Travelogue - River Run with the Hyundai Creta: Manali to Delhi

You can’t leave the Himalayas in just a few days. Three days after we landed in Leh, it’s time to drive to Delhi but before that, we have scheduled a ‘low altitude acclimatization day’ in Manali. Alright there’s no such thing but we wanted an easy day in the cafés of Manali, eating trout and much more. A pleasant surprise was the Lazy Dog lounge in Old Manali, a fantastic place to unwind with a drink, some live music and Sushi. The Beas flows besides ‘the Dog’ and the sound of the water hustling around the rocky river bed sets the mood for a long night.

It’s a short night for us though as our plan is to catch the sun rise over the Beas somewhere near Kullu, about 40km down the road. The Beas is in full flow all through and the roads empty for a brisk run all the way to Mandi. A river flowing all along the road is one of the most pleasing drives one can have. We leave the Beas at Mandi and continue driving south. After crossing over the Sutlej, NH21 takes you around Panchkula and Chandigarh and finally at Ambala, meets NH1. Once you get on NH1, the rest of the journey is quick. It’s time to bid goodbye to the beautiful mountainous landscape though. 

Dhabas along the highway and an easy entry into Delhi keep us energized. The next day, we will be driving to Lucknow via Agra so instead of staying in Delhi, we plan to stay at Greater Noida. A quick entry to the Yamuna Expressway will make the drive to Lucknow a lot faster.

Also read: Day 5 - Delhi to Lucknow