) and Himachali topis (hats). Stop in Kullu, a thriving market town, to take in a bit of local color. Kullu shawls, in solid colors with distinctive borders, are cheap here and can be found in practically every shop in town. Nice examples are available for well below Rs. 1,000.

On the outskirts of town is the Bhuttico (Bhutti Colony, Bhuntar, Kullu. 1902/260-049), the showroom for the work of the Bhutti Weavers Cooperative Society. Gagan Shawl Industries (Bhutti Colony, Bhuntar, Kullu. 1902/265-325) sells shawls and more.

Manali is 42 km (26 mi) beyond Kullu. After 21 km (11 mi), turn right off the highway at Patlikuhl, toward Nagar. As the road ascends, the slopes are forested with pines and deodar, and herds of sheep graze on the mountains.

Ten kilometers (6 mi) before Manali, you'll reach the hamlet of Jagat Sukh, a cluster of typical Kullu Valley homes that gives you an idea of what Manali was like before tourists. In these two-story dark-wood houses, livestock is kept on the ground floor while the family lives upstairs. Handlooms whir in many homes, weaving colorful pattus. Have a look at the ancient-looking Shiva temple, with its age-old deity, in the heart of the village—according to a local,"It must be 500 years old, but don't ask the priest. He'll tell you it's over 1,000 years old."