From the Bhunter airport in the picturesque Kulu valley, the short road to Manali is dramatic. The valley floor rises in a series of steps. The mountain walls close -in, and through great rents in them we see the rocky snow- capped peaks of the central Himalayan Range. The Beas river flowing beside the road changes in character, its gentle murmur turning into a deep-throated roar. Huge cedar trees give the upper reaches of the valley a hint of menace. 

Manali, at the head of the valley, is a picturesque little town. It has plenty of interesting walks around and above it. Terraced paddy fields and gentle wooded slopes rise easily to a world of snow and ice at 12,000 ft. At the village of Old Manali we meet friendly village folk who seem untouched by the 20th century. A drive up the winding road to Rohtang Pass (apx. 13,000 ft.) reveals breath-taking views of two dramatically different worlds. One to the south, lush green and inviting. The other, to the north, cold and bleak, a mauve and ochre wilderness of boulders, shale and icy peaks. 
 

Across the Rohtang Pass lies the dramatically contrasting Spiti Valley. Recently opened to foreigners, it is a treasure house of art and culture. Ask for extensions to the Spiti Valley and the 1,000 years old Tabo Monastery, often called the Ajanta of the Himalayas.