General Info

The Kullu valley and, to a lesser extent, the Parbati valley, have always been a popular place to hang out and take in some mountain scenery. Recent tourist spillover from the political violence in Kashmir, however, has had a profound effect on the valley and Manali, in particular, has developed rapidly, threatening the valley's peaceful and unhurried atmosphere.

The Kullu valley, about 80 kms long and often less then 2 kms wide, rises northward from Mandi at 760m to the Rohtang La at 3980m, the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti. The Kullu and Parbati valleys, from Mandi to Manali, are serviced by the airport at Bhuntar, 10 kms south of Kullu town. The high season is mid-April to mid-June, mid-September to early Noveber, Christmas and new year.

Castle Hotel : It provides the best views, certainly the best atmosphere in the village and the food is pretty good.
Poonam Restaurant : It has vegetarian food and a great location in the shadow of the Vishnu hotel.
La Purezza Italian Restaurant : Situated in the village on the main road, at the start of the road up to the castle, serves authentic pasta dishes.

Private airlines flies to/from Delhi and also links Bhuntar with Shimla. There are several buses to Shimla, Mandi and Delhi. The HPTDC runs daily buses in season to Dharamsala, Manali, Shimla, Delhi and Chandigarh.