Kasol Vs Rasol compares both these famous places of Parvati valley with respect to ease of reach, stay options, cafes, internet connectivity and much more.
Having visited both these places my aim here is to put forth a decent comparison between the two. And in turn helping the travelers on the trip to the backpacking heaven of Himachal, Parvati valley.
Kasol Vs Rasol – Everything You Need To Know
Surrounded by towering pines and gargtuan peaks, Kasol is the most popular hippie place in India.
Rasol is remote yet popular village near Kasol which has quickly become a hit amongst travelers. But receives way lesser footfall than Kasol.
By the way, Here is similar comparison post between Kasol and Tosh. I am sure this will be helpful to first time travelers.
Kasol Vs Rasol – Ease Of Reach
Kasol wins this one by miles like literally. Decent road connectivity exists to Kasol. Rasol on the other hand does not have road connectivity. One has to hike for hours from Kasol to reach Rasol (7km hike from Kasol).
To reach Kasol, you first have to get down at Bhuntar on Chandigarh-Manali highway. From Bhuntar, road diverts to Parvati valley and Kasol via Jari. Kasol is just around an hour away from Bhuntar.
To reach Rasol, first you have to reach Kasol. From Kasol a steep uphill trudge will transport you to Rasol via Chalal. Depending upon your fitness it might take from 2-4 hours to reach Rasol from Kasol.
For first-timers, the steep uphill trudge to Rasol would be a test of endurance. So make sure that you do not carry a heavy rucksack on your trip to Rasol if you plan to stay for the night.
Kasol Versus Rasol – Which has better Landscapes
Kasol located at an altitude of around 1500m is surrounded by Towering pines, impressive looking snowy peaks and gushing river Parvati flowing alongside.
While Rasol is located at least 800-900m higher than Kasol, The views are kind of underwhelming for a place perched that high up. Of course you get to see mountains up close but nothing too special.
Grahan with easier access than Rasol has better landscapes with lofty snow-covered peaks and towering pine forests. It is apt for someone who wants to hike up with rewarding landscapes near Kasol.
Here is a comparison post between Kasol and Chalal, two of the most famous places in Places in Parvati valley.
Is Kasol Better Or Rasol – In Terms Of Crowd
Kasol is the epitome of famous and crowded places in Himachal. While Rasol although popular attracts way fewer travelers thanks to a steep hike required to reach Rasol.
To give you context on my recent visit to Kasol and Rasol, I saw people wandering around Kasol in Huge numbers. But when it came to Rasol, I hardly encountered 5-6 others travelers on the hike.
Therefore, if you have a disliking for crowded places, Rasol would be an ideal getaway for you which is perched at least 800-900 meters above Kasol.
Which Is Better Kasol OR Rasol – In Terms Of Stay Options
Kasol literally has no dearth of stay options to choose from. From hostels to luxury hotels you can get any type of accommodation as per your budget and comfort in Kasol.
If you are budget traveler, here are places to stay in Kasol under 1000 INR
Rasol on the other hand does have basic guesthouses and homestays. But the number is far smaller than Kasol. So Kasol is a clear winner when it comes to varied type of accommodation.
Magic Meera, Rishi Homestay, Om Shankar Cafe are a couple of places you can stay at. There are other guesthouses as well. Ideally you should be able to get accommodation at around INR 300 to INR 500.
Which Is Better Kasol OR Rasol – In Terms Of Cafes
Like stay options, Kasol literally has a decent number of hippie cafes to satiate your taste buds. Italian, Israeli, cuisine is quite prominent at these hippie cafes. This is the common theme across the valley.
Rasol does not have as many cafes as Kasol has. There are few cafes though which Include Magic Meera, Om Shankar Cafe.
Cafes in Kasol include Evergreen Cafe, Bhoj Cafe, Jim Morisons, Little Italy, freedom Cafe, Panj Tara Cafe to name a few.
By the way, here is a very handy comparison post between Tosh and Malana, two of the famous places of the valley.
Is Kasol Better OR Rasol – For Budget Traveling
Kasol might just edge out Rasol when it comes to budget traveling and I’ll explain you why.
If its not the peak season, you can easily get a room in Kasol at around INR 500. And if you happen to eat only at Dhabas you can easily manage your daily expenses at around INR 500-700 per person.
In Rasol though, you can get accommodation for as low as INR 300. But food would be on the higher side and you would end up paying around INR 500 or even more for all the meals.
From what I saw, I could not see any Dhabas in Rasol. Due to remoteness of Rasol, the cost of food is often on the higher side in the cafes.
Kasol Vs Rasol – Mobile Network & Internet Connectivity
Although the major mobile networks i.e Jio, Vodafone, Airtel work fine in Kasol along with 4g internet connectivity. A lot of properties also provide WIFI these days in Kasol.
In Rasol, there is no mobile network and no 4g internet. Although you might sometimes get intermittent Airtel network, but that good enough for calling purposes.
But some cafes do offer WIFI at Rasol free of cost if you are stay at their place. Like Om Shankar Cafe in Rasol offers WIFI with good internet speed for free if you choose to stay at their. Else they charge you per hour.
This bring to me to the end of Kasol vs Rasol comparison blog. In case you have queries do reach out to me in the comments.