I’ve never actually lived in India, though I am originally from there. I’ve always gone to visit my grandparents and my cousins over the summer but never found time to explore the North of India. This summer, I did exactly that, and it was one hell of a road trip.Â
One of our many stops was Amritsar, which is a city in the state of Punjab. I had heard so much about this place, and it was on my list because the famous Golden Temple is located here. It’s a religious destination, and all religions are welcome as the temple is also a symbol of equality. The architecture was the most striking to me as particular domes and walls were covered in gold work. Â
We didn’t stay long in Amritsar, but we kept going! We traveled to a place called Dalhousie, a hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh. We had to travel quite a bit up the mountain to get to where we were staying, but after we got there we were greeted by quite a view. This holiday was more of a relaxing holiday, so it was nice to take it easy and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The one thing that stood out to me the most was the greenery. It felt great to be among nature!
We did visit other places, but my favourite stop out of all of the destinations was a place called Manali. We stayed over at an estate for about four days in a villa, which is owned by one of our family friends. To say it was beautiful would be an understatement. The name of the villa was called Baragarh villa, and for those four days it was home away from home. If you ever decide to visit Manali, I highly recommend staying here! You won’t regret it! Manali was also the perfect place for paragliding. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous about jumping off of a 10000 foot cliff, but I made it. It was the coolest experience. We also traveled to a place called Rohtang Pass in Manali. We drove up to 13000 foot and ended up on the Eastern range of the Himalayas. Those steep roads and narrow turns were all worth it once we reached the top. As it was in the middle of summer, it wasn’t that chilly, so there wasn’t any snow but it was beautiful as it was.Â
Other than that, my family and I spent a lot of time hanging out with each other in the villa. Late night talks and early morning walks with them were the best moments of the trip. Â