SETHAN VALLEY, HEAVEN ON HILLS – Guide to the place

Still uncrowded and peaceful abode!

Sethan is indeed a place where you can spend days without getting bored. The majestic views keep you enthralled making you want them more an more.  Good connectivity is a plus point for this place and it is just 45 minutes ride up Manali.

First let me take you through the basic details of the place such as best season to visit, How to reach, where to stay etc. and then will elaborate upon my experience of this heavenly place. Just surfing through the internet, I came to see such majestic views from a cosy eco-stay. This developed an interest in this place but only condition was to go there while it snows.

How to reach Sethan

Delhi and Chandigarh are the nearest metro cities to Manali. There is such great road connectivity from New Delhi to Manali that you can board a bus every another hour ( Both private and Government). After you get down at Manali private Bus stand, There is a taxi stand just outside. Board a taxi (it will cost around 1000-2000 depending upon demand and snowfall season) to Sethan, which will be another 12 km above it. Nearly 40-mins drive would take you to this place, which you would have already gotten a gist of along the way up.

Best time to visit

Well I am a person who is definitely against suggesting a best season to visit mountains. And this place no doubt has a different charm every season.

• If you are a snow lover, you should definitely visit it during January – March. There are higher chances of snowfall from Late January to February.
• However, as suggested by the host of my stay there, It looks really beautiful in July- August when the Apple trees are flourishing at their best.
• And yes, I always suggest people to avoid mountains while monsoon. It’s a bit risky.
• Wondering about rest of the year? Believe me, mountains will never disappoint you.

Where to Stay in Sethan

Well guys, there are  a limited options here, so book in advance and always do check with the property personally before booking through any travel website. You can search places in AirBnB, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo etc. Search for “Sethan, Manali”.

So I will tell you about how I came to know about Sethan. I was just scrolling through Airbnb about stying at some in Himachal, that is when I came across a beautiful stay with great views. Check out – https://www.airbnb.co.in/sethan-india/stays.

So I decided to visit Sethan just to stay in there. This place is definitely build with the best of the intentions of the Hosts. The pictures I put up here might justify what I am talking about 😉

My Experience of Sethan

So I planned to visit this place for a snowfall experience. Hence January it was after a month long exercise of checking weather forecasts and coordination with the host if would snow during the time we were planning to. Frankly speaking when we reached Manali, I was bit disappointed believing Sethan would be more or less the same. However, then started the 40 minutes long ride , the journey to Sethan, which completely changes my viewpoint every mile.

Upon our arrival, the dormitory wasn’t ready yet, and so we had to wait an hour or two. Any believe me, the wait didn’t seem very daunting as we were so mesmerized by the valley. Any who isn’t hungry early morning. The stay we booked offered such yummy food, even the appetite was looking for more appetite! Well we also so many people to talk to, play games, click pictures.

Time flew and we entered out dormitory which is considered to be the providing second best views after their dome stays. The room and the views were such deadly combo, I could feel like home. Never to be bored of it! But who doesn’t want to do a bit of sightseeing.

Igloo Village

We got ready for our walk to the Igloo village, which is half an hour leisurely walk up the road. You would find a few more stays and cafes uphill if you need something to munch upon. After gazing around looking for Igloos and asking out people, we spotted one of those and many behind that. The first ever sight of Igloos were amazing and you also have the option to book and stay in those. (costing around INR 4000 for one night, which can accommodate 4-5 people in one).

A bit ahead of Igloo village, there are a lot of snow sports going on which you try your hands on. Do not forget to bargain well! Not only these, but long the way, we could also spot the locals prepping for the Snowboarding challenge. And not to forget, there wasn’t was snowfall yet! But I never imagined my first snowfall experience to be like the thick snow clouds approaching and trinkets of snow starting to fall on you before it gets so heavy for all the activities to shut down. We had to rush back or we would have been stuck.

It was lond day though, so we went back to our stay and has some rest before the dinner was ready. While trying to sleep, all i could see was this view which wouldn’t let me sleep. The electric blankets provided were a sigh of relief! After the mouthwatering dinner and the freezing cold sinking right in, I could not resist to sleep again!

Next morning, waking up to see the frozen snow on glass was definitely a bliss. Since this was our last day at Sethan, I did not want to waste another minute on bed and started off strolling in the property. The picture below are few morning clicks I had.

Places to visit near Sethan

Sethan is a very small village above which lies the Igloo village. A lot of treks/ hikes such as, Bhrigu Lake, Hampta Paas, Lamadug, deotibba, Chandrataal originate from here. I didn’t have much time to explore these, but definitely will do next time! Do contact your host soon after booking to have a better idea about the place and the weather.

How long to plan

If you plan to stay at Sethan, overall 2-3 days would be enough to absorb the tranquility of this place, but of course you can stay as long as you want! However those who are into hiking and exploring places, come here for atleast a week- to get enough of Manali, Sethan and the places I mentioned in above paragraph.