Manali is a small to medium sized town located in the northern Indian State, Himachal Pradesh. It sits in a beautiful river-divided valley surrounded by a dramatic backdrop of Himalayan peaks. Manali is a highly popular tourist destination for both Indians and international travelers due to its remarkably scenic setting and temperate climate.

There is plenty for the adventurous tourist to do in Manali. Aside from a great selection of rock climbing pursuits, many come to Manali for day hikes, temples/history, backpacking, hang gliding and mountaineering.

As far as rock climbing is concerned, Manali has a good selection of bouldering, sport and trad climbs. Unfortunately, there appears to be no singular source that has documented the climbing opportunities in Manali to any great detail. However, there are many local Indian climbers/guides who will be happy to tell you where to go and what to climb. On this page I will try to record what little I know of the area in the hopes that it will encourage future visits and furthered the awareness of the area.

Lodging/food: estimated roughly, you can live very comfortably for about 20-25 USD a day. However, it would be easy to live in Manali for much less. During the 'on' season (i.e., summer time) budget hotel rooms cost 12-15 USD per night. I will note that these price are subject to change according to the will of the hotel owner.

As is typical of India, food costs very little, with most meals costing less than 5 USD. If you have a fairly tough gut and/or are okay with a simple diet you can eat for much less.

Generally speaking, buses are arguably the best way to get around India as a foreign traveler on a budget. This is at least true of Manali. Thanks to its popularity, you will not have a hard time (by Indian standards) finding buses to take you to Manali from any major North Western city. In my own case I took a overnight bus from New Delhi which costed me only around 20 USD.