Markha Valley

Manali - Dharamsala

Home of the Dalai Lama, and the heart of all things Tibetan in India, Dharamsala is an excellent place to wind up a trip, especially if you’ve spent time in Ladakh and Spiti. From Manali a lovely backroad climbs high along the right bank of the River Beas, through the wooden and slate houses of Naggar and Jagatsukh before dropping down to Kullu and the main highway. From Bhanjar, take another backroad (again, a high road) to Drang via Kandi. Instead of the traffic of the main road, this route spirals up through terraced hillsides, above buffalos cooling off by the river, and chillis and sweetcorn drying in the sunshine. From Drang, the main road rolls its way across a series of valleys before dropping down to the vast Kangra plain, which stretches to the horizon. Dharamsala lies above this on a ridge, and the colourful McLeod Ganj, where most travellers stay, is another 9km further up the hillside. The 235km ride took us 3 1/2 days. We left Manali well after lunch, reluctant to say goodbye to the Phuntsok cafe without another Lhasa thukpa, or slice of walnut cake... There are hotels at Bhuntar (66km) and Palampur (200km). For the second night we drew a blank - so slept on the roof of a dhaba at Kunnu.

Spiti Valley

Manali-Leh