I almost did not go to Manali.
That is probably the strangest part of this entire story.
After travelling with Tripwaley to Jibhi, Shoja, McLeodganj, Udaipur, Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Kasol, I had learned that every trip does not need a big expectation attached to it. Sometimes you simply pack your bag, show up, and let the mountains decide what they want to give you.
So when the Manali trip came up this January, I was not particularly excited. I was unsure about going. There was a tiny voice inside me saying, How can you not go?
So I went.
And Manali gave me something I had never experienced before: my first snowfall.
I had seen snowfall countless times through photographs and films. White mountains. Fog rolling between pine trees. Roads disappearing under layers of snow. People laughing and throwing snow at each other. It always looked almost too perfect to be real.
I just never imagined I would stand inside that picture myself.
Arriving in Manali
The journey towards Manali slowly changed the landscape outside the window.
The familiar roads gave way to winding mountain stretches. Tall trees stood quietly along the slopes, their silhouettes becoming softer as the temperature dropped. The air felt different too—colder, sharper and incredibly clean.
And then came the snow.
At first, it was only patches of white resting on distant slopes. Then the landscape started changing completely.
The higher we climbed, the more snow we saw.
Soon, the mountains looked as if someone had taken a giant paintbrush and covered everything in white.
I remember just staring outside.
There was something strangely quiet about snow. Even with everyone around, the mountains seemed to have their own silence.
A Stay That Made the Experience Better
Our stay was another highlight of the Manali trip.
The rooms were premium, comfortable and warm, which mattered a lot when the temperature outside was dropping. After spending hours exploring the mountains, coming back to a warm room felt genuinely comforting.
And then there was the food.
The breakfast and dinner were not those tiny hotel portions that leave you searching for snacks ten minutes later. The meals were fulfilling, warm and exactly what you want after being outside in freezing weather.
There is a special kind of happiness in returning from the cold, taking off layers of winter clothes and sitting down with a hot meal while the mountains outside are covered in snow.
And Then, The Snowfall
That night, I went to sleep with one simple hope.
Maybe tomorrow morning, I would wake up to snowfall.
I did not want to expect too much because expectations have a funny way of ruining surprises.
But the next morning, I woke up and immediately remembered the thought from the night before.
I walked towards the window.
I pulled the curtains open.
And there it was.
Snow was falling.
Actually falling.
For a few seconds, I simply stood there without moving.
Tiny white flakes floated down from the sky, slowly covering everything. The trees outside were turning white. The valley looked softer. The mountains were almost disappearing behind layers of mist and snowfall.
It felt unreal.
The kind of unreal you usually see in movies.
Fog and clouds moved through the valley as though the mountains were breathing. Everything was white, quiet and moving at the same time.
Even now, when I close my eyes, I can still see that valley completely covered in snow.
That morning is still one of those memories that feels impossible to explain properly.
Some experiences are simply meant to be witnessed with your own eyes.
From Sightseeing to Snow Fights
Of course, we did some sightseeing around Manali, but honestly, the snow became the main attraction.
Plans changed quickly.
A simple walk became a snowball fight.
One snowball became ten.
Ten became everyone attacking everyone.
Soon, nobody cared about keeping their jackets clean or their gloves dry.
We were laughing, running, slipping and throwing snow at each other like children who had just discovered winter for the first time.
At one point, with the help of the hotel staff, we even made a Mahadev Shivling out of snow.
It was one of those spontaneous travel moments that never appears in an itinerary but somehow becomes one of the strongest memories of the entire journey.
And then we danced.
In knee-deep snow.
Yes, actually knee-deep.
Our shoes disappeared into the snow, our hands were freezing, and nobody wanted to stop. Music played, everyone danced, and for a few minutes it felt like there was nowhere else in the world we needed to be.
My First Snowfall, My Favourite Memory
Looking back, I think I needed that trip precisely because I almost did not go.
If I had stayed back, I would have missed the first snowfall of my life.
I would have missed waking up to a white valley.
I would have missed watching fog drift through the mountains.
I would have missed snow fights, dancing in knee-level snow and building a Shivling with the hotel staff.
Most importantly, I would have missed that feeling of standing by the window and thinking, Is this actually happening?
My Manali experience with Tripwaley was not just another mountain trip. It became a reminder that sometimes the best travel memories are the ones you never planned for.
I went to Manali without expecting snowfall.
I came back carrying a winter memory I know I will keep for a very long time.
And perhaps that is what I love most about travelling—the mountains do not always give you what you expect.
Sometimes, they give you something much better.
