Old Manali is the original village that predates the modern hill-station town below it, perched above the Manalsu nala on the west bank of the Beas. A steep lane leads up from the main bazaar to a cluster of traditional stone houses, apple orchards, and cafes that have been drawing budget travellers for decades. The atmosphere is distinctly different from the crowded commercial strip below — quieter, shadier, with less traffic and more deodar forest.
The Manu Maharishi Temple at the top of the village is the oldest religious site in the area, dedicated to the sage Manu who gives the town its name (Manali = Manu's home). The temple is simple stone with carved wooden elements and is still an active worship site for the local Pahari community. Below it, the lanes are lined with guesthouses of all descriptions and cafes serving traveller food — Israeli, Italian, South Indian, and local Himachali. This is where most long-term visitors settle, and it has a lived-in, unhurried quality compared to the chaos of the main bazaar.