There are places that are remembered only by the natives as once-upon-a-time peaceful towns, there are also places that are completely free from human footprints. Then, there are places that have managed to keep up a remarkably brilliant balancing act. Manali is like that. It brings smiles to the faces of Chandigarh weekend boys, Kullu topi-clad locals, honeymoon couples, French mountaineers and party-making Israelis alike.

The modern maze

As popular legend goes, the sage Manu descended from his boat here to re-create human life after some rather catastrophic floods. Manali was thus named after him, and the Manu Maharishi Temple built on the spot where he meditated after saving the world. To the pleasure of different kinds of tourists, Manali is neatly divided into two parts—New Manali near the river Beas, and its old counterpart, Old Manali, on the far side of glacial melt-water river Manalsu.

New Manali is a more developed town, and needless to say, the Mall Road here is hemmed on both sides by countless travel agents and souvenir shops. Hordes of people arrive all the time to find peace or indulge in adventure sports. The Mountaineering Institute, also located here, conducts many rock climbing, trekking and skiing courses. However, for the more soft-hearted there’s always shopping. From Kullu shawls to small trinkets, New Manali is everything you expect from a typical mall road in any hill town. The local Tibetan Monastery offers incredible carpets and other Tibetan handicrafts. Top it all off with butter tea and Tibetan delicacies at Chopsticks, a restaurant on Mall Road, or delve into trout fish at Johnson’s Café, a short walk away.

The old and the beautiful

Kollam town has an opulent past. Known as Desinganadu in ancient times, this sea port had a sustained commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Later, there was even a flourishing Chinese settlement here. The Portuguese came here in 1502, and set up trade. Soon, the Dutch and the British followed. Kollam was one of the early centres of Christian activity in Kerala, the many fabulous churches – old and new are testimonials to that.

Old Manali, aptly named, is still the Real McCoy. This is the mountain village that saw some of the most beautiful blending of hedonism and spirituality. It is considered blasphemous to visit India and not stay in Old Manali, at least by people who are likely to be offended at going to shiny America and not driving along Route 66.

Old Manali is roughly a 2.5-km uphill walk from Mall Road. As you cross a small bridge and pass Circuit House, narrow pathways with familiar café menus scribbled on boards extend a warm welcome in the chilly weather. Season time spells ‘tourist’ out loud. People from all over the world—or at least Israel and some of the world—are seen walking to small shops. Toilet paper, bright bed sheets, colourful socks, beads, more toilet paper, woollen jackets, sling bags, second-hand books, still more toilet paper, and before you know it the grocery shop owner has started turning away people. He has an agenda—go home and get warm while watching TV with his children. Come off-season, as people head southwards to the beaches, the grocery lad shuts shop even earlier, around 8:00 p.m., and walks off. That is the charm of Old Manali. Couples and college kids might throng to New Manali, but Old Manali usually has just a single guesthouse with lights on. Dried up apple orchards impart a dream-like feel to the whole town. The usually busy cafés that have psychedelic paintings splashed on the walls, become street art displays deserving more than just a single glance through a camera lens. The moon lights up the nearby white mountains into silver peaks overlooking the silent streets. Replace the White Rabbit with black yaks and you could very well be walking in Wonderland. If the need to sightsee crops up, walk up towards Manu Temple or the pagoda-shaped Hadimba Temple. For little more, visit the Vashisht hot springs or secluded Naggar close by, with painter Roerich’s museum. A better option though, would be to shell out Rs 5 to enter the forest reserve and spend some time lost amongst the pine trees.

If isolated mountains are what you sincerely yearn for, all you have to do is choose the right time. Manali is a white castle during winter. Nothing like a comfortable adventure to put people in good spirits.