Lahaul Valley
Lahaul Valley
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djay26
National Capital Territory of Delhi, India20 contributions
Dec 2021
What to say about this magical land...I've been to Lahaul Valley in Monsoon & again in winters. Both are completely different seasons to experience the landscape here. Everything becomes completely white & so magical in winters that you feel you've landed in some different world.
I'd definitely recommend this place to everyone who is visiting Manali.
I'd definitely recommend this place to everyone who is visiting Manali.
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gonzalo747
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela2 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I am from Venezuela. In 1978 (37 years ago), we walked from Manali, on the way to Amarnath, via Kilar, Kirtshwar, Pahalgam. We stopped at Udaipur (Himachal Pradesh) for one night. The locals allowed us to sleep in the Mrikula Mata temple. It was a marvelous, almost magic experience. The wooden sculptures seemed to be wactching at us, as if they were alive. People were very kind to give us the privilege to sleep inside that fantastic masterpiece. Worth to visit. The Lahual-Spiti and Pangi valleys have an incredibly magic beauty. At that time there were not any facilities available, only the kind hospitality of the people. That ´s quite enough, specially if you are coming from another continent and another mountain ranges (the Andes).
Written April 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hemushiva
Mumbai, India15 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
We ( a group of 8 friends ) had planned a trip to lahaul-spiti using the services of ' Incredible Spiti' after reading reviews from tripadvisor about them. They had planned our itinerary ( after taking into account our likes , dislikes ,choice of hotels) and provided us with 2 drivers and vehicles for the entire duration.
Day 1 : We started our journey at the mumbai airport on the 15th of Aug 2014 from where we had to catch a flight to Chandigarh. The drivers from 'Incredible Spiti' were waiting for us at Chandigarh airport. The trip to Shimla was supposed to take around 3-4 hours , but sadly we realized that like us there were hordes of people who had set out to take advantage of the long independence day weekend. We met long traffic at every nook and corner and reached shimla at 6.30 in the evening. It was misty , dark and pouring. Cold and disappointed that our plans to see around shimla the very day we landed went awry ; we decided to have dinner and retire for the night hoping the next day would be better.
Day 2 : Early morning after breakfast , we walked thru mall road, the main market centre in shimla and saw around a bit before leaving for Sarahan. On the way to Sarahan saw beautiful apple orchards all with luscious red and green apple and it took us all our will power to not pluck those fruits. Sarahan is a lovely temple town with the famous 800 hundred yr old bhimakali temple ( a shaktipeeth). Besides the temple we saw some uniquely formed and very tall trees and the shrikhand peak all making the place look lovely. We stayed at Himachal tourism's hotel Shrikhand, a decent place .
Day 3 : From sarahan we left for sangla. A landslide had destroyed the shortest route and we travelled an extra 23 kms to reach sangla by taking the alternate route. Kinner Camps (2800m) nestled in the Sangla Valley of the Kinnaur Himalayas was our place of stay . Home to one of the oldest tribal societies, Kinnaur, presents an enchanting experience through its uninhibited adherence to traditional lifestyle, custom, and costumes. Situated in the lush green forests of cedar and pine, with the magnificient Kinner Kailash peak towering over it, Kinner Camp is an ideal setting for enjoying nature to its fullest. Its run by local professionals amidst apple orchards on the banks of the Baspa river. It provides 20 Swiss style luxury tents furnished with attached bath and all amenities, multi cuisine restaurant. They provide many activities but we chose a walk across the beautiful baspa to the nearby batsari village. Its beauty cannot be described in words. Back at the camp we had a lovely evening relaxing followed by a sumptious dinner and a meeting with the handsome resident dog pollock.
Day 4 : We left for kalpa .We were staying at Hotel Golden Apple , and on arrival were greeted by apricots strewn all over the path which had fallen from the many trees nearby. This is a place with deep gorges, winding mountain roads bordered by chilgoza forests. This sleepy little town gives you the feeling of sitting in the lap of the mountains with the entire range of peaks being visible. Also visible from this place is the sacred Shivling rock on the Kinner Kailash mountain that changes its color at different points in the day.
We visited Kothi temple and suicide point , a dangerously dizzying gorge, and Reckong Peo a town nearby with more options to eat and buses taking people to the spiti valley.
Day 5 : Off to Nako. On the way we saw the confluence of Spiti and Sutlej river at Khab , its amazing to see two water bodies with distinct colour s meeting at the confluence. We stayed at Kinner camps , which is very close to Nako lake. Nako Lake is a small and beautiful holy lake. We took a guided walking tour around the small village . Nako Monastery, (in the middle of the village) founded by Ringchen Zangpo in 996 AD, is a complex of small old temples with fine old sculptures and frescoes, sadly some of them neglected. Not much too see we retired to the comfort of our hotel and the warmth of the dining room for a early dinner . The clear starry night was a treat for us city bred who seldom see anything but skyscrapers.
Day 6 : saw us heading to Tabo . On the way we stopped at Gheun to see the 550 year old mummy of a monk. The mummy is in a glass enclosure and spooky as it might sound you can still see hair growing on the mummy’s head. Tabo is a town that surrounds a Buddhist monastery which, according to legend, is said to be over a thousand years old. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed his desire to retire to Tabo, since he maintains that the Tabo Monastery is one of the holiest. In 1996, HH the Dalai Lama conducted the Kalachakra initiation ceremony in Tabo, which coincided with the millennium anniversary celebrations of the Tabo monastery.
We stayed at the Dewachen Retreat a superb hotel with amazing service and food. We visited the 1000 year old monastery and walked up to visit the ancient caves used by monks for meditation. After a lovely dinner we sat under the most breathtaking sky in the world, spotting numerous galaxies and making wishes on the countless shooting stars that crossed the star spangled sky, trying hard to remember names of constellations.
Day 7 - tabo to kaza.
After breakfast, we were on our way to Kaza via a visit to Dhankar monastery and a hike to Dhankar lake. We split our group into two with the females deciding to go to the monastery and the brave boys deciding to hike the 1.5 hour uphill trek to dhankar lake.
The monastery is perched on a hilltop and looked picture perfect. We arrived at the monastery during prayer time and spent a peaceful time hearing the chants and prayer bells. The monastery is in dire need of conservation as it is in imminent danger of collapsing. Built on a 300 metre high spur the 1000 year old monastery has been recognized by world monuments as one of world's 100 most endangered sites.
Despite living in a place with bare necessities the hospitality and warmth of the monks bowled us over.
Sadly the dhankar lake group's experience was not as heart warming, the lake had reduced in size because of lack of water and after the tough trek uphill , the sight of the lake left them disheartened.
We proceeded to kaza to our hotel The Snow Lion. After a hearty lunch we proceeded to shop at the market nearby. The first time in our entire stay we were able to finally shop for curious, shawls, silver jewellery and other trinkets without which a trip is never complete. All rooms have a private balcony that offers a stunning view of the village and the Sakya Monastery. We can spend hours here, simply watching the village life unfold from the privacy of our balconies.
Day 8 - Kaza
We drove to Key monastery the next day. The monastery is perched atop a hill. There is a school for monks , I was told my a 9 year old student how they join the monastery when they are very young and study scriptures to become monks, the oldest male son takes care of their parents while any of the younger siblings join the monastery. Next on the itiranary was Chichum village. As an alternative to the long uphill walk from the village of Kibber to Chichum, the locals built an ingenious ropeway between two mountain peaks, over a deep gorge. Everyone took turns to sit in the small open box on the pulley which is used to transport men, raw materials, has no weight limits, while the rest in the group pulled the ropes.This is literally breath taking , this local engineering feat is worth a ride for the stunning views of the gorge below and the intimidating aura of the surrounding peaks.
A visit to Komic , the highest inhabited village of the Himalayas, and perhaps the world with its awesome landscape and sending a post card from the world's highest post office completed our kaza visit.
Day 9
On our way to Chandratal lake after breakfast , we filled petrol at the worlds highest petrol pump in Kaza. On the way we stopped at Kunzum La to visit the temple of the local diety and enjoy the vast emptiness and peaks around. After reaching Parasol Camps we put our stuff and head to the lake which is a 20 minute hike from the last point where cars are allowed.
Chandratal located at a height of 13,622 ft is so astonishingly beautiful that it makes the arduous drive from kaza so worth it. For people who have travelled to ladakh and seen pengong so , its a deja vu moment. Though not as large as pengong so, it has pristine and magical quality which takes your breath away. We spent the night in the biting cold , cocooned in our tents at Parasol camps.
Day 10-11 We headed back to Chandigarh via Manali, passing thru Rohtang Pass , we stayed a night at Mandi and left the next day for Chandigarh to board our flight to Mumbai.
Our trip to this part of HP ( Lahaul and Spiti ) was filled with memories of long journeys on treacherous roads, daunting peaks, dizzying gorges , monasteries , amazing people living happily in these tough conditions.
We did not rush from place to place but had decided to stay and imbibe this stark beauty which mercifully is not flooded with tourists and has retained its unspoilt charm. A big thanks to ' Incredible Spiti' who called us every day to enquire about our stay and help us whenever we had some alterations in our previously decided iternary.
Day 1 : We started our journey at the mumbai airport on the 15th of Aug 2014 from where we had to catch a flight to Chandigarh. The drivers from 'Incredible Spiti' were waiting for us at Chandigarh airport. The trip to Shimla was supposed to take around 3-4 hours , but sadly we realized that like us there were hordes of people who had set out to take advantage of the long independence day weekend. We met long traffic at every nook and corner and reached shimla at 6.30 in the evening. It was misty , dark and pouring. Cold and disappointed that our plans to see around shimla the very day we landed went awry ; we decided to have dinner and retire for the night hoping the next day would be better.
Day 2 : Early morning after breakfast , we walked thru mall road, the main market centre in shimla and saw around a bit before leaving for Sarahan. On the way to Sarahan saw beautiful apple orchards all with luscious red and green apple and it took us all our will power to not pluck those fruits. Sarahan is a lovely temple town with the famous 800 hundred yr old bhimakali temple ( a shaktipeeth). Besides the temple we saw some uniquely formed and very tall trees and the shrikhand peak all making the place look lovely. We stayed at Himachal tourism's hotel Shrikhand, a decent place .
Day 3 : From sarahan we left for sangla. A landslide had destroyed the shortest route and we travelled an extra 23 kms to reach sangla by taking the alternate route. Kinner Camps (2800m) nestled in the Sangla Valley of the Kinnaur Himalayas was our place of stay . Home to one of the oldest tribal societies, Kinnaur, presents an enchanting experience through its uninhibited adherence to traditional lifestyle, custom, and costumes. Situated in the lush green forests of cedar and pine, with the magnificient Kinner Kailash peak towering over it, Kinner Camp is an ideal setting for enjoying nature to its fullest. Its run by local professionals amidst apple orchards on the banks of the Baspa river. It provides 20 Swiss style luxury tents furnished with attached bath and all amenities, multi cuisine restaurant. They provide many activities but we chose a walk across the beautiful baspa to the nearby batsari village. Its beauty cannot be described in words. Back at the camp we had a lovely evening relaxing followed by a sumptious dinner and a meeting with the handsome resident dog pollock.
Day 4 : We left for kalpa .We were staying at Hotel Golden Apple , and on arrival were greeted by apricots strewn all over the path which had fallen from the many trees nearby. This is a place with deep gorges, winding mountain roads bordered by chilgoza forests. This sleepy little town gives you the feeling of sitting in the lap of the mountains with the entire range of peaks being visible. Also visible from this place is the sacred Shivling rock on the Kinner Kailash mountain that changes its color at different points in the day.
We visited Kothi temple and suicide point , a dangerously dizzying gorge, and Reckong Peo a town nearby with more options to eat and buses taking people to the spiti valley.
Day 5 : Off to Nako. On the way we saw the confluence of Spiti and Sutlej river at Khab , its amazing to see two water bodies with distinct colour s meeting at the confluence. We stayed at Kinner camps , which is very close to Nako lake. Nako Lake is a small and beautiful holy lake. We took a guided walking tour around the small village . Nako Monastery, (in the middle of the village) founded by Ringchen Zangpo in 996 AD, is a complex of small old temples with fine old sculptures and frescoes, sadly some of them neglected. Not much too see we retired to the comfort of our hotel and the warmth of the dining room for a early dinner . The clear starry night was a treat for us city bred who seldom see anything but skyscrapers.
Day 6 : saw us heading to Tabo . On the way we stopped at Gheun to see the 550 year old mummy of a monk. The mummy is in a glass enclosure and spooky as it might sound you can still see hair growing on the mummy’s head. Tabo is a town that surrounds a Buddhist monastery which, according to legend, is said to be over a thousand years old. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed his desire to retire to Tabo, since he maintains that the Tabo Monastery is one of the holiest. In 1996, HH the Dalai Lama conducted the Kalachakra initiation ceremony in Tabo, which coincided with the millennium anniversary celebrations of the Tabo monastery.
We stayed at the Dewachen Retreat a superb hotel with amazing service and food. We visited the 1000 year old monastery and walked up to visit the ancient caves used by monks for meditation. After a lovely dinner we sat under the most breathtaking sky in the world, spotting numerous galaxies and making wishes on the countless shooting stars that crossed the star spangled sky, trying hard to remember names of constellations.
Day 7 - tabo to kaza.
After breakfast, we were on our way to Kaza via a visit to Dhankar monastery and a hike to Dhankar lake. We split our group into two with the females deciding to go to the monastery and the brave boys deciding to hike the 1.5 hour uphill trek to dhankar lake.
The monastery is perched on a hilltop and looked picture perfect. We arrived at the monastery during prayer time and spent a peaceful time hearing the chants and prayer bells. The monastery is in dire need of conservation as it is in imminent danger of collapsing. Built on a 300 metre high spur the 1000 year old monastery has been recognized by world monuments as one of world's 100 most endangered sites.
Despite living in a place with bare necessities the hospitality and warmth of the monks bowled us over.
Sadly the dhankar lake group's experience was not as heart warming, the lake had reduced in size because of lack of water and after the tough trek uphill , the sight of the lake left them disheartened.
We proceeded to kaza to our hotel The Snow Lion. After a hearty lunch we proceeded to shop at the market nearby. The first time in our entire stay we were able to finally shop for curious, shawls, silver jewellery and other trinkets without which a trip is never complete. All rooms have a private balcony that offers a stunning view of the village and the Sakya Monastery. We can spend hours here, simply watching the village life unfold from the privacy of our balconies.
Day 8 - Kaza
We drove to Key monastery the next day. The monastery is perched atop a hill. There is a school for monks , I was told my a 9 year old student how they join the monastery when they are very young and study scriptures to become monks, the oldest male son takes care of their parents while any of the younger siblings join the monastery. Next on the itiranary was Chichum village. As an alternative to the long uphill walk from the village of Kibber to Chichum, the locals built an ingenious ropeway between two mountain peaks, over a deep gorge. Everyone took turns to sit in the small open box on the pulley which is used to transport men, raw materials, has no weight limits, while the rest in the group pulled the ropes.This is literally breath taking , this local engineering feat is worth a ride for the stunning views of the gorge below and the intimidating aura of the surrounding peaks.
A visit to Komic , the highest inhabited village of the Himalayas, and perhaps the world with its awesome landscape and sending a post card from the world's highest post office completed our kaza visit.
Day 9
On our way to Chandratal lake after breakfast , we filled petrol at the worlds highest petrol pump in Kaza. On the way we stopped at Kunzum La to visit the temple of the local diety and enjoy the vast emptiness and peaks around. After reaching Parasol Camps we put our stuff and head to the lake which is a 20 minute hike from the last point where cars are allowed.
Chandratal located at a height of 13,622 ft is so astonishingly beautiful that it makes the arduous drive from kaza so worth it. For people who have travelled to ladakh and seen pengong so , its a deja vu moment. Though not as large as pengong so, it has pristine and magical quality which takes your breath away. We spent the night in the biting cold , cocooned in our tents at Parasol camps.
Day 10-11 We headed back to Chandigarh via Manali, passing thru Rohtang Pass , we stayed a night at Mandi and left the next day for Chandigarh to board our flight to Mumbai.
Our trip to this part of HP ( Lahaul and Spiti ) was filled with memories of long journeys on treacherous roads, daunting peaks, dizzying gorges , monasteries , amazing people living happily in these tough conditions.
We did not rush from place to place but had decided to stay and imbibe this stark beauty which mercifully is not flooded with tourists and has retained its unspoilt charm. A big thanks to ' Incredible Spiti' who called us every day to enquire about our stay and help us whenever we had some alterations in our previously decided iternary.
Written December 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sahil_manchanda
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India212 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
Lahaul and spiti are high altitude valleys of the himachal region(avg 4000m) with spiti being more barren out of the two.From manali highway one reaches gramphoo in about 70 kms(via rohtang pass) and going right from there for about another 130 kms you reach kaza(HQ SPITI)and to reach keylong(HQ LAHAUL)you just have to keep going straight from gramphoo for about 50 kms.
Both these valleys have similar languages and traditions that are also similar in the regions of ladakh and tibet.
The drive from manali to spiti is the best i hv ever experienced with mountains Jchanging colors ever so dramatically.Its best to travel by an suv or an enfield bike coz the roads disappear after gramphoo and u still dont bother .
Spiti is more visited out of the two for its old monasteries,barrenness and trekking trails..
some famous monasteries in spiti are the ones at ki,lhalung,dhankar,tabo and even kungri(pin valley).these are all motorable roads and public transportation is there too from kaza.Also no atms and mobile network except kaza and tabo in the entire region(just bsnl ).spiti also has the highest village trek from langza to dhankar.
The climate was quite funny there thou last time when i visited coz its supposed to be dry but it was raining quite a bit which led to landslides and powercuts.
Lahaul on the other hand is not so dry and is really famous for its potatoes(spiti for its peas too). thou i didnt stay here much but when i was in keylong i did make a trip to trilokinath temple..this temple was a combination of hindu and buddhist cultures(avalokiteshwara and shiva).. with prayer wheels on one side and the bells you see in a hindu temple on the other..
and from keylong ladakh too isnt that far away(heheh)
Both these valleys have similar languages and traditions that are also similar in the regions of ladakh and tibet.
The drive from manali to spiti is the best i hv ever experienced with mountains Jchanging colors ever so dramatically.Its best to travel by an suv or an enfield bike coz the roads disappear after gramphoo and u still dont bother .
Spiti is more visited out of the two for its old monasteries,barrenness and trekking trails..
some famous monasteries in spiti are the ones at ki,lhalung,dhankar,tabo and even kungri(pin valley).these are all motorable roads and public transportation is there too from kaza.Also no atms and mobile network except kaza and tabo in the entire region(just bsnl ).spiti also has the highest village trek from langza to dhankar.
The climate was quite funny there thou last time when i visited coz its supposed to be dry but it was raining quite a bit which led to landslides and powercuts.
Lahaul on the other hand is not so dry and is really famous for its potatoes(spiti for its peas too). thou i didnt stay here much but when i was in keylong i did make a trip to trilokinath temple..this temple was a combination of hindu and buddhist cultures(avalokiteshwara and shiva).. with prayer wheels on one side and the bells you see in a hindu temple on the other..
and from keylong ladakh too isnt that far away(heheh)
Written April 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Baljitkang
Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India10 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
Batal is a tiny (2 Dhaba-hotels & a government rest house) summer settlement around 100 km from Manali en route to Chandertal & Kaza in Spiti valley.
At the base of the steep 11-km climb to the 4550 metre high Kunzum pass that separates the watershed of the Chandra (Chenab) & Spiti (Sutlej) rivers, Batal, at around 4000 metres, is the take off point for several treks to glaciers, glacial lakes and the base camps of several peaks rising over 6500 metres.
The closest glacier, emanating from the CB 13, 14 & 15 peaks (all over 6000 metres) is just over 2 hours from Batal.
Bara Shigri one of the largest glaciers in the Indian Himalaya, is around 4-5 hours away.
Chandertal, 14 km away, has a motorable road up to the lake. Batal is the take off point until the road opens in June.
For directions for all of these short treks ask at the Chandra dhaba. The always cheerful owners who have been in the otherwise desolate area for 2 decades are a veritable goldmine of information.
At the base of the steep 11-km climb to the 4550 metre high Kunzum pass that separates the watershed of the Chandra (Chenab) & Spiti (Sutlej) rivers, Batal, at around 4000 metres, is the take off point for several treks to glaciers, glacial lakes and the base camps of several peaks rising over 6500 metres.
The closest glacier, emanating from the CB 13, 14 & 15 peaks (all over 6000 metres) is just over 2 hours from Batal.
Bara Shigri one of the largest glaciers in the Indian Himalaya, is around 4-5 hours away.
Chandertal, 14 km away, has a motorable road up to the lake. Batal is the take off point until the road opens in June.
For directions for all of these short treks ask at the Chandra dhaba. The always cheerful owners who have been in the otherwise desolate area for 2 decades are a veritable goldmine of information.
Written September 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelsnTales
Mumbai, India356 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
Lahaul-Spiti is a must experience for all passionate travellers. All you see are mountains ,mountains and more mountains ...and rivers winding amidst them.
The beauty is just all around , the rugged barrenness will surprise you at every turn.
This is an experience for people who are open to living in homestays/ tents, eat the local cuisine and rough it up . This is not meant for them who need a 5-star resort on vacations.
The beauty is just all around , the rugged barrenness will surprise you at every turn.
This is an experience for people who are open to living in homestays/ tents, eat the local cuisine and rough it up . This is not meant for them who need a 5-star resort on vacations.
Written March 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UtkarshGanesh1
Montreal, Canada16 contributions
Jun 2014
In today's rush to get away from the chaos of traffic and work life, most people tend to overlook any serious planning & instead go to places often visited by friends & families.
But this time, me and my three friends decided to try something different. We decided to take a road trip to Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh, located in the Indo-Tibetan border.
Our trip began by taking our vehicle from Delhi. With a 12-hour drive to the hill station town of Manali, we decided to take a room there for a day to freshen up. Little were we aware of the heavens that awaited us beyond the icy Rohtang Pass.
As our vehicle spiralled upwards from Manali towards Rohtang, all of us were caught by the majestic mountains that rose from the grounds of Indian soil, like the design of a queen's crown, on our mother India's head.
We stopped by a few small eateries, all serving some of the finest Maggi recipes we had ever tasted in all our trips. The happiness of eating hot Maggi in cold Himalayan air was accompanied by the cheery smiles of the simple locals, as well as the Tibetan refugees settled for long time in the region. They would happily take orders with a smile and cook up delicious noodles and Himalayan tea in a matter of minutes.
Arriving at the Rohtang Pass was perhaps the biggest marvel of our lives. I had personally seen many places Europe as well as Asia, but nothing could surpass the natural beauty of Rohtang.
Grey asphalt roads snaked through 15-foot high formations of hard snow;both government and local bulldozers were seen parked around the place.
We absorbed the nature around us while clicking away madly all around us.
It took a while before we could get the feeling of being on earth itself I side us, as we had to cover a lot of ground to reach the final destination:Sarchu Valley.
We resumed our trip through a small town of Darcha, nothing more than a handful of rocky sideways with small eateries for tourists. Along the way, we met many biking expeditions as their bikes buzzed past our Toyota Innova.
After a 5-hour long road trip, we reached hotel Chandrabhaga I a village called Keylong, mesmerized throughout our trip, clicking photos every 10 minutes or so.
Keylong was our stopping point where we stayed in a government based hotel, Chandrabhaga. The name of this hotel comes from an ancient legend which I say let the locals explain to our potential visitors here.
The rooms were clean and simple, the food was excellent and as a icing on the cake, the hotel offered a morning view that would make any Swiss trekker green with envy. Apart from this, the staff was very friendly and caring, making us feel as if we had arrived at a common family friends' house.
Keylong had everything one would dream of as a rural, Himalayan retreat: small houses, terrace fields, fresh water everywhere and air so clean, breathing it felt nothing short of taking the elixir of life into oneself.
After a day of clicking photos with the villagers and local folk, we decided to visit the temple village of Trilokinath; abode to a 350-year old temple of Hindu god, Shiva. The way to Trilokinath was even more picturesque than we had seen in our previous leg of ride.
Yellow sunflower fields dotted the green landscape, with rivulets flowing, surrounded by rocky ice-peaked mountains. This reminded us of the old Shammi Kapoor movies shot during the 70s.
After a 2-hour drive, we reached the temple village. The temple was located on top of a hillock and was the only temple manned by Tibetan origin priests and an altar to Buddha alongside. We prayed at the temple & donated money in the 'hundi' box.
The scenic village was one of the simplest villages I had seen. School children could be seen playing volleyball and kho-kho. There was a simple ayurvedic medical centre for the locals, serving as a medical clinic;it's dull grey stone walls highlighting the health of the locals and how rarely they visited the doctor.
From Trilokinath, we took the visit to another town called Udaipur, home to perhaps the oldest temple in India. Little is known about the Mahishasuramardini temple, devoted to Hindu goddess Durga. The temple was located in the middle of the small town. Upon visiting, we were told that the temple was built by the Pandora princes Arjuna and Bhima and had entered its 7,200th year, this year. Seeking the Devi's blessings, we returned ans retired for the day at Chandrabhaga.
The next day, we started early towards Search. To reach the desolate valley, we had to cross another beautiful pass called the Baralacha la Pass, situated at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Here we were advised to limit our physical activities and reduce any strenuous work due to oxygen shortage. The pass had a beautiful Lake called the Suraj Tal, it's turquoise waters gleaming in the blazing sunlight, untouched by mankind.
Once again, our group went insane with the cameras before we huffed our way back to our vehicle, breathing heavily. As we passed more mountains, the region got more and more desolate,shedding its hue of green, now showing only grey-brown rock and white layers of snow and ice. This was another opportunity to assault the place with out cameras. Which, we did.
With the freezing ends numbing our fingers, we finally found a line of warm test-bed cafes, manned by locals offering what I now considered the 'regional dish' of the Himalayas: Maggi thukpas, bread omelette and strong Himalayan tea. We ate and drank to our hearts' content, chatting with the other trekkers and bikers resting there, grateful for the heat which we complain about in metro cities these days.
After a further drive of about 4 hours, we reached the final frontier: Sarchu Valley. It was a desolate heaven beyond imagination! Brown and grey rocky mountains surrounded us in a small group of tour organized and private tents. A straight road further 200 km would have taken us to Leh city in Ladakh, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Here, we had the ultimate time with mother nature, cleansing our minds, hearts and souls.
I conclude my review here as there are not enough words for me to describe this heaven's beauty.
To all the Indians who love nature and mountains and who seek to see the alps, I tell you this: Who needs the Alps when you have the Himalayas!?
But this time, me and my three friends decided to try something different. We decided to take a road trip to Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh, located in the Indo-Tibetan border.
Our trip began by taking our vehicle from Delhi. With a 12-hour drive to the hill station town of Manali, we decided to take a room there for a day to freshen up. Little were we aware of the heavens that awaited us beyond the icy Rohtang Pass.
As our vehicle spiralled upwards from Manali towards Rohtang, all of us were caught by the majestic mountains that rose from the grounds of Indian soil, like the design of a queen's crown, on our mother India's head.
We stopped by a few small eateries, all serving some of the finest Maggi recipes we had ever tasted in all our trips. The happiness of eating hot Maggi in cold Himalayan air was accompanied by the cheery smiles of the simple locals, as well as the Tibetan refugees settled for long time in the region. They would happily take orders with a smile and cook up delicious noodles and Himalayan tea in a matter of minutes.
Arriving at the Rohtang Pass was perhaps the biggest marvel of our lives. I had personally seen many places Europe as well as Asia, but nothing could surpass the natural beauty of Rohtang.
Grey asphalt roads snaked through 15-foot high formations of hard snow;both government and local bulldozers were seen parked around the place.
We absorbed the nature around us while clicking away madly all around us.
It took a while before we could get the feeling of being on earth itself I side us, as we had to cover a lot of ground to reach the final destination:Sarchu Valley.
We resumed our trip through a small town of Darcha, nothing more than a handful of rocky sideways with small eateries for tourists. Along the way, we met many biking expeditions as their bikes buzzed past our Toyota Innova.
After a 5-hour long road trip, we reached hotel Chandrabhaga I a village called Keylong, mesmerized throughout our trip, clicking photos every 10 minutes or so.
Keylong was our stopping point where we stayed in a government based hotel, Chandrabhaga. The name of this hotel comes from an ancient legend which I say let the locals explain to our potential visitors here.
The rooms were clean and simple, the food was excellent and as a icing on the cake, the hotel offered a morning view that would make any Swiss trekker green with envy. Apart from this, the staff was very friendly and caring, making us feel as if we had arrived at a common family friends' house.
Keylong had everything one would dream of as a rural, Himalayan retreat: small houses, terrace fields, fresh water everywhere and air so clean, breathing it felt nothing short of taking the elixir of life into oneself.
After a day of clicking photos with the villagers and local folk, we decided to visit the temple village of Trilokinath; abode to a 350-year old temple of Hindu god, Shiva. The way to Trilokinath was even more picturesque than we had seen in our previous leg of ride.
Yellow sunflower fields dotted the green landscape, with rivulets flowing, surrounded by rocky ice-peaked mountains. This reminded us of the old Shammi Kapoor movies shot during the 70s.
After a 2-hour drive, we reached the temple village. The temple was located on top of a hillock and was the only temple manned by Tibetan origin priests and an altar to Buddha alongside. We prayed at the temple & donated money in the 'hundi' box.
The scenic village was one of the simplest villages I had seen. School children could be seen playing volleyball and kho-kho. There was a simple ayurvedic medical centre for the locals, serving as a medical clinic;it's dull grey stone walls highlighting the health of the locals and how rarely they visited the doctor.
From Trilokinath, we took the visit to another town called Udaipur, home to perhaps the oldest temple in India. Little is known about the Mahishasuramardini temple, devoted to Hindu goddess Durga. The temple was located in the middle of the small town. Upon visiting, we were told that the temple was built by the Pandora princes Arjuna and Bhima and had entered its 7,200th year, this year. Seeking the Devi's blessings, we returned ans retired for the day at Chandrabhaga.
The next day, we started early towards Search. To reach the desolate valley, we had to cross another beautiful pass called the Baralacha la Pass, situated at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Here we were advised to limit our physical activities and reduce any strenuous work due to oxygen shortage. The pass had a beautiful Lake called the Suraj Tal, it's turquoise waters gleaming in the blazing sunlight, untouched by mankind.
Once again, our group went insane with the cameras before we huffed our way back to our vehicle, breathing heavily. As we passed more mountains, the region got more and more desolate,shedding its hue of green, now showing only grey-brown rock and white layers of snow and ice. This was another opportunity to assault the place with out cameras. Which, we did.
With the freezing ends numbing our fingers, we finally found a line of warm test-bed cafes, manned by locals offering what I now considered the 'regional dish' of the Himalayas: Maggi thukpas, bread omelette and strong Himalayan tea. We ate and drank to our hearts' content, chatting with the other trekkers and bikers resting there, grateful for the heat which we complain about in metro cities these days.
After a further drive of about 4 hours, we reached the final frontier: Sarchu Valley. It was a desolate heaven beyond imagination! Brown and grey rocky mountains surrounded us in a small group of tour organized and private tents. A straight road further 200 km would have taken us to Leh city in Ladakh, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Here, we had the ultimate time with mother nature, cleansing our minds, hearts and souls.
I conclude my review here as there are not enough words for me to describe this heaven's beauty.
To all the Indians who love nature and mountains and who seek to see the alps, I tell you this: Who needs the Alps when you have the Himalayas!?
Written August 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
neeta304
Mumbai, India13 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
Off beat place,hight is abt 12000ft ,so oxygen can be a problem,breath easy,dont run and climb rushing,take tab dimox a day prior to start,drink lot of water,it helps..a must visit place.
Written June 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Swati D
Mumbai, India130 contributions
Sept 2017 • Friends
Lahaul is blessed by nature and fostered by Chandra and Bhaga River. The valley is breath trekking valley.
Written March 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VivekTheTraveler
New Delhi, India178 contributions
Feb 2015
If you are a Nature lover, this is a place for you. you do not see any concrete jungle or tall structures in this area. This place is full of Buddhist Monasteries and Buddhist temples. though there are hotels and home stays are available in this area for the tourists. The weather of this area is highly unpredictable and one cannot completely reply on the historical data of the weather.
The Moajr attraction of the area is the Tabo Moneastry which was founded in 996 CE situated in Kaza area and the Mummy in the Gihu village who is growing the teeth, nail and hair on the head. Amazing is the right word to express the feelings to visit this area.
The Moajr attraction of the area is the Tabo Moneastry which was founded in 996 CE situated in Kaza area and the Mummy in the Gihu village who is growing the teeth, nail and hair on the head. Amazing is the right word to express the feelings to visit this area.
Written January 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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