So finally chapter of Spiti comes to my list. One of my favourite places so far. Its also called a cold desert in the Himalayas which lies in the northeastern part of Himalayas in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

By word, it means a middle land …land between India and Tibet. It is situated at the height of around 12500 feet above sea level.

After Leh anything that has come so close to the mountains’ beauty is Spiti.

It’s a challenging ride to reach there but once you are there you will be spellbound by the untouched beauty. Slowly and gradually, it has been gaining popularity. This area is surrounded by high mountain ranges. Passes like Rohtang and Kunzum pass just add to their majestic beauty.

Location and Climate

It’s a complete circuit where either you can start from Manali or Shimla. It lies somewhere in between them. We decided to complete this circuit by starting from Shimla and ending on Manali’s side.

As far as climate is concerned, this place is mostly around 8 months closed due to heavy snowfall and is open to tourism only for 4 months. However, if you have the balls to experience winter Spiti you can do that but be prepared for hell on roads everywhere.

So as u can see June-Sep is the only time when you can get there. It will be cold but as compared to the rest of the months these are better months.

How to reach:

Spiti is situated high in the mountains, so there is no air connectivity, and neither is rail connectivity. However, it is well connected to roads to major cities. Below are the details:

By Air: Kaza is situated between Manali and Shimla, and both these places have airports from Manali Bhuntar is the airport, and Taxis are available both from Shimla and Mali, which can take you to Kaza. From Manali, Kaza is 200 km so approx 6 hour’s journey depending upon how the roads are and what is the on-ground situation of landslides. from Shimla, it’s around 409 km so around 15 hours.

By Railways: The nearest railway station is Jogindernagar which is a narrow gauge, and Chandigarh and Shimla and 2 stations where you can get broadway connectivity again from there, you have to take a cab or rent a car or bike.

By Road: Now, when we say roadways so there are only 2 options…either you enter from Manali or from Shimla. And both these cities are well connected to Delhi, which is well connected to all parts of India.

We completed this journey on the road on our bikes, and below is the route we took:

Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla-Narkanda-Kalpa-Nako-Tabo-Kaza-Manali-Mandi-Rupnagar-Ambala-karnal-Delhi

 This entire circuit is around 1700 km and was a hell of a ride.

Road condition for road trip:

As far as road conditions are concerned it was the great road from Delhi almost kaza via Shimla….you will find small patches around Sangla that were bad, but else road was fun.

Now after you have crossed Kaza and heading towards Manali so this is where all fun starts. There are no roads…there are water crossing..there are rivers..there are landslides…all waiting for you.

After Kaza we went to a lake called Chandrataal which is also hectic and has no roads. We found almost 120 km of slush when coming to Manali from Kaza.

Our bikes were exhausted..we were exhausted…We had a Triumph tiger which got some error due to all this..out of 10 bikes every bike has some or the other issue.

It was a dream come true for all of us. If you wish to use your car it has to be an SUV.. it’s advisable. I have seen i20 also on these roads, but there is no point taking that risk.

Where to stay

There are not many options in Kaza…so all you will find is basic accommodation only. This place is still not so commercialized and there are very few families you will see here as tourists as it’s difficult to reach here. So mostly you will see young tourists there. For hotels as I always say you can do that on websites like make your trip and yatra..I am sharing some homestays which are excellent and reasonable.

1. Norling home Stay, Kibber.

   1.  Address: Prop. Sh. Chhering Norphel, Village and P.O. Kibber, Tehsil Kaza (Spiti), Distt. Lahaul & Spiti. 
   2. Location: 18 km from Kaza Bus Stand. 
   3. Contact No: Ph. No. 01906-262242; Mobile: 094185-56107. 
   4. No. of rooms: Three rooms. 
   5. Tariff per day: Rs 300/- per room.
   6.  Places of tourists interest: Kibber Monastery, Kye Monastery 09 km, Dhankar Goma 45 km, Tabo Monastery 55 km. 
   7. Approach: By road from Shimla via Reckong Peo and from Manali via Kunjam Pass. Spiti region is best visitable between June to October.

1. Mahabaudha home Stay, Kaza. 

   1. Address: Prop. Sh. Norbu Gyaltsen, Village and P.O. Kaza, Tehsil Kaza (Spiti), Distt. Lahaul & Spiti. 
   2. Location: Near Kaza Bus Stand. 
   3. Contact No: Ph. No. 01906-200099; Mobile: 094186-86272. 
   4. No. of rooms: Three rooms.
   5.  Tariff per day: Rs 700/- per room.
   6.  Places of tourists interest: Kye Monastery 07 km, Kibber Monastery 18 km, Dhankar Goma 29 km, Tabo Monastery 50 km. 
   7. Approach: By road from Shimla via Reckong Peo and from Manali via Kunjam Pass. Spiti region is best visitable between June to October.

1. Butith Guest Houe, Kaza.

   1. 1.  Address: Prop. Smt. Sonam Butith W/o Sh Chunpa, Village and P.O. Kaza, Tehsil Kaza (Spiti), Distt. Lahaul & Spiti.
      2.  Location: Near Kaza Bus Stand. 
      3. Contact No: Ph. No. 01906-222271. 
      4. No. of rooms: Three rooms. 
      5. Tariff per day: Rs 200/- per room
      6. Places of tourists interest: Kye Monastery 07 km, Kibber Monastery 18 km, Dhankar Goma 29 km, Tabo Monastery 50 km.
      7. Approach: By road from Shimla via Reckong Peo and from Manali via Kunjam Pass. Spiti region is best visitable between June to October.

There are many more others which you can find in the homestay section on the website.

What to eat/Where to eat

This entire belt is full of small eateries and cafes. Kaza is known for food also. There are small café and every nook and corner. I am going to share what we like best there and what to eat there:

1. Café Zomsa:
   1. Cost for 2 is around 1000
   2. Full bar options are there
   3. Live Music in the evening
   4. Most popular for : Chilli chicken and momos and pizza
   5. The owner is a fantastic guy..a musician and a traveller…living there for a decade and knows all the places in and out
2. Ri-dzong Residency Hotel and Restaurant Kaza
   1. It’s a hotel as well as a restaurant…you can stay here too but their café is equally good and open to outsiders.
   2. Breakfast is mostly veg but it’s simple and good to eat.
3. Sol Café:
   1. You can buy souvenirs too from this place
   2. They do a lot of social work for kaza ..so a must-go place to sit and enjoy
   3. For a price of 200, they also show the movie at 6 pm daily(drink,popcorn and chocolates are included in that)
   4. You should try desserts and coffee here
   5. Food is a bit expensive, but for the noble cause they are doing, its okay
4. Himalayan Café:
   1. Now it’s a beauty or a gem of kaza
   2. They have live music in evening
   3. All options of drinks are there
   4. Run by a lady who knows what she is doing..perfect host and knows how to enage everybody
   5. Do love the Sampa cake there..over all food is awesome

What to buy/where to buy

• • This entire circuit takes you to many cities which are well known among tourists: Shimla, Manali, Kaza so you get to choose best from all these places.However, being said this entire valley is close to Tibet and is heavily influenced by the Buddhist culture so you will find below items mostly to buy here:
    • Flags.Prayer wheels, masks, Copper and brass statue.Kniefs, Different sizes of Buddha ji, Singling bowls
    • Apparel: You can also get to choose from woollen clothes since all these places are mostly cold, so you will have enough options for Shawls, Scarfs,
    • Jewellery is one thing you can’t miss here….and all this is for women. rings, earrings made of silver,wood and traditional designs..they are memisimaring
    • Apart from all this of buying items you also get a chance to get real fruits which are tasty and good for health.Fruits like apples, peaches, apricot, grapes
  • Kaza is the biggest town in Spiti Valley. And Kaza has a small market which can be easily identified, and you can find all these things from there.

Activities:

I will be honest with you guys. Spiti is not a destination. It’s an experience. When you enter from Shimla or Manali and exit at Manali/Shimla, and you start feeling a cold breeze over your ears, that’s when you have started your journey. When the air becomes light, and you start enjoying breathing is when your experience starts….My experience was Spiti started when I reached Narkanda, which is 2nd step of Spiti in my view. There are n number of things you can do here.I am going to list a few important ones:

1. Nako Village walk
   Nako…a small village of Himachal near to Indo-China border. This place is so small that people often don’t visit here. This place is not for tourists and is only suitable for people who like to see the Himalayas and Tibetan culture’s raw presence. You can cover and go anywhere in the village by walking only as it very small place. It’s advisable to stay a night here and see the morning freshness. It’s something different.
2. Gue Monesatry:
   Approx. 82km before Kaza towards Shimla Road is this place. Its a very small place with only 50-60 houses in entire area. From Sumdo its around 8km off road. People are really nice there and they go out of scope to help you for anything. This place can actually tell you how harsh the conditions are there to live. This place is known for India’s only naturally preserved mummy of an old monk. There are no bandages nothing. It lies in a small glass type of box where you can clearly see teeth hair  and eyes are still there on its head. As far as time are concerned be there before 3 pm only. This mummy is around 500 years old. Name of this Old Monk was Sangha Tenzin and was discovered in 1975.Ideally  this place can be covered on the way to Kaza if you are going from Shimla side.
3. Monastery stays in Tabo:
   This is a one-lifetime experience. We were lucky as we did this since there were no options left. We reached Tabo quite late and we were unable to find any accommodation as all were full. It’s a small place and in a season since there is a lesser option so mostly get full. So it’s better to have a confirmed booking in advance. However we are not like that so we were actually looking for a stay since all were full, a thought came to mind let’s pitch the tent, and nothing can be done. It was almost 45 min, and we were tired and hungry. Then all of a sudden a 12-13 old kid came and told us that we could stay in the monastery. Initially, we thought we had heard something wrong but then we realised, he was saying this only.
   We had never done this. Considering bikers, people don’t expect simplicity from us. We went there and enquired and yes….we got it ..3 rooms for 12 people….
   It’s a different experience when you stay there. You feel connected with that power. Although rates were average only the overall experience was something we still can’t forget. There is a small restaurant where you can go and eat fresh food.
4. Star Gazing:
   If you are a fan of star gazing, there is no better place than Kaza to see that and enjoy this. There are two places in India I love for star gazing Kaza and Pangong lake…both are awesome. Before that, you should know how to capture the milky way in the camera before you don’t get a chance like this very often. Luck has to be in your favour, and the sky has to be precise. We were glued to the sky for at least 25 min. It’s so clear and so soothing…All those movies like star wars came to my mind when we saw that. If you are in Kaza, make sure you spend some time enjoying this because there are very few places in India you can enjoy this view.
5. Komik
   Visit the Komik Monastery: The Komik Monastery is one of the highest monasteries in the world and is an important religious site for Buddhists. Visitors can witness the daily rituals of the monks and also learn about the rich history and culture of the region.
6. Hikkim –Postcard
   1. 1. Hikkim is a small village in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is famous for having the highest post office in the world, which is also known as the Hikkim Post Office.
      2. The Hikkim Post Office was established in 1983 and is located at 4,440 meters (14,567 feet) above sea level. It serves the local community and is a popular tourist attraction, as visitors can send postcards and letters from the highest post office in the world.
      3. The post office operates from a small room decorated with colourful prayer flags and paintings. Visitors can buy postcards, stamps, and other souvenirs from the post office and take pictures with the postmaster, who is happy to share stories and insights about the local community.
      4. Apart from the post office, Hikkim is also known for its picturesque landscapes and ancient Buddhist monastery, located on a hill overlooking the village. Visitors can hike to the monastery and witness the daily rituals of the monks and also enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
7. Fossil hunt:
   1. 1. 1. The Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, is a popular destination for fossil hunting. The region is known for its unique geological formations and fossils that date back millions of years.
         2. To go fossil hunting in Spiti, visitors can explore the riverbeds, valleys, and cliffs in the region. Some popular fossil hunting sites in Spiti include the villages of Kaza, Langza, and Mudh. Visitors can hire a local guide who can help them navigate through the rugged terrain and identify the fossils.
         3. The most common fossils found in Spiti include ammonites, trilobites, and marine reptiles. These fossils provide valuable insights into the geological history of the region and also offer a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the evolution of life on earth.
         4. It is important to note that fossil hunting in Spiti is a delicate process, and visitors should respect the natural environment and avoid damaging the fossils or the geological formations. It is also essential to obtain the necessary permits and follow the local regulations when fossil hunting in Spiti.
         5. Fossil hunting in Spiti can be done throughout the year, but the best time to visit is from June to September when the weather is pleasant, and the roads are accessible. Visitors can also explore the local museums and cultural centres, which offer a wealth of information about the fossils and the natural history of the region.
8. Kaza highest petrol pump:
    Kaza is a town located in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India, and is known for having the highest petrol pump in the world. The petrol pump is situated at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level and serves as a lifeline for the local community and tourists visiting the region. The Indian Oil Corporation operates the petrol pump in Kaza and offers petrol, diesel, and other automotive products. It is an essential facility in the region, as the nearest petrol pump is more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) away.
   Visitors can refuel their vehicles at the petrol pump and stock up on essential supplies, such as food, water, and camping equipment. The petrol pump is open throughout the year. Still, visitors are advised to check the weather and road conditions before travelling to the region, especially during the winter months when the roads can be treacherous.

1. Shopping at Kaza

2. Sit and relax by the Spiti River

3. Key Monastery
   1. 1. The Key Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is also known as the Kye Gompa or Ki Monastery and is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in the region.
      2. The Key Monastery was founded in the 11th century by Dromtön, a disciple of the famous Tibetan Buddhist teacher Atisha. The monastery has undergone many renovations and expansions over the centuries, and today, it is a significant religious and cultural centre for the local community.
      3. The Key Monastery houses a large collection of ancient Buddhist scriptures, murals, and thangkas (religious paintings). Visitors can witness the daily rituals of the monks, including the morning prayers and evening ceremonies, and also participate in meditation sessions.
      4. The monastery offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and visitors can take a short hike to a nearby hill for a panoramic view of the Spiti Valley. The monastery also organizes cultural events and festivals throughout the year, including the popular Chham dance, which is performed by the monks during the annual Spiti Gustor Festival.
      5. The Key Monastery can be visited throughout the year, but the best time to visit is from June to September when the weather is pleasant, and the roads are accessible. To reach the monastery, visitors can take a bus or hire a taxi from Kaza, the nearest town.
         

4. World most  treacherous road

   1. 1. 1. The Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, is known for its rugged terrain and treacherous roads, with some of the streets being considered among the most dangerous in the world. The most notorious road in Spiti Valley is the Hindustan-Tibet Road or National Highway 505, which connects Manali to Kaza.
         2. The road passes through narrow, winding mountain passes, steep cliffs, and precarious bridges. The road is unpaved in many sections, and landslides and rockfalls are common occurrences, making it a challenging and risky drive for even the most experienced drivers.
         3. Despite the challenges, the Hindustan-Tibet Road offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes, including snow-capped peaks, deep valleys, and rushing rivers. It is also a vital lifeline for the local communities, providing access to essential supplies and services.
         4. Travellers are advised to exercise caution and hire an experienced driver when travelling on the Hindustan-Tibet Road. It is also recommended to travel during the summer months when the roads are in better condition, and the weather is more favourable.
         5. Although the Hindustan-Tibet Road is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world, it is also a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the local people, who have carved out a way of life in one of the most remote and challenging regions of the world.
            
5. Pin valley
   1. Explore the Pin Valley National Park: The Pin Valley National Park is a wildlife reserve that is home to various species of animals and birds. Visitors can go on guided tours to see the wildlife and also participate in hiking and camping activities.

6. Campaing at Chandrtaal

7. Kunzum pass

8. Picture with Lama

9. Morning in Chitkul

10. Trek to the Langza-Komic-Hikkim Circuit:
    1. The Langza-Komic-Hikkim Circuit is a popular trekking route that takes visitors through the beautiful landscapes of the Spiti Valley. The circuit includes the villages of Langza, Komic, and Hikkim, which are known for their unique cultural and natural attractions.
11. Attend the Ladarcha Fair: The Ladarcha Fair is a cultural event that is held annually in Kaza, which is the district headquarters of the Spiti Valley. The fair features traditional dances, music, and cultural performances and is a great way to experience the local culture.