People tend to throng to touristy places and why won’t they –  they are the tourists 😉 But there are some wanderers, Backpackers, Nomads who always try to find a place of Solace and Peace to visit. The outskirts of Barot Valley is the one of those places.

Barot Village, situated at a distance of 66 Kms from the town of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is not a very famous or a well know destination among people right now. But I must say, it is an under-rated place. Placed beautifully in the lap of Nature and surrounded by Dhauladhar Range from both sides, Barot village has a population of around 2000 people. This valley comprises of Uhl river and lush green forest area. So these lines from a famous poem are very apt when we talk about Barot Village – 

When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
 And the river flows like a stream of glass.

 

How to Reach Barot – 

1. By Bus – Take an overnight bus from Delhi to Mandi. After Reaching Mandi early morning, take another local bus till Ghatasni and from there you can take another local bus or a shared taxi till Barot village. Total journey from Mandi to Barot won’t take more than 3-3.5 hours.
2. By Car – You can also drive from Delhi till Barot via Chandigarh. Total journey is around 500 kms and will take 11-12 hours approximately. Google Maps Link. People from Punjab can also drive to Barot via Hoshiarpur and Palampur.

I went to Barot from Prashar Lake via Katindhi Village and came back to Mandi  directly. Google maps Link.

While travelling from Katindhi to the main Mandi-Barot Road, it felt like I am somewhere in Leh –  Big Sand laden mountains with no greenery at all, small villages on the way and a few cafes which will amaze you by their location and view atop a hill. As soon as you start approaching Barot Valley, the view will drastically change. You will be surrounded by Lush green mountains and Uhl river will accompany you while you ride the road.

 

What to do in Barot – 

1. Take a Nature Walk along the Uhl River.
2. Explore small yet beautiful Barot Village.
3. Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary – If you trek to Kullu from Barot valley, You will pass the dense forests of Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary.
4. Barot Dam and Shanan Hydel Project – It is not an ordinary Dam. It was one of the first dams in India in MegaWatt Capacity. It is worth giving a look to this Dam and I am pretty sure you will keep watching it for another 5 mins – that huge it is.
5. Trekking – The trails from Barot proceed to Kullu, Manali, Billing and Kothi. All these are time consuming treks. So, if not in a mood of long distance treks, just take a walk around Barot valley and that will suffice.

 

Where to stay in Barot – 

There are many guest houses and home stays in Barot now. But I suggest to stay at a walking distance from Barot Village so as to avoid even a little crowd. I stayed at a place called The Heimat Resort. It is not a resort as the name implies. These are Luxury River side Camps run by a Young guy from Hoshiarpur. The camps looks like tents but are a big room inside with attached washrooms.

You can also play games like Cricket, Badminton, BasketBall there. A tent of 4 will cost around Rs. 1000-1500 and food as per the Menu. The chef there cooks mind blowing food.