India is well known for its tourist destinations and has always been a hub of tourists from all over the world. Himachal Pradesh is one of the most visited places as it is a complete package to nature lovers, honeymoon seekers, adventure lovers, pilgrimages, and history buffs. Though nowadays many people look for places that are less-visited to spend quality time with family, friends, and nature or some people love to explore new places. Himachal Pradesh offers a variety of offbeat places that offer utmost tranquility and serenity and are waiting to be explored. These places have been on the list of “offbeat” since the age of Roerich and Chetwode.
These places lack chatter on social media and a lack of tourists on the ground. From that 24*7 stressful weekdays, these offbeat places let you relax and refresh your mood. Stay in those under-explored hamlets, small winding streets that are untouched and still preserved in their original state for a leisure vacay. Here is the list of 7 offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh that are waiting to be explored.
Malana
It is one of the beautiful villages located in the valley of Parvati. There are a lot of stories about this place and its existence. This place has its own culture, law, and rules. It is also one of the most tabooed villages. On the name of Malana river, this is an isolated and charming plateau located in a corner far from the rest of the world. The trekking route to Malana is also quite thrilling and beautiful adorned with lush deodar vegetation.
Brahmatal Trek
Situated around 12,000 feet up in the Himalayas, the Brahmatal Trek is celebrated among travelers from everywhere the world. Trip in Chamoli region of Uttarakhand in Garhwal Himalayas so mainstream, in addition to other things, is that you are blessed to receive 360 degree perspectives on a few Himalayan tops, alongside an elevated perspective of everything around you from the most noteworthy mark of the journey.
Pin Parvati Pass
The name of this trek is after the pass link of Parvati Valley of Kullu to Pin Valley in Spiti. Pin Parvati Pass is the trickiest pass as it is at a high altitude and is usually covered with snow the whole year. This trek is all surrounded by lush greenery, hot springs, snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, dense alpine forest, which makes the trail all attractive. This trail is of 100 kms that covers destinations like Manikaran, Barsheni, Tunda Bhuj, Thakur Kuan, Odi Thach, Mantalai, etc. The trail also covers Pin Valley National Park and Great Himalayan National Park where you can witness snow leopards and rare Himalayan birds respectively.
Tirthan Valley
Located near the Tirthan river, this place is all surrounded by lush vegetation. This valley is surrounded by Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) and is an amazing place to relax in the lap of nature. Hiking in the national park is one of the best hikes around the world. Along with hiking, you can enjoy wildlife watching, fishing, and discovering under-explored hill villages. This place is best to visit in summers and springs as the valley can be seen all surrounded with bloomed flowers. You can sit and relax beside the soothing Tirthan river and get lost in nature.
Pabbar Valley
This place is well remembered for the British Viceroys who camped and recovered here. A walk through the valley lets you witness the untouched scenic hamlets that are quiet and covered with cedar, oak, and birch forests. One gets to explore crystal clear waters of the Pabbar river that mainly come from the glacial ice of the Chandan Nahan Glacier located high in the snow-capped mountains. Adventurous activities like hunting, camping, rafting, and paragliding can also be experienced here. The less-visited villages like Rohru, Shelapani, Karapather, or Chanshal Pass come under the Pabbar valley region. It is located just 100 KMs off of Shimla and is easily reachable. Hence, before people get to know about this place, go and explore this hidden gem.
Barot Valley
This place is majorly famous for its Trout Fish farm. This needs prior permission from the farm officer to do this activity. This place is isolated from the crowd of cities and is situated at a height of 1835 meters on the bank of river Uhl. This river is the only water body of the valley and grabs the attention of travelers with its soothing crystal clear water. It is a great place to do camping and fishing. It is known as a trekker’s paradise and is surrounded by cedar and pine forests. A few of the treks here are Bada Bhangal, Kullu, Manali, Billing, and Kothi. The Shanan Hydel project built by the Britishers is one of the big reasons Barot valley is famous. This is the first-ever hydro project in India in Megawatt capacity.
Chindi – Karsog Valley
Chindi is also one of the offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh that is calm, peaceful, and surrounded by lush green wide views. It is a small town in Karsog valley, untouched by tourism. There are dense forests of orchards that give you a wide experience of hiking. The name of this place is behind the gorgeously wood-carved temple, chindi, that is dedicated to Chandi, an aggressive avatar of Goddess Durga. This temple is quite photogenic as there are a variety of carvings from Hindu mythology. You can call this place Chindi a hub of spirituality, temples, architecture, and crafts.
Chanderkhani Pass
It is one of the beautiful and tranquil passes located in the Kullu valley. For a nature lover, this is a point to relax in the lap of nature. At an altitude of 12000 feet, this trek lets you take the view of Deo Tibba Peak, PirPanjal, and Parbati ranges of the Himalayan Mountains. Along with scenic views, this place has importance religiously too. Many local Gods are being worshipped here. It is also known as the valley of Gods. The story behind is that the presiding deity at Malana, Jamlu, opened up the basket containing Gods and at the same time wind blew which took the Gods and placed them at their present abodes.
