How to enjoy offbeat Manali according to India’s best travel bloggers

Okay! Let’s get a few things cleared before I move on with this post. First of all, I was super lazy in Manali. My offbeat Manali was real slow traveling during which I slept a lot, ate local food, drove around the hill station a bit and read my favourite books in the sun. Basically, it was like checking myself in a travel detox for 10 days and returning feeling re-energized and a few pounds heavier. So, if you want to enjoy Manali the old-fashioned holiday style, feel free to browse through my previous post on slow travel.

Forget the tried and tested hippie Manali trip

However, if you wish to be a bit more enthusiastic and enjoy this very jaded Indian hill station in a slightly non-mainstream way, then follow the footsteps of India’s most popular travel bloggers. These selected explorers will open your eyes on how to enjoy offbeat Manali and trust me, this bunch knows what they are talking about. Traveling is their oxygen and nobody does offbeat traveling like them. So here are offbeat Manali tips from India’s best travel bloggers. Please note that these are direct excerpts from their blog posts and not my personal opinion.

Recommended Read: Slow traveling in Manali, an old-fashioned holiday

Opt for a Himalayan spa treatment instead

If anybody in India can vouch that they have sold everything to travel, then it is this couple. Meet Sandeepa and Chetan, an Indian couple who travel for wanderlust and blog for leisure. They are my hands-down favourite and I am in love with their work. Their photography is brilliant and they explore for the sake of discovering. The highlights of Sandeepa and Chetan’s offbeat Manali things to do are to “listen to the Beas sing, pluck your own fruits, and cleanse yourself in the Himalayan spas”. Check out their blog for more information and you may also like their “Manali Kaza route to Spiti Valley“.

Go local, eat Himachali thali and explore the villages

Next on my list is a self-proclaimed bum who travels. His name is Shubham Mansingka and hardly anybody explores a place deeper than him. Shubham travels…correction…he wanders, days at a time, experiences the local life during off tourist season and you will find him braving the snow in Kaza in winter. So, when he compiles a list on offbeat Manali things to do, you better take note. This blogger writes his own experiences and all his tips are handpicked, tried, and tested. So, Shubham suggests “visiting the Rumsu village, having an authentic Himachali thali at Maniram’s Dhaba at the serene Jana Waterfalls which is a short detour from Naggar, hiking from Old Manali to Goshal and many more”. Check out his post for the complete curated list on “Finding the offbeat in Manali“.

Suggested Read: Taking it easy during our Kalimpong Babymoon

Offbeat Manali is as much fun as the old school trip

Quirky Wanderer is my favourite travel blogger in India. The position is a tie with Sandeepa Chetan, but I can assure you that Divyakshi is equally brilliant. What sets her apart is her apparent happiness in exploring, following her own instincts, and her own rules. She does not recklessly break rules, but simply lives her own life, minds her own business, and sees the world in a beautiful, happy way. You can say that she is quirky and happy to be one. Her “10 offbeat Things to do in Manali” is a real treat and will help you experience the best of the hill station…touristy and off the trodden path.

Think offbeat Manali; think white winter

I find The Travelling Slacker to be a  bit of an oddball, in a good way. For example, his blog’s motto is “India beyond Clichés” and he means it. On his blog, you will not find silly Must visit lists, boring “Why I left my job and starting travelling” nonsense, or “Five packing tips like a pro” gaffes. For Jitaditya Narzary, travelling is a serious passion and his blogs are proof of that. He explores India’s remotest corners, loves nature and I deduce all this from his blog posts, which are completely visual and informative treats. His is a no-nonsense way, without the frills and fancy pretty word imagery and the titles speak volumes. So, when you read his “Manali Beyond Clichés: How Backpackers Can Salvage the Manali Trip“, you know you are in for detailed pithy information on how to enjoy offbeat Manali.

You may also like: How to enjoy Bir Billing without paragliding

And a bit more of offbeat Manali tips

Manali is a much-visited destination and has been explored by many travel bloggers, established or otherwise. Apart from the above-mentioned biggies, take a look at Traveltwosome, Natnzin, Drifterplanet, and Footlooosedev have to say. Enjoy reading and hopefully get inspired to enjoy a beautiful offbeat Manali experience.

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FAQs

How do you enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
This article rounds up tips from several Indian travel bloggers: Sandeepa and Chetan recommend Himalayan spa treatments and simply listening to the Beas river; another blogger suggests eating Himachali thali and exploring local villages rather than tourist spots; others recommend paragliding and exploring beyond typical must-see lists.

What is the best way to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
According to the bloggers featured, it’s about slowing down and going local: skipping the ‘hippie Manali trip’ formula in favor of nature therapy, local Himachali food, village exploration, and following your own instincts rather than a rigid itinerary.

What are practical tips to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Try a Himalayan spa treatment, eat Himachali thali in local villages instead of tourist restaurants, take time to simply listen to the Beas river, add adventure like paragliding, and if visiting in winter, embrace Manali’s white winter character rather than treating it only as a summer destination.

What mistakes should beginners avoid when trying to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Based on the bloggers quoted, avoid sticking only to the well-worn ‘hippie Manali’ tourist trail and generic must-visit checklists — one blogger, The Travelling Slacker, is specifically praised for avoiding clichéd ‘top tips’ content and boring travel-blog tropes in favor of serious, considered exploration.

What do you need to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Mainly a willingness to slow down and go local: the article’s own author describes her offbeat Manali as ten days of slow travel, sleeping in, eating local food, driving around casually, and reading — essentially a self-styled travel detox rather than a packed itinerary.

Can you walk me through, step by step, how to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Start by choosing your style: relax with a Himalayan spa treatment and riverside downtime (per Sandeepa and Chetan), go local with Himachali thali and village visits, explore quirky, less touristy spots at your own pace, and if you want more adrenaline, add activities like paragliding — or visit in winter for a completely different, snow-covered take on the hill station.

What’s a realistic, tested approach to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers that actually works while traveling?
The author’s own tested approach was pure slow travel: ten lazy days sleeping in, eating local food, driving around casually, and reading in the sun — she describes it candidly as a travel detox rather than a packed sightseeing trip, and says the tips from other bloggers in the roundup are direct excerpts from their own blogs, not just her opinion.

What do experienced travelers do differently to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Experienced bloggers featured here follow their own instincts rather than generic checklists — Divyakshi is highlighted for exploring on her own terms and writing a genuinely offbeat ’10 Things to do in Manali’ list, while The Travelling Slacker deliberately avoids clichéd blog formats in favor of serious, considered travel writing.

What tools, gear, or habits actually help when you’re trying to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Less about gear and more about mindset: the recurring theme across bloggers is slowing down, listening to the Beas river, eating where locals eat, and being willing to explore villages and quieter spots instead of sticking to a standard sightseeing checklist.

What would you tell someone who’s struggling to enjoy offbeat manali according to indias best travel bloggers?
Take the author’s own advice: if a slower, low-key trip isn’t clicking, there’s no single right way to do offbeat Manali — some travelers prefer spa treatments and river time, others prefer local food and villages, and others prefer added thrills like paragliding, so pick the version that matches your own energy rather than forcing a formula.