Spiti Valley Tour Guide 2020| The beautiful landscape of Himachal Pradesh
Kaza is the sub-divisional headquarter of the remote Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Kaza is located in Northern India in the Indian Himalayas, at a distance of 210Kms by road. These places are known for their rocky-snowy valleys it has an elevation of 3,800m. It is also known as Kazeand it’s famous for River Spiti & its stark resemblance with Leh-Ladakh.
The most common route adventurers often take for this mega-adventure goes through Spiti Valley to Ladakh, from Manali side. These places are known for their natural beauty & cultural heritage. The mountains here are renowned for spectacular murals, ancient temples & several stupas.
How To Reach
•Kaza :
It is a 115Kms journey from Manali which takes 6hrs and it can also be reached via road from Shimla. One can rent a bike or book private cars (SUVs). Jogindernagar is the nearest railway station to this place.
The places are connected with the Tribal Circuit, one of the 4 roadways of Himachal. The road the Kaza is one of the roughest & most dangerous highways in India, besides Zoji La and Khardung La Pass. It is narrow, steep, and rocky. One must keep silent in the vehicle during driving on this road.
Where To Stay
• I stayed at Hotel Spiti Heritage Himalaya in Kaza, Spiti Valley. It has warm comfortable beds. The hotel staff are hospitable and provide tourists with a hot dinner & lunch. One could also dine in a restaurant beside this hotel which serves a Himalayan Cuisine.
•Whichever hotel one chooses to stay in these places, there are a few noticeable features about accommodations here.
The floors are wooden & hot water is a must here. Due to the massive availability of apples in Kalpa, one could get apples served every day at a low/no-cost depending on the facilities.
After 6/7 pm every day, doors of most hotels/restaurants close but food/basic amenities can still be delivered.
After Sep/Oct, snowfall often occurs in Kaza, it is advisable to carry extra jackets/woolen clothes. One would need extra blankets as well to cover themselves at night due to the extreme spine-chilling weather.
Temperature of Spiti Valley (Kaza):
These are cold desert places. Thus the max. avg temperature here is around 18°C and least averaging around -40°C. The best time to visit Spiti Valley is from April to October.
Best places to visit in Spiti Valley
Kaza :
•Key Monastery: Largest Monastery in Spiti Valley. Ancient relics of Dalai Lama & a mummy is also here. We also got cut apples & an indigenous drink for free during the tour in a 1000 yr old cave inside this monastery. It is the biggest & the oldest center for Buddhist learning in Spiti. It is located at a height of 13,668 ft.
•Chandratal Lake: Also known as Lake of the Moon- This crescent-shaped lake is famous for its color-changing nature. It changes from reddish to orange to blue to emerald green as the day ends. This is the perfect camping spot for stargazing. We were lucky to catch a glimpse of this lake during a full moon night. This is a place one will never forget in his entire lifetime.
•Suraj Tal Lake: Known as the Lake of the Sun God. It is the 21st highest lake in the world. It lies just below the Bara-Lacha-La Pass at an elevation of 4833Kms.
•Komic Village: Geological remnants & fossils are found here.
•Dhankar Lake & Monasteries: Famous tourist attraction. Dhankar lake is a sight to behold.
•Pin Valley/ Pin Valley National Park: This place is home to the few surviving Buchen Lamas of the Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism.
•Chicham Bridge: Connects villages Chicham and Kibber. This is the highest bridge in Asia. It is located at a startling height of 13,596 ft.
•Kumzum Pass known as Kumzum La is Tibetan, is located at a height of 14,931 ft. It is one of the highest motorable passes in India. It connects Lahaul and Spiti Valleys
Best Things to do in Spiti Valley:
Visit other monasteries like
- Sakya Tangud Monastery
- Gandhola Monastery
- Tayul Monastery
- Kardong Monastery
- Kungri Monastery
- Gue: The Mummy Village. Here 500-600yrs old mummy of a monk stays.
- Shop at Keylong Market, a very small marketplace where one can collect souvenirs.
- Rafting
- Yak Safari
- Visit Tibetan Shops
- Spiti Valley trek is a popular trek for the trekker.
Visit Sarchu, the border of Ladakh. This is an overnight stop for Leh Manali Highway.
Did you know? Spiti Valley is also known as “The Middle Land”. It separates India from Tibet. It has a scant population. Even though it has stark similarity with Ladakh, it remains off commercialization. There is a mountain ropeway that goes from Kibber to Chicham.
How to reach the valley:
•Kaza to Kalpa: 196.6Kms through NH5, takes about 5hrs to reach.
•Kalpa to Reckong Peo: 3kms, 8mins
•Kaza to Keylong: 186Kms, takes about 3hrs
•Kalpa to Shimla: 221Kms, 6h 20mins
•Kaza to Shimla: 407Kms, will take about 10hrs to reach.
•Kaza to Manali: 202Kms, will take around 3hrs
•Kalpa to Sangla: 38.4kms
•Kalpa to Chitkul: 61.2Kms, 2 & a ½ hrs to reach
•Kaza to Nako: 111.1Km
•Kaza to Tabo: 48.1 Km, takes 50mins
• from Kaza to Kibber: 18Kms
•Kaza to Kumzum: 75.1 Kms, 1h 18 min
•Spiti to Ladakh: about 500Kms
Kaza, Spiti valley is the most enchanting place in India. It is a must-visit for the mountain lover. As one can already feel from this blog itself. The pre-possessing beauty of this place is extraordinary in nature and unforgettable.
Written by Riddhi Bhattacharya, Travelofina Travel stories.
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