Manali Sanctuary, Manali

Manali Sanctuary, Manali

Manali has been the tourist hotspot for over a decade now. It is a place which has shown a lot of people new hopes and new ways of life. The mighty mountains of Manali will remind you to be humble and calm. There are a lot of tourist destinations in and around Manali, One of them being the Manali wildlife sanctuary which is a home to rich and exceptional flora and fauna. The sanctuary is about 2km away from Manali. It accommodates a great amount of healthy green foliage like deodar, kail, horse chestnut, walnut and maple forests and Animals like musk deer, monal, brown bear, leopard and snow leopard are commonly found here. Apart from the exquisite biodiversity, the sanctuary offers trekking and camping as well for backpackers and solo travelers who are looking for some lone time. The entire sanctuary is peaceful and quiet.

Location-

The sanctuary is located in Kullu district of Manali approximately 2km from the main city.  It is rather easy to reach the sanctuary as one can easily get a taxi, cab or local commute to reach there or you can simply walk.

Opening hours-

The sanctuary is open all year long for an entire day, so anyone can visit anytime as per their convenience.

Entry fee- 10 INR per person

Opening hours- 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m every day

How to reach

Since decades manali has been the top notch place for honeymooners and travelers and since a long time it has seen all kinds of tourists, it is not that difficult to reach manali, one can reach by

By road- road tripping to the hill stations will never get old, it gives immense pleasure having to see the elegant mountains along with the gorgeous landscapes, the never ending trail of trees along the wayside, chasing the moon in the night and witnessing the beautiful sky as you drive.

By train- one of the cheapest and convenient way to reach manali is by train, the crowded coaches filled with your family and friends is a part of enjoying a journey.

By bus- another cheap way to reach manali is by bus.

By air- one can also reach manali by air, the nearest airport from manali is kullu-manali airport which is approximately 51km away from the main city.

Major tourist attractions-

Trekking- the sanctuary provides an opportunity for its travelers to get a break from the mundane life and explore the nature by trekking through the alpine forests. The trek is packed with a divine view of the high lands that is beguiling and hypnotizing and the plenteous frondescence that will fill up your soul. If you are lucky enough might end up witnessing a few exceptional creatures along the way. The khaniyal waterfall is like an ending treat for the trekkers, the waterfall is magnificent.

Camping- the sanctuary also has a camping site that allows the backpackers to grasp the true beauty of nature. The camp site goes along the calm river and gives the utmost satisfaction to the campers.  

Bird watching- manali sanctuary is famous for its wildlife and biodiversity; a lot of tourists come here every year to see different kinds of wild animals and birds. The sanctuary has been the home to these animals for a long time. One can spot koklass pheasant, snow pigeon, chakor, western tragopan, and tree creepers and many more exotic birds in the sanctuary

Best time to visit-

The manali sanctuary is open all year long, so one can visit anytime; the weather is cold and chilly throughout the year. In summers people get-away to manali for some chilly and cozy weather and in winters the snow-cap Mountains steals everyone’s heart.

Food eateries-

There are a lot of good café in manali, since it sees a great deal of tourists from all over India; manali offers all kinds of cuisines for every taste. While it offers all kinds of cuisines people still enjoy a hot bowl of Maggie and a cup of chai in the hills.

·         The Johnson’s café- located in old manali, the place is famous for continental food.

Opening hours- mon-tue (9am- 11:00pm)

                             Wed-sun (9am- 11:30pm)

·       Café 1974- it is located in Tibetan colony.

Opening hours- mon-tue, thu- sun (12noon- 11pm)

                             Wed (7am- 11pm)

·         Drifters café- it is also located in old manali

Opening hours- mon-sun (9am- 11pm) 

Travel story-

Being a nature and a wildlife lover, the manali sanctuary is a heaven. I had a dream of visiting the manali sanctuary for a long time but couldn’t find the right company to go, so after many failed attempts I decided to go by myself and undoubtedly it was one of the best decisions of my life. The sanctuary not only has an abundance of biodiversity, it also offers a chance for the tourists and solo travelers to explore the nature in its true sense. I had the entire trip planned; I wanted to see the wilderness of the sanctuary and was hoping to spot some wild animals as well. I camped all night before trekking the next day as I saw the twilight slowly creeping over me, the only thing that kept me awake was the thought of trekking. I was excited and looking forward to my excursion. The next day I was ready to explore the beautiful trails and kept myself alerted in hope of spotting a wild animal, as I went along the trail, I saw a barking deer, it was dead silence. The deer was drinking water from a canal. That quiet moment in the wilderness of the lush green mountains, the tranquility of the forest while the only sound was of the deer drinking water in peace, it was a sight in itself. I tried capturing it with my camera but was afraid would miss it with my own eyes, so I just sat there glaring at it as if there is no other existence on the planet and the entire scene outmatched all the paintings in the world. It was a beauteous and memorable sight.