Road Trip from Manali to Spiti Valley
Me and my wife Kamal
took this memorable journey in July 2019. Road trip to Spiti can be under taken
by people of all ages provided you are physically fit and young at heart.
People suffering from Asthma, heart ailments and back problems must consult their
doctor before undertaking this trip. However, everyone needs to make some
preparation for this trip and should try to have as much local information as
possible on Spiti. This will make your trip more enjoyable and comfortable.
Here we are going to try and give you as much information as possible from our
experience of this trip.
About Spiti Valley
We can describe Spiti
in two words as “Magical Valley” and it is here that you get a true feeling of
being in the lap of Himalayas. Located near the Tibet border, it is a cold
desert (rain shadow area) and is located in state of Himachal Pradesh. The
local population here is predominantly Buddhist and Spiti Valley is accessible
from Manali and Shimla. Spiti is one of India’s least populated areas with the
sub-divisional headquarters located at Kaza, a small town located at a height
of 12,500 feet, on the banks of river Spiti. Spiti is summer home to Gaddi’s,
the nomadic tribes who are sheep and goat herders, they graze their animals
during summers and leave just before the snowfall starts.
Spiti is a place where
you can be at complete peace with yourself, with Buddhist prayer flags
relentlessly fluttering all over the valley and many famous monasteries
synonymous with the serenity of the place. One can travel to Spiti for various
reasons. It provides you an opportunity of adventure and thrill of motor bike
safari, SUV Safari and tens of exciting hikes & treks of varying durations
and difficulty levels. Spiti offers one of the world’s most challenging roads
and terrains that will test your driving skills and endurance both. For
photography enthusiasts it is dream come true, whether it is
photographing the Chandrataal or the breathtaking Kumzum Pass or the landscapes
or starry nights or photographing the milky way, Spiti offers it all. If you
are a nature lover and looking for some peace and quiet, it is an ideal
destination for you. If you are interested in Buddhist culture and monasteries,
there can be no better place in the world than Spiti. Spiti offers you an opportunity
to dig for fossils from millions of years ago, which you can carry as your
souvenirs back home.
Places to visit in Spiti Valley
Rohtang Pass
The pass
located at a height od 13050 feet connect Kullu Valley to Lahaul and Spiti
Valley. The pass is located at a distance of 51 Kms from Manali. Every vehicle
needs a permit to cross this pass. The pass remains closed once the snow starts
and reopens in the month of May each year after the army cuts through the snow
to open the route each year. It is an important alternate route for Indian army
for Leh. Now a tunnel is being excavated which will be operation soon and it
will cut down the journey time substantially for people traveling to Lahaul and
Spiti.
Kunzum Pass
Kumzum la is one of the
highest motorable mountain passes in India and is situated at the height of
15060 feet (4590 meters). Located here is Godess Durga (Kunjum) temple, which
guards over the pass and keeps all the evil powers away. All locals, drivers
and tourists take a round of the temple to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga.
You get a 360 degree of snow-capped mountains and you can take some memorable
photographs here.
Chicham Bridge
Located at the height of
13596 feet (4144 meters) is Asia’s highest bridge that connects Chicham Village
to Kibber Village. The bridge is built over a 1000 feet deep gorge. It was
built over 15 years and started in year 2017 and helps cut journey in this
region by over 40 kms.
Kaza
Located at an altitude of
12465 feet (3800 meters), it is the largest town in Spiti Valley and is the
administrative headquarters of the valley. Kaza is located on the banks of
river Spiti. The town can act as a base camp for many day excursions, specially
for people who do not want to stay at off-beat places. The only petrol pump of
the region is located here. It also has hotels, home stays, banks, ATM’s, good
café’s and eating out places.
Pin Valley
This beautiful
valley located in Spiti is completely different from rest of Spiti, there is a
sudden transformation in landscape from desert like to green carpeted hills
with the furious Pin river flowing through the valley. Pin Valley National Park
is home to some 12 rare snow leopards, Siberian
Ibex, Red Fox, many rare bird species and some 21 rare and endangered medicinal
plants and herbs. From Kaza to Mud Village, the last village of Pin Valley, the
distance is around 50 Kms. It is mostly an untarred road and takes about 3-4
hours to reach Mud village from Kaza. For travelers looking to stay an
overnight here there are home stays available.
Gue Monastery
This monastery
is famous for mummy of Sangha Tenzin, a Buddhist monk who is believed to have
started his mummification process while he was still alive. This is a very rare
example of natural mummification as most mummies we read about are mummified by
embalming and then being wrapped in linen cloth. The natural process of
mummification is used by monks by slow process of starvation in a seated
position. The dead body is them placed in underground chamber for 3 years to
continue the drying process. Only 30 such mummied have been found till date and
most on them in Japan. The mummy of Sangha Tenzin is remarkably well preserved
with skin and hair intact.
Tabo Monastery
Located in a
small quiet village, is one of the oldest monasteries in the region that was
built in the year 996 and is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the
area. Located at an altitude of 10760 feet (3280 meters), it is one of the
largest complexes in Spiti and comprises of 23 chortens, 9 temples, a monk’s
chamber and a nun’s chamber. From the monastery you can see a cluster of caves
that are believed to have been used by the monks for months meditation and
solitary confinement. The wall paintings inside the monastery are amazing.
Dhankar Village
Located at an altitude of
12775 feet (3894 meters) in Schichling village is Dhankar Monastery and when
you look at it from distance it seems to hang on the cliff side. In local
language Dhankar means a fort and in fact this monastery was used to guard the
valley from outside invasions. It makes you wonder as to what kind of
engineering skills the Spitians must have had to build a monastery is such a
terrain. You make take a short trek to Dhankar lake at an elevation of 14000
feet.
Lhalung Monastery
Founded by great Tibetan
Buddhist Rinchen Zangpo, Lhalung monastery also known a Golden Temple is more
than 1000 years old and is located in Lhalun Village situated at the height of
12000 feet (3658 meters). It is believed that the monastery appeared on its
own, celestial creation, after a willow tree was planted in 10th century.
The same was explained to us by the present abbot of the monastery. The idols
located in the inner sanctorum of the temple are amazing and have never been
touched, as explained by the abbot, so they can be preserved in their purest
form. Even archaeological survey of India has not been allowed to take any
samples. Locals also believe that the color of the mountains around the
monastery changes with the mood of the deities. It turns yellow when deities
are happy, red when angry and blue when hurt.
Kye Monastery
Located at a distance of
some 12 kilometers from Kaza, this is one of the most popular monasteries in
the Spiti area. It is perched on top of a picturesque hilltop, overlooking
Spiti river, at an altitude of 13490 feet (4112 meters). This monastery was built
in 11 century and is more than 1000 years old. This monastery was repeatedly
attacked by the Mongols and was heavily damaged during the 1975 earthquake. But
with renovations and reconstruction the monastery has been restored to its old
charm. The walls of the monastery are decorated with beautiful paintings and
murals. There are many valuable manuscripts in its library from the old times
and a collection of weapons used to defend the monastery from attacks.
Hikim Village
It is one hour uphill
drive from Kaza and the village has the highest post office of the world at the
height of 14567 feet (4440 meters). You have to park the vehicle on the road
and make a steep walk to the post office. There are post cards readily
available at the café located opposite to the post office. You can write the
post cards and post them there and then to your loved ones. The houses here are
made of clay and stone. Fossil enthusiasts can look around Hikkim and find
fossils more easily than perhaps in Langza.
Komic Village
The village is around 5
kms drive from Hikkim Village. The Govt. sign board perhaps gives the best
description as the “Highest Village in the World connected by a motorable
road”. The village is at a height 15027 feet (4587 meters). Tangyuth Monastery
belonging to Sakya sect, located in Komic is one of the oldest and highest
located monasteries in India.
Langza Village
Located 16 Kms from Kaza,
at a height of 14500 feet (4420 meters) is this remote and incredibly scenic
village which is famous for presence of large number of marine animal’s fossils
around the area. The village is guarded by a towering statue of Lord Buddha and
is surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountains. There is a temple near the
Buddha statue that is believed to be around 500 years old. For travelers keen
to stay here and explore the area for fossils there are areas the locals can
direct you to where there are good chances to find fossils. There are
comfortable home stays available for travelers.
Tashigang Village
A very small village at an altitude of 15256 feet is the highest
polling station in World. This sleepy hamlet also holds the title of highest
village in Spiti Valley. A total of 6 families stay here and the village can
sometime remain cut from rest of the world due to roads being blocked by
snowfall.
Chandra Taal
Chandra Tall means “Lake
of the Moon” is located in the middle of Spiti’s wilderness, at the elevation
of 14100 feet (4300 meters), is a crystal clear glacial lake and is a photographers
delight. The legend is that this is the location from where the rain God
“Indra’s” chariot took Yudhishthira (eldest of the Pandava’s from Mahabharata)
to heaven. It is a very rough and tiring 1.15 hours drive from Batal. About 3
kms before the parking, there are camping grounds with many tented
accommodations available for the travelers. From the parking it is about 1 Km
walk to the lake, but when to get the first sight of the lake, one forgets all
the tiredness and you get spellbound by the tranquility of the lake. The air is
cold, windy, Buddhist prayer flags fluttering around and there is a mysterious
energy radiating around the place. It is Mother Nature at it’s best and one
should enjoy and immerse in these beautiful surroundings.
Planning your trip to Spiti Valley
There are two ways to do the Spiti trip. You can either take
start from Shimla from where it takes two full days to reach Kaza. Or you can
undertake a one day road journey from Manali to Kaza. Shimla to Kaza is around
426 Kms, but roads are good. Whereas Manali to Kaza is 210 Kms, but very rough
roads, if you can call it a road, but ideal in case you love rough terrain and
want to challenge your driving skills. Choice of route will depend on a number
of factors like time available, mode of travel (SUV or Motor bikes), what kind
of luxury factor you are looking at, purpose of travel and so on.
Always choose the road according to what suits you. Since the
valley is at a height, it is important to acclimatize properly, carry warm clothes
and other necessities. We have mentioned in detail about things to carry while
travelling to Spiti separately.
For tourists looking for some adventure they can travel to Spiti
by following modes:
1.
Motorbiking Experience
You can start your tour from Manali and end in Manali or start
from Shimla and end in Manali. Bikes are available for both options. From
Manali you can reach Kaza the same day whereas it will take you 2 full days to
reach Kaza from Shimla. If you are short on time them Manali is the best
option, but the disadvantage is that it is a rough and challenging drive from
Manali to Kaza. The road exists for name sake only and there are many water
crossing (some 20 odd crossing) en-route to Kaza. Hence it is suggested to
start from Manali as early as possible (say between 4-5 am). It is easier to
handle the water crossings during the first half of the day as in the afternoon
the temperature goes up and water flow increases. We suggest that there should
travel in a group of 3-8 riders as then you can hire a back-up vehicle along
with a mechanic who is there with you for the complete program. The back-up
vehicle can also carry all the luggage and if you tire out then you can rest
for some time by traveling in the back-up vehicle. If anything goes wrong with
the bike, on the way, help may not be available for many miles.
2. SUV driving experience
For people who would like to put their driving skills to test,
there can be no better terrain than Spiti to do that. You can either drive your
own SUV with a high ground clearance (provided you are willing to risk its
suspension and tires) or you can hire a self-drive SUV. In case you are not
very confident about driving in these challenging conditions I suggest you take
a drive along, preferably a local drive used to these conditions. Roads in
Spiti are very unkind and unforgiving, hence it a must that you drive carefully
and calmly at all times. However, I must point out that driving yourself had
one big disadvantage, you are not able to enjoy and absorb the unreal landscape
& sights around you and the sights here are magical and unbelievable. So in
case you want to enjoy the scenery, photograph and make videos of the
surroundings then take a driver along or hire a SUV Taxi from Manali or Shimla.
3. Both SUV driving and Motorbiking experience
For people who want to have the best of both the worlds, undertake
the trip by SUV and also enjoy motorbiking, we suggest that you drive the SUV
till Kaza (either your own SUV or hire a self-drive SUV or hire a SUV Taxi with
driver). Bikes can be hired in Kaza and you have option of doing day trips to
various places or take a 4 to 5 nights tour on bikes (with option of staying in
places like Pin Valley, Tabo, Dhankar & Langza) and in the end return to
Kaza for your return journey to Manali by SUV. Of course it will cost you more,
but then you get the best of both the worlds.
The
Road Conditions in Spiti
The road from Manali to Spiti Valley and in
general most of the roads in Spiti Valley and arguably some of the most treacherous
and extremely dangerous roads in India. These are one of the world’s toughest roads for
motor bikers as well as SUV drivers and requires excellent driving skills. The roads are very narrow, very steep,
just dirt tracks most of the way littered with stones of all sizes and driving in Spiti is much
more challenging than the Manali-Leh drive. The route from Shimla to Kaza is much better, however you still need to drive carefully and it is a 2 day journey from Shimla to Kaza. One needs to be amply prepared when
traveling on these roads as phone signals are non-existent and only small
villages en route (sometime just 8-10 houses), this makes the journey all the more
challenging as facilities for any kind of vehicle repairs are non existent. Between Chhatru and Batal you are driving mostly on the riverbed
littered with boulders. The road constantly experiences landslides. There
are many water crossing’s with glacial streams flowing across the road, that
merge into ferocious Chandra river and some of these water crossings are even feared by drivers who drive on this route regularly. Most of the road on this route is at a
height of 11000 feet or more.
Best
time to travel to Spiti:
The best time to visit Spiti Valley is from end of May to October every year. However it can get very cold in month of October. The access to Spiti from Manali side opens as soon as
Rohtang Pass is opened by the army. However, from Shimla side you can access
Spiti Valley almost round the year. However in winters due to heavy snowfall some sections of the road can remain closed for a few days. The best time to travel is from late May to
early October. In winters most of the remote villages become inaccessible due
to heavy snowfall and temperatures can go down to -30 degree Celsius.
Medical advice when traveling to Spiti:
This advise is
from a layman and not a professional doctor. So please consult your doctor before
your travel. First advise is that do not smoke and do not take any liquor. Most
tourists are not used to high altitude and If you are not careful you can
suffer from high altitude sickness. When we travelled, 3 days before my journey
we started taking 125 mg Diamox Tablet, one in morning & one in the
evening. I continued it till end of my journey It really helped me, but please
consult your doctor before taking Diamox. People who get uncomfortable due to
hill drive, must carry appropriate medicine to avoid that. One should carry
medicines for headache, fever, anti-vomiting, cough medicine, mild laxative,
some gel for pain and sprain relief and all your regular medications.
If you
want you can carry a small fingertip pulse & oximeter monitor. As you go to
higher altitude your blood oxygen level tends to decrease and pulse increases.
You can start monitoring them both from home itself and keep noting down the
readings. Normal blood oxygen levels vary between 75 to 100 and in case it drops
below 60, it usually indicates requirement for supplemental oxygen. If this
happens the best remedy is to immediately come down to lower altitude. All
people suffering from Asthma, high blood pressure and any kind of heart
condition must consult their doctor and take his permission before travelling. People
with any king of back problem should also avoid travelling to Spiti as the road
are very bumpy.
What to Carry with you on
trip to Spiti Valley
Suggested 2 pairs of Inner thermals
Sweatshirts, fleece jacket plus warm & heavy windproof jacket.
Good trekking shoes preferably water proof (if you are motor biking).
2 pairs of Woolen socks, gloves
Comfortable trekking / traveling pants or jeans.
Sun caps, woolen cap (for mornings & evening). Protect yourself from direct sunlight & UV rays, as it is too harsh.
Dark Sunglasses, Torch High SPV sunscreen lotion
Some energy bars and dry snacks
If you wish you can carry some giveaways like chocolates, books, pens, crayons, etc. for local children.
Where to stay in Spiti valley
Most places in Spiti offer comfortable Home Stays. In Kaza you can find hotels of 3 star category as well as Home stays. In Losar, Langza Village, Tabo, Dhankar Village, Pin Valley, Kalpa, Nako one can book Home Stays or small guest houses. They offer simple, comfortable, neat and clean places to stay. Very few places have attached bath & toilet facilities. Most places have sharing facilities and they are clean and hygienic. Camping accommodation is available at Chandrataal and Batal. At few of the Homestays you will get hot water and you can bathe and at some home stays you will have to manage with a dry bath.
It is better to prebook your accommodations, specially during summers as it is a busy period and you may have problems finding good accommodation on arrival.
Where to eat while you are Spiti
When you are traveling from Manali to Kaza food is available at Marhi, Chhatru, Batal, Losar and Chicham. On Shimla Kaza route food is available at Narkanda, Sarahan, Rampur, Nako and Kalpa. In Kaza there are many hotels, restaurants and cafes. At Home stays you will get home cooked vegetarian meals consisting of lentils, fresh vegetables, rice, local fresh bread, chutney and curd. In breakfast at home stays you can get local bread with jam, egg omelet, bread, tea.
We hope this article and information that we have give from our own experience of this trip has been useful to you in planning your trip. If you have any question or doubts or you want us to add more information, do write to us and we would be happy to help you. In case you need any help in planning your trip to Spiti do let us know.
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