Please refer to Official website for updates.
Kitchen of Apple VIew Guesthouse taken in the evening.
Foreword
This is a Singaporean amateur photographer’s account of his visit to this Guesthouse, of his delight, and of his willingness to help the Guesthouse to host a website that contains relevant information to visitors (given zero prior knowledge of how to host a website), as well as to showcase the photographs he took for the guesthouse.
As of this date of 2008 Jun 28, the booking of the rooms is via telephone contact as listed below, but in due time, they would have got an internet service with an email correspondence. And thus my purpose in this page is to help the guesthouse to further facilitate this process, and to share my delight of once staying there with those looking for value for money accomodation in Manali, Himachal Pradesh in Northwest India. There are already a few sites who have wrote about the guest house and I’m not the first and won’t be the last.
Sign of Apple VIew scribbed on a wooden hut.
Location of Apple View Paying Guest House
The map of its location can be seen in this website designed by Dark Sun Visual.
Most visitors probably will arrive from the South from New Delhi or the regional airport from Bhuntar, and that will mean that your vehicle will travel northward, passing by the busy New Manali town concentrated at an apex called the Mall. There will be an obvious Y-shaped junction, of which the road running to the left northwards along the west bank of Beas River, called the Circuit House Road, will lead towards Old Manali, where Apple View Paying Guest House is.
At a second Y-shaped junction of the Circuit House Road, the road on the left leads west to the Loghut Road while the road on the right continues shortly to the Old Manali Bridge across the Manalsu Nala river. Once across the bridge, turns east to the right and one would see the clubhouse easily. A little more distance from the clubhouse (about 5 mins walking distance) would be the base of a slope where a few minutes walk up would be the guesthouse. The short walk up the slope is of value because it means the guesthouse shaded by the apple orchard on the higher ground is quiet and free from the noisy streets.
Breakfast, nice omelette and tasty apple juice with a slight fermented taste.
Getting from New Manali to Apple View Paying Guest House
The map and the description above would suffice for most backpackers keen on walking there or those on private transport. For the others who had taken other transport and alighted at New Manali town, one can take an auto rickshaw at the bus stand in the main market, and ask the rickshaw driver to bring you to “Old Manali bridge” or “the clubhouse” (closer to Apple View), from then which it is easy to locate the Guesthouse.
Contacting Apple View Paying Guest House
If you wish to contact Apple View make an enquiry or a booking, please call Mr. Rabet Ram Thakur at 0091 1902 253899 from overseas or 01902 253899 from within India.
Mr. Thakur and his family.
The rates of accomodation at Apple View Paying Guest House
Rates as of 2008 January is as quoted in another website. Please call the above contact should you need to make updated enquiries for your stay.
What does others have to say about Apple View Paying Guest House?
Needless to say I must have think it is great to be doing all this, but a better overview would be what everyone else have to say about it.
Quoted in Lonely Planet: India (2007 version), it is “a delightful village guesthouse in the peaceful orchards above the Club House, run by a friendly family who take pride in their neat and tidy rooms.”
The evening view from the top of the guesthouse, overlooking the alpine.
Other links that is easily googled, are as follows,
out there somewhere… by Jamie, a blogger about his/her travel in Asia.
“This is my favourite guesthouse in India, if not the whole world. It’s in a beautiful setting, the rooms are comfortable and the family that run it are the most welcoming I’ve ever come across. To cap it all off, it’s also incredibly cheap. I’ve stayed here four times now and I’m greeted like an old friend whenever I return. It’s a wonderful place.
The guesthouse is set in an Old Manali apple orchard and consists of 8 rooms spread out over two floors. All rooms are Rs. 150 a night and have shared bathrooms with Western-style toilets. The guesthouse has a very friendly seating area and a balcony on the first floor where you can chat with the other guests and enjoy the phenomenal masala chai. Simple meals are available at very reasonable prices (an all-you-can-eat meal of veg curry, daal, rice, chapatis and pickle will only cost around Rs. 50).
The guesthouse is run by Rabet Ram Thakur, his wife Kurma and their children Rajni, Raju and Hanu. The family are very helpful and friendly; Rabet, in particular, has an in-depth knowledge of trekking routes and local customs. If there is a local mela or festival taking place during your stay Rabet will make sure you know about it and explain what’s going on. He’s also one of the few Indians I’ve ever met who’s mastered sarcasm in a language other than his mother tongue so be prepared to have the piss taken.
The view from the guesthouse roof that you can see at the top of this page is breathtaking. The panorama takes in the snowy peaks of Solang Nala to the North, the neighbouring village of Vashisht across the river and the Himalayan foothills towards the Chandrakhani Pass to the South. If you want a relaxing spell in Manali and want to get away from the 24/7 techno and aggravation of many of the Israeli-dominated guesthouses in Manali, this place is ideal.”
A nice place that even the dog gets lazy.
entry in Indiamike by neoncarrot, a travel photographer.
“A friendly, family run place with a very peaceful garden. The guest house is set in a quiet area of the Orchards below Old Manali, about 5 minutes walk from most of the restaurants. Love it for its peace and quiet. With only four rooms it never feels crowded and usually attracts interesting people. The shared bathroom and toilet are kept very clean. The garden is full of flowers in summer, and the roof has a great view of the mountains and hillsides. Its family run, very friendly and helpful people and as theres always someone around during the season its good for security. No dislikes at all that I can think of. Shared bathroom with hot shower, seperate toilet. Kitchen for the usual types of food, and you can use it to cook if you have the urge. 4 basic, clean comfortable double rooms. Beautiful garden. Phone for incoming calls. “
More information about Apple View Paying Guest House
The Guesthouse, Amenities and locality, Around Manali
The smoothing green courtyard is signature of the environment, surrounded by the alpine forest.
