My hubby rarely loses his cool but this argument decided it for him. We would have to replace this good-for-nothing driver !!!!
River crossings were tough. The camp guide Bishan was with us and it helped quite a bit to have him !!! He was taking a lift till Manali.
The drive to Rohtang was misty and beautiful until we reached the pass itself ! It was jammed with vehicles and the pass was slippery with mud !!! We had a 3 hour wait here for the pass to be cleared for vehicles going into Manali. We halted in Manali.
We called Banjara about the driver's antics and they promptly replaced him in 30 min !!! Phew !! Thank God !!! We were so disgusted with his attitude and behavior. God knows why he had come on this journey if all he wanted to do was stay in Delhi !!! Ugh !!!
I did not think Banjara's would change the driver. I expected them to ask us to adjust for the remaining 4 days of the journey which would be typical of any other travel operator. But they did not !!! That definitely raised my opinion of them.
Tips
- Start early. The Rani Nala and one more stream ( forgot the name ) get full as the day passes with ice water melting in the sun. So crossing is very tough.
Day 12 - We headed out to Sojha just 3 hours from Manali. The route was typical green hill station ... green , verdant and misty !! :) Lovely .... We pass a tunnel that is 2.5 kms cut into a mountain enroute.
About Banjara at Sojha
The Sojha property is lovely although it is set amidst other private lands too. So you can hear other families around unlike Sangla !! :) There are many steps to go down [ or climb up !! ] to reach the retreat so
The staff at the retreat is courteous and good. We enjoyed our stay over there. The view from the rooms is wonderful !!! On a good misty day it is like being in the clouds and when it clears -one can see the entire valley and top part of ranges of mountains ... just gorgeous !!
We just relaxed on this day since the day was misty and going to any place would not have yielded us any views. We explored the area around the retreat.
Tips
- May-June is the best season for Sojha. The views are fabulous and not obstructed by the mist.
- Do check out Raghupur fort. The trek is of medium difficulty but well worth the 360 views of the ranges and ranges of mountains. Take a picnic basket !!!
- GHNP is located 8 kms by walk/trek from Gushaini. And this is to the entrance of GHNP. No vehicle is allowed on this route. Plan accordingly. The walk is not very difficult.
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| Rohtang pass in the mist |
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| Slushy mud - Rohtang pass |
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| Traffic jams are very common on this route |
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| Steps leading down to Sojha Banjara Retreat |
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| View |
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| It was a misty day |
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| View from our room |
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