That one Tuesday afternoon I buried myself in the project work. My eyes were about to
doze off due to my laptop screen light. (No just kidding, I am in Pune and afternoon
sleep is mandatory as per the terms and conditions in Pune’s manual book)
I got a call from Ruchika. Though we do not speak daily, whenever we do it is a couple of hours-long conversation.
She ordered me that we are going to Manali. I was surprised to hear her reason; she
said, I saw your pictures on Instagram, you are roaming around everywhere hence I
know you will not say no to this trip. "Toh packing kar lo, hum jaa rahe hai"
What do I say?
She took care of the tickets, bookings, etc.
The highlight of the trip was to see snow and celebrate her birthday in Manali.
Read on to know if we were able to do both.
You are going to get some handy tips on shopping in Delhi and bargaining with
almost everyone in Manali. “Bahut loot machi thi yaar”
Ruchika and I started the journey from Pune.
Train journey: Pune-Nizamuddin Special AC train.
https://indiarailinfo.com/train/-train-pune-hazrat-nizamuddin-puja-ac-sf-special- 04417/30048/76/748
We met 2 other friends. Sneha and Yogini came from MP.
Places we visited: Delhi – Noida – Sarojini Market – Manali – Janpat Market – Delhi
A very warm and special thank you note to Usha and Karandeep who let us stay with
them in Noida. Cooked some delicacies for us.
Karandeep is a biker and a full-time working professional. You can connect with him
on https://www.instagram.com/kd_traveltales/ for some tips on bike rides to
Ladakh.
Part 1 of our travel was – SHOPPING in Delhi!
4 checklists ticked which I was dying to experience. Sirf stories suni thi dosto se.
1. Delhi Traffic
2. Delhi Metro
3. Delhi Food
4. Delhi Shopping
Sarojini Market:
You need to have a skill that salespeople already have in their blood. Bargaining
skills!
The things you get here are extremely good and they have loads of variety.
Can you believe me good woolen sweaters are only for rupees 100/200? You can
get your hands on some extremely good leather jackets by paying maximum rupees
400.
I bought some pretty “jhumkas” for Rs. 50/100 which we get for Rs. 150/200 in
Pune.
Tips:
1. The prices they throw at you are way higher than it is sold for. So be attentive
while shopping and save thousands of rupees! You can come back and thank
me later!
2. The easiest way of transport is the metro. Avoid Uber/Ola.
3. Check the clothes for major defects.
4. Carry a shopping bag with you always.
5. Keep change money so that once you are successful in bargaining you can pay
and leave the shop before the shop owner changes his mind.
I am writing another short article about our time in Manali. Link below:
Top 5 places to visit in Manali.
Part 2 of our travel was Manali. Ruchika had booked the travel package from
They took care of our entire journey from Delhi-to-Delhi.
Cost: INR 5500/- per person (which was a pretty good deal)
Inclusions: Return bus tickets from Delhi-Manali-Delhi, 3-star hotel stay in Manali,
breakfast-lunch-dinner, internal travels in Manali
The bus was in good condition and none of us suffered from motion sickness.
The hotel, hotel staff, and food were nice. The view from the hotel room was
splendid.
As the climate was cold (not bearable for people like us), we asked for hot drinking
water n number of times. The hotel staff was polite enough to provide it all the time.
Link to the hotel: https://www.harmonyhotelmanali.com/ (heater and electric kettle
was not provided which is very important if you are traveling during winters)
They charge Rs. 400/night for a heater.
They had provided a hatchback car and driver who used to inform the timing and
places to be visited for the day.
We took a bus from Delhi Metro station at 5:00 PM. Reached Manali the next day
morning around 8:00 AM. It was a semi-sleeper Volvo bus.
Hold on tight, because our adventure is far from over. Part 2 takes us to the magical land of Manali, where we surrender ourselves to the beauty of the mountains. With a well-planned travel package in hand, we hop on a bus and embark on a breathtaking journey. The hotel, the food, the views—everything is splendid, except for the bone-chilling cold that makes us crave hot drinking water like it's liquid gold. But fear not, the hotel staff comes to our rescue with their warm hearts and endless supply of piping hot water.
So, my fellow wander lusters, buckle up and join us on this rollercoaster ride through Delhi and Manali. It's a tale of friendship, laughter, and epic shopping conquests. Just remember to pack your bargaining skills, a shopping bag, and a hefty dose of sarcasm. Trust me, you'll need it. Happy travels!
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