First snow, like a panorama of joy, magically turned into reality, straight out of a fairytale! You have to witness it to believe it. Cameras surely have allowed us to capture scenarios and memories, but what the naked eye sees is unmatchable, and the ecstasy it brings cannot be put into words.

Manali holds a special place in my heart, in spite of that, I had never set my foot here during winter. Looking at pictures of first snow in Solang Valley on Instagram, temptation kicked in and I went for my first impromptu trip, which also happens to be the shortest trip till date with just a spread of twelve hours. First things first, as soon as I was done imbibing the vibe of this tiny heaven and reminiscing all those sugar sweet memories, I was outside the nomad’s love affair, People Cafe. All my favorite food places in Manali are listed here: Insta envy cafes in Manali where you can sip and binge under INR 500. However, most of the cafes are closed during the freezing winter months.

People Cafe

Time to combat the cold for the love of snow and amazing views of Solang Valley. It’s important to get wrapped up and put on real snow boots because wet feet at -1℃ will do no good with an added discomfort and shivers to divert attention from this winter wonderland.

When wanderlust collides with bone-chilling cold, the desire of the heart warms up the soul and the eyes thank your sheer passion to rejoice the wonders of nature. Been here in summer, and the place looks entirely different. Summer’s green valley has now turned into a canvas of snow with the brightest of colors failing to fade away this sheet of white magic!

Drives along snow-laden trees and the road as the only patch of a different color visible in the blanket of snow has to be the most beautiful drive. This is not going to fade away from my memory anytime soon.

What hill stations can do to us, people living in the plains is dangerous as we are left drooling over this beauty of mountains and a thirst that can never fully be quenched. So we are back here, time and again, just to fill our eyes with desires and take back cuppas full of memories, until next time.

P.S. This was a first no staycation. However, a complete itinerary of stay in Manali can be found here.

Follow on Instagram @strollbug for travel photo journal. Here is a little video from the prettiest drive through Solang Valley.