Destinations
Parvati and Bir
Where people turn up for a week and stay a month. Cafés over the river at Kasol, hot springs at Manikaran, and Bir Billing — one of the best places in the world to fly, half an hour from Dharamshala.
Suits — backpackers, paragliding, remote workers
Read the full descriptionClose the description
Two places that do not sit next to each other but attract the same people: travellers who came for a fortnight and rearranged their year.
The Parvati is a narrow valley off the Kullu, with a river down the middle of it and villages along both sides. It has been a stop on the long-stay circuit for thirty years and it shows — cafés with wifi, bakeries, and a good number of people who are visibly not on a two-week holiday. It is also well known for cannabis, and you will be offered it. That is worth knowing in advance rather than discovering.
Bir is ninety minutes from Dharamshala and is one of the best paragliding sites anywhere. You do not need any experience to fly tandem, and a lot of people who come for that end up staying for the Tibetan colony and the quiet.
- Altitude
- 1,640m at Kasol, 3,050m at Kheerganga, 1,400m at Bir
- Nearest airport
- Bhuntar for Parvati, Gaggal for Bir
- Bir from Dharamshala
- About 90 minutes
- Kasol from Dharamshala
- 6–7 hours
- Give it
- Four days for Parvati, two for Bir. Or considerably longer
- Best months
- March to June and September to November. Bir flies best in October and November.
Worth your time
What to actually go and see
Manikaran
A gurudwara and a Hindu temple built over hot springs that come out of the ground near boiling. The langar is cooked in the spring water. Anyone may eat there and it costs nothing.
Kheerganga
A 12km walk up from Barshaini, four to five hours, with hot springs at the top at 3,050m. Steadily uphill the whole way. Huts and tents to sleep in.
Tosh
At the head of the valley, and the classic place to go for one night and leave a fortnight later. The road stops short of it, so the last stretch is on foot.
Bir Billing
Take-off is at Billing, 2,400m, and landing at Bir. It has hosted the paragliding world cup. Tandem flights need no experience at all and last fifteen to thirty minutes.
The Bir Tibetan colony
Monasteries, a good deal of café culture, and a much quieter version of what McLeod Ganj has. A lot of people work from here for months.
Malana
An old village up a side valley with its own laws and customs, and rules about what visitors may touch. Interesting, and it asks something of you in return — read up before going, and respect the signs.
Keep reading
Places in Parvati and Bir
Keep reading