by Shruti Sharma Sometime in April my friends, who were setting up their new adventure travel outfit, Geck & Co Adventurers, asked me to join them on this trek taking the route used by Gaddi shepherds herding their flocks (and earlier used by the British) to cross over from Pabbar valley through the Buran pass to the Sangla valley. So, [...]
This is it. The edge of heaven. As far as oases go, Jispa’s tough to beat. Those driving to Ladakh usually take a night halt here; It’s just the place where the mood kicks in. It’s the last green spot – with trees, flowers and wheat fields – till you hit Leh. Jispa, in Himachal Pradesh lies at 3319 m [...]
Can you have the best of all the worlds? Possibly, if you go to Shoja, a lesser known gem of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh. If you go mid-summer onwards, a red carpet welcome awaits you – the 38 km (24 miles) drive from Aut near Kullu to Shoja will be lined with trees laden with apples till they are [...]
The next time you bite into a juicy apple from Himachal Pradesh, thank American Samuel Evan Stokes for it. He came to India on a leprosy mission in 1904, and was advised to recuperate in Kotgarh near Thanedar in Himachal when the heat of the plains got to him. With time to kill, he experimented with planting the apples we [...]
Pluck a red, crispy apple from the orchards. Walk down and ruminate while you eat it by the Baspa river. Listen to the musical compositions of the water your iPod cannot compete with. Doff your hat to the majesty of the snow-capped peaks rising around you. Allow your face to be caressed by the fresh breeze. Bask in the sunlight [...]
Don’t honk when driving into Tabo. You might disturb people sleeping in caves. Tabo is a small Buddhist village of a few hundred, located 3050 m (10,006 feet) above sea level in the cold desert region of the Lahaul-Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. It has a beautiful monastery, or gompa, with the ancient compound dating back to 996 A.D. – [...]
If you want to explore the high altitude cold desert region of Spiti valley, Kaza will be your base for much of it. At about 3800 metres (12,500 feet) Kaza is surrounded by a treasure trove of natural beauty, history, culture and religion. [The Kunzum Travel List is a compilation of great holiday ideas and available as an e-book, and [...]
The journey of Kunzum started in the stunningly beautiful Himalayan region of Lahaul Spiti in 2007. And, our brand was inspired by the Kunzum La (pass) on the way to Kaza from Manali. It is thus befitting the first entry on the Kunzum Travel List as Route K13, one of the greatest drives on this planet. [The Kunzum Travel List [...]
If you are planning to go to Lahaul Spiti including Kaza and Tabo, here are some travel tips for you: * Getting there: Hitch a ride with a Government or Army helicopter – not a real option. Only other way to go is by road via Manali or from the other side via Shimla and Kinnaur. Roads are closed in [...]
I chose to drive to Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in October for two reasons: to see the best apples in bloom and to catch the autumn colours. And I sure was not disappointed. Especially at Nako Lake.
One of the most exciting drives you can do is to start from Delhi, go to Kaza and Tabo in Spiti via Manali and Rohtang Pass, go on to Kinnaur and explore Nako and Sangla (and possibly Kalpa) and return to Delhi via a halt in Thanedar. Here is a driving guide for you on Kunzum Route K13. Click here [...]
If you are driving from Manali to Kaza, the journey is anything but smooth – this does not suggest it is not exciting and adventurous. It is – and one that will take you through some stunning landscapes. But at the end of it, even the sturdiest would wish for a comfortable bed and a hot meal. Knock on Banjara [...]
I had been to all properties of Banjara Camps over the last three years – except the one at Thanedar. I had passed it close many times already on the way to or from Sangla, but always skipped it. And when I finally visited it recently, it left me ruing all the missed opportunities.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Especially if you have the ones in Tabo. But first, the miracle part: Tabo (read more here) is located in Spiti, one of the most inhospitable regions of the world. Tabo’s altitude is 3050 metres above sea level, and most of Spiti is higher than this in the Indian Himalayas. It falls [...]
The world is full hidden wonders and events – wish there was a way of knowing about them. One such is the Komic Monastery in Spiti and its annual festival – one that no one will tell you about until you probe. And even when you know about it, you will not find it easy to get there. The Komic [...]
Half way between Kullu and Manali, adventurers can get an adrenaline rush by jumping from a 2000M cliff and enjoy Paragilding. Those who dare are rewarded with a birds eye view of the most incredible scenery – snow capped mountains, the river Beas in the Kullu valley, the villages of Sarsei and Chakri and the neighboring pine forests.. Beginners needn’t worry – tandem jumps with experienced jumpers are available.
Is it Shoja or Sojha? Both spellings are used but let us use Sojha as marked on a milestone. Let the Government have the final word. Like the Banjara property at Sangla, I have visited their property in Sojha twice: August 2007 and recently in May 2009. The main difference between then and now: the apple trees in the gardens [...]
I stayed at Banjara Camps’ Sangla property two years ago and visited the same recently. Did anything change during this period? Yes, they have come up with their 12 room Retreat which is not tented accommodation but a built up structure. There was a flash flood that took away some of the land – including the original bonfire area – [...]
I chatted up an old lady sitting by the side of the road outside my hotel in the early morning hours in Jispa, a town in Himachal Pradesh on the way to Ladakh. She was busy knitting, with as calm and happy an expression as one could have in the beautiful setting of this town. She was waiting to go [...]
Jispa is usually promoted by travel operators as a necessary halt on the way to Ladakh when coming from Manali. Not only are the subsequent distances to Leh and Tso Moriri too much to cover on the same day, but also to enable travellers get acclimatised to the high altitudes of the region. Jispa is located at a height of [...]
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